Where to Write a Return Address on Letter to Guarantee Accurate Mail Returns?
Have your customers ever complained that they didn’t receive their orders even though you packaged and shipped them?
There are many reasons Royal Mail cannot deliver your items, making it necessary to include a return address on letter or envelope!
In such cases, do you want your items back, or should the Post Office discard them?
Of course, you would expect Royal Mail to return your mail pieces and not just toss them into the rubbish bin! But, you must mention a return address on letter to help postal services know where to send your mail.
It is advisable to learn how to put a return address on a letter and use the correct format! This practice enables you to retrieve your mail from the Post Office and reship them instead of letting it go to waste.
In this blog, let us discusses where to write return address UK and the steps to mail something.
Writing a Return Address on Envelope
According to Royal Mail, including a return address on envelope UK is optional. But, it is always better to add it for securing your shipments! Also, some Royal Mail shipping services need you to insert a return address to fit their criteria.
If your addresses are invalid or unreachable, the return address allows postal workers to trace your location and send your items back! You must write the words- ‘Return Address’ on the first line and include your mailing details below. Alternatively, you may also write ‘If Undelivered, Return to.’
Also, some people mistakenly write a return address belonging to the destination country. Please remember that Royal Mail only returns mail pieces to addresses within the UK.
But where does return address go on letter?
The most popularly-used way to include a return address is to place it on the backside of your envelope towards the bottom right. Align the address to the left and ensure that it is visible. The primary benefit of including the return address on letter UK is that postal workers can distinguish it from the mailing address!
Some envelopes also carry the return address on the flap itself. It gives a professional look to your letters and makes mail returns simple!
If you want to learn more about where to put return address on envelope and get more options, you can place it on the front. Write or print it on the top-left corner of your envelope, but leave a minimum distance of 12 mm from the delivery address.
Also, your return address on letter should not appear lower than 28 mm from the top edge and less than 75 mm from the right side.
The Correct Return Address on Envelope UK Format
Here are the elements you must include in your UK return address:
Recipient’s Name
Write the recipient’s full name on the first line of your address, below the words- ‘return address.’ Spell the names correctly and add the appropriate titles, like Mr, Ms, Miss, Dr, Mrs, etc.
Remember to include only the concerned person’s name in your company as they know what to do with the items when they receive them.
Company Name
The second line of your return address on letter should be your company’s name. It helps Royal Mail locate you and deliver your mail returns faster.
Also, it helps inform recipients about the sender of the mail items, keeping them from treating the articles as junk mail.
Property Number and Street Name
The following line of your return address on envelope carries the house number and street name. If your office address has an official property name or building number like ‘Building N8,’ write it below your company’s name. Then, write the address number and street or thoroughfare name on the following line!
Locality Information
Typically, there are three locality lines in your return address on letter! And you can choose to write any one, two, or all three! Here are the details:
Line 1: A double-dependent locality, like a borough or neighbourhood: Ramsey Road.
Line 2: A dependent locality, like a civil parish or town: Warboys.
Line 3: Post town (mandatory): Huntingdon.
Postcode
The last line of your return address on envelope UK should always have the postcode. It should appear on the following line after you write the post town.
Postcodes help Royal Mail sort and deliver mail items systematically. Like the post town, you should write the postcodes in capital letters. The remaining elements should have title case letters.
Furthermore, the postcode in your return address on letter should have two parts, e.g., PE28 2SH. If you do not know your postcode, use Royal Mail’s postcode finder to find it!
Since your address belongs to the UK, you don’t need to mention the country name in the end.
Here are a few examples of a return address on letter UK for your reference:
Prof Harry Evans
University of Oxford
Wellington Square
OXFORD
OX1 2JD
Miss WK Rowling
8 Alexander DR
Wirral
MERSEYSIDE
CH61 6XT
We understand that drafting and standardising a return address on letter can be hectic! Thus, our address verification solutions help you verify addresses in any number and format them according to the Royal Mail addressing guidelines.
Royal Mail Guidelines on Writing Return Address on Envelope
Below, we have listed some points you should consider while drafting your return address for better clarity and effective mailing:
- Left aligns all the elements to make your address look neat.
- Write your return address on letter UK using Royal Mail-approved fonts like Lucida Console and Letter Gothic.
- Your address must be in English or Welsh only. You can add Welsh addresses only if they are available in Royal Mail’s Postcode Address File (PAF).
- Avoid including UK counties or country names within the return address on envelope block.
- You have the option to print the post town and postcode on the same line with one or two spaces, but it is not advisable.
- Use black ink to create a positive contrast on the letter and make your return address on letter UK visible.
- Write using legible handwriting and space out your words to improve readability. Prevent using pencils for drafting your return addresses as it gets easy to rub or smudge off during transit.
- Your text size should be between 10 to 15. Anything smaller than this size is hard to read, preventing Royal Mail from returning your mail pieces.
- Try printing your return address on letter instead of writing it.
Steps to Mail a Letter or Package in the UK
Here are the steps you must undertake to mail something through Royal Mail after you understand where to put the return address on a letter correctly!
Prepare Your Mail Items
Before you write the return address on letter, your first step is to draft your items. It is time-consuming and daunting, but you must do it correctly and avoid manual errors!
If you don’t want to do extra legwork, try integrating PostGrid’s print and mail API into your system. It helps you draft your mailers quickly using pre-built templates and auto-fill the address details.
Print and Assemble
The printing process is another complicated yet crucial task! You must mail your items with a return address on envelope in high resolution. Additionally, depending on your payment method, you may need to print the postage information onto your mailers.
You may also require to sort your direct mail advertising and transactional items by postcodes if you want to qualify for bulk discounts!
Insert the Mailing Address
It is mandatory to add a mailing address, unlike the return address on envelope UK which is unnecessary. This step is also a part of the printing procedure, but there is more to it! You need to validate your mailing lists to check if your delivery addresses are updated and valid.
Please use the same format as the return address on letter for your delivery address. Follow the same guidelines for alignment and address elements. However, you must place the mailing address in the centre of your envelopes towards the bottom if you want to insert your return address in the top-left corner. Otherwise, you can place it along the left side, parallel to the longest side!
If you want to mail a package, you can use address labels to mention the return address on letter UK and the mailing address. Stick the delivery address label in the centre and the return address label towards its top-left corner.
BFPO Addresses
You already know how to put a return address on a letter, making writing mailing addresses easier! But what if you need to mail to the British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses?
The address format for BFPO addresses is:
Recipient’s Service Number, Rank, and Name
Regiment or Unit
Location or Operation Name (if applicable)
BFPO Number
You may write your return address on envelope for BFPO addresses. But, try to confirm the same by calling or visiting your local Post Office.
There are a few things to remember while you send mail to BFPO addresses, and they are:
- Refrain from using AIR MAIL stickers.
- Seal the edges of your packages and envelopes with adhesive tape.
- Do not include the town or country name. Royal Mail may reject your envelopes or packages going to the BFPO if you mention more details than you need to, leading to several problems.
- You can choose between options, including HM Forces Royal Mail 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For, and Special Delivery Guaranteed.
BFPO cannot guarantee the delivery time, but it can help you get a status report!
International Addresses
Knowing where to write return address UK is more significant when mailing something internationally. International mailing is expensive, and you trust postal services to deliver your items safely!
Mentioning a valid UK address ensures that Royal Mail delivers your items to the intended destinations or returns them to you!
The way you format international addresses differs for every country. Try looking up country-wise rules and guidelines to draft your address correctly for accurate mailing. Don’t forget that you still need to write a national return address on envelope to protect your items against non-delivery.
We have compiled a standard international address format you can use:
Recipient’s name
Apartment or house number and street address
City, municipality, or town
State or province, and the postal code
Country
Please print the country name in capital letters on the last line. Also, it should always be in English for Royal Mail to understand and process your mail efficiently!
Your return address on letter UK should also be in English, and it doesn’t change with the language of the destination countries.
Below are a few international address formats for different countries –
The US:
Rachael Hopper
521 114th ST
California City CA 93505
USA
Canada:
Will Gillies
Gilbert Association
18-423 MAIN STREET SW
MONTREAL QC H3Z 2Y7
Canada
Portugal:
J Fernandez
Cu Marinho
Monte Trigo
7110 Portel
Portugal
It is worth learning the address formats of the countries you mail to often and how to write the return address on letter and package!
Here are some tips for you to mail internationally:
- Attach your AIR MAIL stickers to your mail items, except for the International Economy option.
- Write the correct international postcode.
- Remember to write your return address on letter UK on the front side of the envelopes for international shipping.
- If you need to ship items to Europe, write the postal code before the town name as we did in the Portuguese address above!
Include the Correct Postage
Your postage stamps should always appear on the front side of the envelope in the top-right corner. It must start on the same line as your return address. Thus, understanding where do you put the return address on a letter also helps you affix your stamps properly!
If one stamp isn’t enough to cover the postage for your letter or package, you can affix more stamps. But, paying the correct postage is crucial for smooth deliveries. Otherwise, Royal Mail can hold back your mail items for non-payment of postage, irrespective of whether you have a return address on letter or not.
There are several options you can use for mailing within the UK, including:
- Royal Mail 1st Class
- Royal Mail 2nd Class
- Royal Mail Sameday
- Royal Mail Signed For 1st Class
- Royal Mail Signed For 2nd Class
- Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 AM
- Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 PM
- Royal Mail Tracked 24
- Royal Mail Tracked 48
Try to always write the return address on envelope, irrespective of which option you select! Sometimes, there can be a mishap, and you may need your items back.
Most of these options offer same-day to next-day delivery to help you send urgent items. But, they are a little expensive, so try to use them only for emergencies. Other services like Royal Mail 1st Class and 2nd Class are cheaper and offer doorstep deliveries within one to three business days.
How Can PostGrid’s Address Verification Services Help You Mention a Correct Return Address on Letter?
As said above, there are many guidelines you must follow while writing a return address on envelope UK and a mailing address. It decides whether your mail items reach the intended recipients on time or get lost during the journey!
Our address verification API helps you get a 99.99% deliverability ratio! It allows you to autocomplete, parse, standardise, and validate your addresses in one go…
Also, PostGrid provides numerous features to help improve the quality of your mailing lists. You can update your addresses using our solutions at any time or just before a campaign! PostGrid enables you to verify national and international addresses affordably and flexibly.
Furthermore, our bulk address verification capabilities help you validate lists in large volumes. So, you don’t need to worry about where to put the return address on a letter or how!
One of our clients recently wanted to verify 5,000 records to conduct an effective mailing campaign! PostGrid enabled them to do so within minutes! They downloaded our address verification software on their device and uploaded the lists they wanted to check.
Our solutions use Royal Mail’s PAF and NCOA database to update and cleanse mailing lists. The client no longer has to think about where to put return address on envelope or how to verify addresses.
They also integrated our address verification API into their website. Now, PostGrid helps them use rooftop geocoding and capture the addresses of all the customers who shop online using their eCommerce website.
Final Thoughts
Royal Mail does an excellent job of delivering items all over the country and abroad. But, there might be some unpreventable problems leading to mail returns. Thus, you should be prepared to face such situations and write a return address on letter correctly!
PostGrid’s address verification API helps you validate your addresses beforehand, helping Royal Mail complete deliveries accurately. Also, it allows you to access an updated and reliable database, letting you make crucial decisions and conduct successful marketing campaigns!
Request a demo to see how you can use PostGrid to write a proper return address on letter and verify mailing lists!
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