How to Select the Standard Envelope Weight for Affordable and Quick Shipping?
Typically, the standard envelope weight is 6.75 g, but are other options available? We know businesses widely use paper envelopes to send transactional and correspondence mail. Hence, it is advisable to know your options—primarily the ones acceptable by Royal Mail!
It costs less to ship a mail item of the typical weight of a standard envelope and letter compared to oversized envelopes. Thus, knowing the correct specifications facilitates affordable and effective shipping!
Read on to know the Royal Mail-prescribed weight and size restrictions to bag the best postage rates for your business!
How Much Do Envelopes Weigh?
The weight of a letter envelope is 6.75 g, but the postage depends on the final weight of your item. So, when you stuff a 4.5 g letter inside, the total weight becomes 11.25 g.
The #10 envelope type weighing 6.75 g is the standard envelope weight that businesses and individuals use. It uses the 20# paper stock- which is the base weight!
The base or substance weight describes the collective weight of all the fibres in a paper sheet. You can calculate it as 500 22” x 17” paper sheets. Therefore, a 20# envelope represents this total weight and not the #10 envelope weight, which is 6.75 g.
Hence, you can select the weight of a standard envelope according to the
- Paper stock: 20#, 24#, 28#, etc., or
- Envelope type or name: #10, DL envelopes, C5 envelopes, etc.
What Is the Royal Mail Standard Envelope Weight and Its Rates?
Royal Mail has categorised all mail items as letters, large letters, small parcels, medium parcels, and large parcels. All these segments have different specifications and postage rates. Below, we discuss standard envelope weight, size, and price range for letter mailers!
Letters
There are no minimum weight and size limits by Royal Mail. But, your letter dimensions must not exceed 24 cm x 16.5 cm or 9.44” x 6.49”. Also, the thickness of these letters must be a maximum of 5 mm. And the maximum weight of a standard envelope letter should be 100 g.
Businesses use this format and standard envelope weight to send personal letters, bills, postcards, greeting cards, etc. It is advisable to use envelopes up to the C5 type to avail of the Royal Mail letter rates and avoid paying unnecessary surcharges. Also, please note that the total weight of the envelope and its contents must not exceed 100 g because the Post Office weighs the final product to calculate the shipping price.
Below are some popular types of weight of a letter envelopes you may use:
- DL envelopes: These envelopes measure 110 mm x 220 m and are lightweight. DL wallets have the 220 m side upwards, meaning you get a regular upper flap. Alternatively, DL pockets open from the side with the 220 m on the left or right side. This versatility makes DL an ideal weight of a letter envelope for mailing marketing and correspondence mail.
- C7 envelopes: This weight of a standard envelope is less than DL because it only measures 81 mm x 114 mm. You can use these envelopes for sending thank you and appreciation notes to your customers or RSVP letters.
- C6 envelopes: C6 envelopes measure 114 mm x 162 mm or 4.5” x 9.5”. They are 1/4th of an A4 size paper sheet, and their standard envelope weight is between 3 g to 7 g. Businesses use C6 envelopes for shipping invites, postcards, receipts, etc.
- C5 envelopes: These envelopes also fall within the weight of a standard envelope and measure 162 mm x 229 mm. The large size gives you more space to fit in multiple papers and inserts. Also, you can send heavier postcards for marketing purposes, as long as the total weight is within 100 g.
What is the cost of sending a letter via Royal Mail?
You can send a letter of the standard envelope weight of up to 100 g through Royal Mail using several options, like- 1st Class, 2nd Class, Special Delivery Guaranteed, Signed For, etc.
The weight of envelope for one stamp is also 100 g. It means- you can send all the envelope types discussed above using a single postage stamp worth 95p only. However, you must maintain the weight of their contents to avoid paying extra.
The 95p postage rate is for sending a standard envelope weight letter via 1st Class—the standard Royal Mail service to ship letters and parcels domestically! This option offers several features, like
- Next-day delivery to all addresses, including Saturdays.
- Compensation cover of up to £20.
- Same rates for all UK mailing destinations.
- A signature on delivery is available with the Signed For 1st Class option.
However, the 2nd Class rates to mail a letter of the standard envelope weight start at 66p. Unlike 1st Class Mail, this delivery service helps you send your items within two to three business days, including Saturdays. All the other features are the same as 1st Class, but it offers a more cost-efficient option for businesses who want to save on postage.
There is an alternative for companies who want to save costs and increase mailing efficiency—using PostGrid’s direct mail API. Our automated mailing service for sending standard envelope-weight letters and other items helps all businesses to streamline their activities at all-inclusive rates.
Large Letters
The weight of a standard envelope for large letters must be between 101 g to 750 g. Their maximum dimensions must be 35.3 cm x 25 cm with a thickness not exceeding 2.5 cm.
The large letter sizes are apt for mailing certificates, magazines, A4 documents, broad greeting cards, cased DVDs and CDs, etc. Also, you can ship your large-sized postcards and marketing flyers without folding them to fit in the smaller weight of a letter envelope and risk damage.
You can use a C4 standard envelope weight and type to send large letters via Royal Mail. C4 envelopes measure 229 mm x 324 mm! And they provide an ideal option to businesses for sending large-sized documents and marketing mail.
It is a commonly-used envelope type and doesn’t cost a lot. Moreover, you get several custom options for the texture, colour, finish, etc.
What is the postage to ship large letters?
As said earlier, the weight limit for envelope with one stamp is 100 g only. Hence, large-sized letters may need more stamps to cover the postage.
Here is the cost sheet to mail large-sized letters of the standard envelope weight up to 750 g via Royal Mail 1st Class and 2nd Class:
| Maximum Weight | 1st Class | 2nd Class |
| 100 g | £1.29 | 96p |
| 250 g | £1.83 | £1.53 |
| 500 g | £2.39 | £1.99 |
| 750 g | £3.30 | £2.70 |
You get the large-letter pricing if your letter is of the standard envelope weight for small letters (100 g)- but does not fall within the appropriate dimensions. Yet, the rates start at 96p only, so a few minor ups and downs do not matter much!
Please note: Royal Mail offers many other services to help you ship small and large letters. But, they might cost you more according to the features they offer! For instance, sending a small letter of the weight of a standard envelope via Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 AM costs at least £25.95. You can check more rates on the Royal Mail website for reference.
Standard Envelope Weight Estimates
This section is to help you determine the weight of your letters and parcels—helpful to calculate the accurate postage depending on the standard envelope weight and size.
Here are some examples:
- Greeting card or letter: 30 g
- CD or DVD in bubble packaging: 130 g
- Mobile phone in a bubble envelope: 180 g
- Gloss-covered magazine in a bubble envelope: 585 g
- DL envelope with four A4 paper sheets: 44 g
- A 400-page book in a bubble envelope: 310 g
Thus, you can estimate that sending a few pages or a postcard of the standard envelope weight may cost you only 95p- the cost to send a small letter via 1st Class. However, you may need to spend more to send a magazine or heavier book because they come under the category of large letters.
You can take your envelope to the Post Office to weigh it before shipping to get an idea. But, if you want to ditch going through these steps and increase productivity, try PostGrid’s direct mail services. We let you select the weight of a letter envelope, size, direct mail type, mailing list, etc., on your screen, from the comfort of your home or office. And we get the rest done on your behalf at 75% lower costs!
More Details On How PostGrid Helps Businesses Print and Ship Mail Items Effectively
PostGrid’s direct mailing dashboard and API help companies from several industries automate their shipping tasks. Thus, they have more time to focus on other business operations instead of worrying about logistics!
Here’s how PostGrid serves the following industries and enables them to use the correct weight of a letter envelope and get positive results for their campaigns:
- Healthcare: Healthcare organisations can send medical documents safely and systematically using PostGrid. Some examples include statements, lab invoices, test reports, clinical notes, discharge summaries, etc. Providers don’t need to focus on the standard envelope weight and similar aspects. Instead, they can confirm patient identity, facilitate communication, and reduce expenses!
- Insurance: Insurance agencies can print and mail monthly statements, Explanation of Benefits (EOB), policy reinstatement letters, cancellation notices, etc.
- Real estate: PostGrid helps real estate companies use the correct weight of a letter envelope and send documents, like yellow letters, privacy notices, form 1098, etc., efficiently!
- Financial services: Our services help financial institutions automate sending adverse action letters, bank statements, transaction records, collection letters, etc. They can select any standard envelope weight they want and draft a relevant mailing list- all under one roof!
- Retail and eCommerce: All retail and eCommerce businesses can pick the weight of a standard envelope to ship coupons, invoices, compliance documents, etc., using PostGrid.
Hence, PostGrid’s direct mail automation solutions allow companies to drive sales and maintain effective correspondence simultaneously. Get on a call today or drop an email at sales@postgrid.co.uk to discuss your mailing needs and see how PostGrid can help!
Conclusion
Not surprisingly, businesses look for cost-effective solutions to ship letters and packages. Thankfully, Royal Mail has reasonable postage rates, depending on the size and weight of your envelopes and other items! However, you should learn how much does an envelope weight in-depth to get lower rates and ship effectively!
If you need assistance, PostGrid can help you at every stage of your mailing campaign. You can send any number of items you want—and whenever needed! Also, there are no hidden fees or long-term contract requirements.
Request a demo now to know how PostGrid allows you to use the standard envelope weight to send your documents and letters systematically!
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