How To Send a Letter In The UK: An Easy Step-By-Step Guide
Have you ever wanted to implement an old-fashioned direct mail campaign but couldn’t because you didn’t know how to send a letter?
If yes, you would be among many who don’t send a letter because they don’t know how to. Today, most marketers and business owners have no idea how to mail a letter UK. However, direct mail offers a significantly higher response rate than most mainstream marketing ideas.
Furthermore, you can use direct mail for bulk mailing invoices, bills, patient reports, and much more. It is crucial to understand how you can send a letter via post for business communication. Here, we will teach you how to send a postal letter in the UK.
You will get a step-by-step guide to sending a letter in the UK, the services you can use and their salient features. The article also explains how to address your mailers and tips on writing or printing your business letters.
Step-By-Step Guide To Sending a Letter In The UK
Step 1: Check If You Can Post
The first thing you need to do before you can send letters in the UK is to check whether you can send them. Some items are prohibited from being sent via Royal Mail. You need to ensure that your mailer does not contain any prohibited items.
What usually happens is that most senders are unaware of which items are prohibited from sending via post. Even something as simple as a lottery ticket is not permitted to be sent by post. Similarly, there are many such items that you might think are okay to send via post.
Here is the complete list of restricted and prohibited items you CAN’T send by post.
Step 2: Select An Envelope For Your Letter
As you know, the postage cost of your letter depends on the mail piece’s size and shape. Several vital documents and foldable letters require an envelope. Envelopes also come in different sizes, and you can pick one that’s best suited for your mail piece. You can get the envelopes for the letters from your local Post Office.
Step 3: Address Your Letter
When you write a postal address on a letter, consider putting the information from smallest to largest. Just remember to add the postcode at the end of the address. Hence, the addressee’s name comes first in the address, then the house number/name and street name. You can then write the town/city.
If necessary, you would also have to provide the locality of the address. Similarly, you would also have to provide the country name if you send an international mail. Finally, ensure that your delivery address is aligned to the left.
We will give you a detailed explanation of addressing a UK letter as you proceed further.
Step 4: Weigh Your Letter
We know that the size and weight of your letter determine its postage rate. Hence, it is good to weigh your letters before going to the nearest Royal Mail branch. It helps you get an accurate idea of the required postage for your mail piece.
As a result, you can spend just the right amount of postage you need. Such a practice is hugely beneficial, especially for businesses sending bulk mail. It saves you a significant amount of postage. And all you need is a weighing scale for measuring the weight of the postal item from home or company.
Keep in mind that the weight of the package need not be accurate to a microscopic level. The postal service provider such as Royal Mail defines a specific range for the postal mailers. So, as long as you ensure the letter weighs falls within the specified range.
Step 5: Choose The Best Postage Option For Your Letter
Individuals and businesses can choose a postage option based on how soon they want their letter to arrive at its destination. Sometimes, the sender may also be required to track the package or a sign from the recipient if they are sending legal documents or essential items. Again, you need to consider the dimensional measurements of your mailer to decide what kind of postage it needs.
Normal Letters
A standard letter can have a maximum width of 16.5 cm, a max length of 24cm, and a max depth of 0.5cm. You can use a 1st Class or 2nd Class stamp from Royal Mail for your normal-sized letter. Remember that the former costs only 66p, whereas the latter costs 85p.
Large Letters
When it comes to larger letters, the maximum width increases to 25cm, and the max length to 35.3cm. Similarly, large letters also have a higher maximum depth limit than regular letters. Additionally, the weight is also a big concern for large letters.
For letters that weigh up to 100g costs you about 96p to post by 2nd Class. However, sending the same postal letter can cost £1.29 if you use the 1st Class postage service. Your postage charges vary as you increase the weight of large letters. The following table should help you get a good idea of the postage for large letters.
| Large Letter Weight | 2nd Class Postage Rate | 1st Class Postage Rate |
| Up to 100g | £0.96 | £1.29 |
| Up to 250g | £1.53 | £1.83 |
| Up to 500g | £1.99 | £2.39 |
| Up to 750g
(Maximum weight for a large letter) |
£2.70 | £3.30 |
Postage Option And Delivery Time
Businesses and individuals prefer using 1st Class posts when making fast deliveries. Usually, the 1st Class post is delivered within one working day, but there is no guarantee. On the other hand, sending a letter via 2nd Class takes roughly 3 working days, but it is much cheaper than 1st Class post.
Special Delivery Guaranteed Services
Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm® and Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am® is postage options from the Royal Mail. As the name suggests, the Special Delivery Guaranteed services guarantees the delivery of your postal letters by 1 pm and 9 am on the next working day.
Step 6: Place The Necessary Postage Stamp/Postage Sticker On Your Letter
Once you know the necessary postage for sending your letter, all that’s left to do is place the necessary postage stamp/postage sticker. Ensure it is clear and visible when placing the postage stamp or sticker.
Also, make sure you don’t place the stamp so that it bends over the edge. Additionally, ensure that the postage stamp is not placed on the same face of the letter with the address. It is also worth noting that many postage stamps contain barcodes that help track the postage. To protect the integrity of these barcodes, you must ensure that the postage stamp is flat and easily scannable.
Step 7: Post Your Letter
Once you have got the proper stamp and the address for sending a letter in the UK, all you have to do is post it. You can go to your nearest post box or go directly to your local Royal Mail branch for posting your letter.
Furthermore, Royal Mail offers reliable customer service that can help you with any queries about the postal service. So, you can always contact Royal Mail regarding any questions, such as finding the correct postage or delivery time for a specific letter.
Did you know that there are several rules and regulations that you need to follow when implementing direct mail marketing for your business?
Read our blog “How To Comply With Laws Regarding Direct Mail Marketing?” to make sure you are compliant with the laws and regulations of direct mail marketing.
How To Address A UK Letter
Getting your delivery address is one of the most crucial parts of sending a letter in the UK. If you are unsure about the address in any way or if you do not have the full postal address, it may lead to delayed deliveries or returned mail.
Such issues may not be a big deal if you send personal letters. Still, it is never desirable for business communications. Hence, most businesses employ a print and mail API like PostGrid to personalise, print, and deliver business letters.
However, not all companies have an advanced system like PostGrid to manage their direct mail operations. Here’s how you can address your UK letters to ensure fast and efficient delivery. First, you should check whether the following details are in your mailing address.
- Name of the recipient or addressee.
- House name/number and street.
- Locality (if relevant for the specific address).
- Village/Town/city Country (usually not necessary)
- Postcode.
Things To Note When You Write A UK Address
Royal Mail does not require you to write or print all the information listed above on the postal delivery address. For example, most UK postal addresses do not include the “locality,” as it is only relevant to some postal addresses.
Similarly, there are also instances where you may have to provide additional detail on the postal address. Here are a few things to note when writing the UK postal address on a letter.
Remote Addresses
The geographical location of some postal addresses may be at the remotest places in the UK. In such cases, you can use the geographical location of the address’s nearest village or town. You can write or print “Nr” followed immediately by the closest named area. However, it is also worth noting that this is usually unnecessary in a UK postal address.
Country Name
The country name is usually unnecessary for letters, especially for domestic postal addresses. If you do not have the town and postcode for the postal address, you can add the country name to the address.
Writing Or Printing Postcode
As you might have noticed, the UK postcode uses an alphanumeric, unlike the ZIP codes used in the US, which only contains numbers. When writing the postal code for UK addresses, ensure that you write or print it in all capitals. It will ensure that Royal Mail’s mail sorting system can easily read your postcode and sort it without delays.
Tips For Writing/Printing A UK Letter
Here are some tips you can use to ensure no unnecessary delays or return mail when sending a letter in the UK.
- Never use full stops and commas when writing a UK address.
- Always align each line to the left and never centre the lines.
- Always try to include the postcode of an address.
- Use Royal Mail’s Postcode Finder for finding the postcode of an address.
- If you are sending the letter to an organisation, add a line for the organisation’s name.
- Make sure to leave a margin around the entire address, which is about ½ inch wide.
- If you are writing the postal address on the envelope by hand, use a pen or ink that’s clear and visible against the envelope’s colour.
- Do not use pencil or other writing equipment that easily smudges, and always maintain a text size similar to the font size of 10 to 15.
- If you are printing the address, use an easily readable font and make sure that the colour of the ink stands out against the envelope.
- You don’t need to write down the country name in the address if you have already provided the town and postcode in the letter.
Different Types Of Mail Services From Royal Mail
As we have mentioned earlier, the sender can choose from various direct mail options for sending their letters. There are primarily three different types of direct mail services that businesses can use, and they are
- UK Standard Service
- UK Signed Service
- UK Guaranteed Service
However, Royal Mail breaks down the three different types of mail even further. For example, the UK standard service includes both 1st and 2nd Class options. The significant difference between 1st Class and 2nd Class mail is their delivery time and postage rates.
UK Standard Mail
UK Standard service consists of mainly two postal mail services from the Royal Mail
- 1st Class Mail Service
- 2nd Class Mail Service
1st Class Mail Service
The 1st Class mail letter allows you to send letters from rates as low as 88p and small parcels starting from £3.85. One of the most significant advantages of 1st Class mail service from Royal Mail is that the letter is usually delivered on the next business day.
Furthermore, Royal Mail delivers 1st Class mail deliveries even on Saturdays. It also comes with a compensation cover of £20. The maximum weight of a Royal Mail 1st Class mail is 20kg. So, in case you want to send something heavy and want to do it fast, you can always count on 1st Class mail service.
2nd Class Mail Service
Royal Mail’s 2nd Class mail service enables you to send a letter from 66p. Sending small parcels using 2nd Class mail is cheaper than 1st Class mail and costs you only £3.20. Royal Mail also tries to deliver your packages on Saturdays.
1st Class mail usually delivers your letter within one working day and costs more in postage. 2nd Class mail costs less, but the delivery time is two to three working days. Both 1st Class and 2nd Class mail are the same regarding the compensation and maximum weight. 2nd Class mail also includes compensation covering up to £20 and a maximum weight of 20kg.
1st Class And 2nd Class Mail: Delivery Confirmation & Tracking
You get an online delivery confirmation if or when you post a letter at a Royal Mail Post Office branch. The online proof is available for small and medium parcels. However, that does not mean it is a tracked service.
All you can do is check online and confirm whether your parcel has been delivered or if a delivery attempt was made. You can also access when the delivery or attempt was made on the Post Office page.
UK Signed Service
When it comes to UK Signed mail service, there are two distinct options, and they are
- Royal Mail Signed For
- Parcelforce Worldwide express48
Royal Mail Signed For
The Royal Mail Signed For service is a part of Royal Mail’s UK Signed mail service. You can get the Royal Mail Signed For service at £2.60. The postage rate for this UK Signed service compared to Parcelforce Worldwide express48.
Hence, Royal Mail Signed For service enables you to ensure that your vital package safely arrives at its destination. You get the recipient’s signature as proof of the delivery of your item. Furthermore, the service is available for both Royal Mail 1st Class and 2nd Class mail.
Apart from the signature proof, you also get online delivery confirmation for your delivery. Royal Mail Signed For service even includes compensation of up to £50.
Parcelforce Worldwide express48
The Parcelforce Worldwide express48 provides businesses and individuals with a fully tracked delivery of two working days. You can get the express48 service for sending a letter in the UK starting from a price of £12.12.
As you can see, the express48 service is significantly more expensive than sending a Royal Mail Signed For mail. However, express48 service lets you track the entire journey of the mailer, and it requires a signature from the recipient.
You can even opt for a Saturday delivery if you are willing to pay an extra £9. Additionally, you get a £100 compensation and the option to buy additional coverage as high as £2,500. You can use the service to send packages within a 30kg weight limit.
UK Guaranteed Service
Royal Mail provides several postal mail services that guarantee your mailer’s delivery within a specified time. Listed below are the popular UK Guaranteed services
- Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am and 1 pm
- Parcelforce Worldwide Express24
- Express9, express10 and expressAM
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am and 1 pm
- Your mail gets guaranteed delivery by 9 am or 1 pm.
- Royal Mail guaranteed Saturday delivery for an additional fee.
- Full tracking of your postal mail.
- Requires a signature from the recipient upon delivering the mailer.
- You get covered for valuable items and late deliveries.
- Get up to £500 compensation for delivery by 1 pm.
- Get up to £50 compensation for delivery by 9 am.
- You can opt for additional coverage up to £2,500.
- Get optional consequential loss cover-up to £10,000.
- Royal Mail provides a refund for late deliveries.
Parcelforce Worldwide Express24
- Fully tracked delivery services starting from £16.68.
- Signature required from the recipient on delivery.
- Get up to £100 compensation.
- You can opt for additional coverage up to £2,500.
Parcelforce Worldwide Express9, express10 and expressAM
- Get guaranteed delivery by the next day, 9 am, 10 am or noon.
- Each parcel can weigh up to 30kg.
- Send full consignments of parcels without a weight limit.
- It comes with a loss of damage cover up to £200.
You can also learn more about optimising your business’s direct mail delivery on our previous blog –“How to Speed Up Direct Mail Delivery“
Conclusion
Sending a letter in the UK is not difficult. Royal Mail provides you with various services to meet all your personal and business needs. However, business communications via letters or direct mail can be significantly improved with automation capabilities.
Businesses that often use bulk mail services can significantly benefit from a direct mail automation tool like PostGrid. Industry verticals, including healthcare, insurance, financial services, and more, can use PostGrid for sending important documents.
You can send documents such as patient statements, payment reminders, event invites, invoices, etc., to the target audience. PostGrid enables you to automatically personalise, print, and deliver your letters so that you don’t have to learn how to mail a letter UK.
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