Nobody delivers more | Royal Mail

Christmas is coming! Nobody delivers more. Snow or shine.

Fill in your details and we’ll be in touch to help you prepare for peak.

Plus get access to our new eBook here!

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Download our new eBook: ‘5 consumer expectations that
could help your business grow’- for insights on what consumers are looking for and how your business can easily address them, to help you capitalise on those festive sales!

A huge network with extra capacity to support your peak rush. 81,000 posties delivering parcels and prezzies 7 days a week. Extra festive sorting hands and the most vans. International deliveries to over 230 countries and territories. Plus the greenest deliveries in the UK!* Nobody delivers more than Royal Mail.

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More ways to support you at peak than ever before

  1. Convenient festive delivery options, 7 days a week

    We deliver every day of the week. And with our new Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed® Next Day service, parcels are delivered by the end of the next day (even Sundays)… or your money back!^

  2. The most
    helping hands

    Our 81,000 posties (more than any other carrier!) act as ambassadors for your business. We bring on more staff at Christmas to help speed things along. And when you need to find a quick solution, our sales team are supported by 1,500 experienced customer service advisors.

  3. Here when you’re
    sending more

    In addition to our existing North West hub and parcel sort machines in our mail centres, we have a new Midlands hub that can process an additional million parcels a day. Adding more capacity into a massive network that won’t crack under Christmas strain!

  4. Give customers more
    returns choices

    The January returns rush is made easy with us. With Parcel Collect our posties will pick up Tracked Returns from doorsteps, and can even bring the label! We’ve also made it easier to drop off returns at parcel lockers and 5,000 Collect+ points, on top of our existing network of Customer Service Points, Post Offices and Parcel Postboxes!

  5. The widest
    reach

    We can deliver to every single address in the UK, and reach over 230 countries and territories worldwide. Plus we can offer a fully tracked service to your international shoppers in 80 countries using trusted local delivery partners.

  6. Send it greener

    Royal Mail deliveries are the easy way to reduce emissions across your supply chain. We’re the greenest carrier in the UK, with the lowest reported CO2 per parcel!*

  7. Greater first time
    delivery success

    We know Christmas orders are essential. So we have a variety of flexible delivery options to make sure your customer gets their parcel, from automatic redelivery if delivery to a neighbour or safeplace isn’t possible, to the choice of collection from a Customer Service Point or Post Office.

  8. The magic of mail

    With our vast array of letter services we can help your business stand out from the crowd during the festive season. Mail combines creativity and commercial focus to powerful effect. It engages consumers, builds relationships and boosts the your bottom line.

Royal Mail offer quite a lot of flexibility especially around peak periods like Black Friday and Christmas. We can put a call into our local depot and they will put on extra vans for us. We can get parcels into the local system and out to the national network very quickly.

Daniel King, Owner, Urban Industry

2024 latest recommended posting dates

Make sure you don't get caught short this Christmas by following the below latest recommended posting dates:

UK Royal Mail services*

International Royal Mail services*

  • International Economy –
  • International Tracked and Signature Services –
  • International Standard –
Download the full Royal Mail list

*Please note: latest posting dates are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. It’s advisable to post as early as possible to ensure your Christmas letters and parcels reach their destination in good time

Take a look at our full range of Royal Mail services

From little festive packages to heavy boxes (and everything in-between)

Royal Mail
Tracked® delivery

  • Fast and cost-effective
    with 24 and 48 hour delivery aims
  • Inflight delivery options
    giving customers more control, for improved first-time delivery success
  • Simple delivery notifications
    providing a predicted day of delivery and an estimated window from 2 hours
  • Increased compensation
    now up to £150 for the rare occasion things don't go to plan
  • Photo on delivery
    provides proof of receipt for added peace of mind
  • Tracking at 5 points along the way
    which reduces ‘where is my item’ enquiries
  • For parcels big and small
    we're equipped to deal with your heavier parcels too! Access competitive rates for Tracked parcels up to 30kg
  • Customer not in? No problem
    we’ll auto-redeliver as standard (if delivery to a safe place or neighbour isn’t possible), reducing “where is my item” enquiries and boosting delivery success
  • New Sunday delivery
    available with Royal Mail Tracked 24® for the same price as delivery any other day of the week!

Untracked option

  • Two great value options
    with a 24 and 48 hour delivery aim and online confirmation.

Guaranteed Delivery

  • Timed next day delivery
    with Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed ®. Ensure items arrive by 9am, by 1pm or simply by the end of the day with a money back guarantee+
  • Generous compensation
    all variations of the service provide £750 inclusive compensation. This can be enhanced up to £2,500 and consequential loss coverage of up to £10,000 is available too
  • Guaranteed even on a Sunday
    our brand new Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day service offers delivery by the end of the day, 7 days a week, includes an estimated delivery window and of course a money back guarantee+
  • Proof of receipt
    a signature and photo on delivery gives you and your customers the peace of mind that the item has arrived
  • Full tracking
    at 7 points along the way available via the Royal Mail app
  • Increases to maximum weight and value allowance
    you can now send heavier or pricier items up to 20kg^ and £5,000 with Special Delivery Guaranteed.

Same day delivery

  • Fast and flexible sameday delivery
    is available via eCourier, a Royal Mail Group company specialising in time critical courier deliveries.

+ Exceptions apply. We deliver throughout the UK but there are restrictions to delivery guarantees in some areas.
See Appendix A: Delivery Speeds in the UK parcels services user guide for full details.

^ Excluding Royal Mail Special Delivery by 9am®

Our returns options are growing – ready for peak!

Did you know? 81% of online shoppers agree a good returns experience would make them more likely to shop with a retailer in future.+

We offer proof of posting, end-to-end tracking and a 24 or 48 hour delivery aim with Royal Mail Tracked Returns®. So, you can reassure shoppers their item is en route (hello speedier returns!), and relist and resell items faster.

Nobody delivers more ways to return!

  • Effortless and free collection of Tracked returns
    with Parcel Collect, we’ll pick up your customer’s returns from their doorstep, workplace or a nominated Safeplace at no added cost
  • Even more out of home drop off points
    your customers can drop off returns at parcel lockers and 5,000 Collect+ points – in addition to our usual Customer Service Points, Post Offices and 1,200 24/7 Parcel Postboxes
  • Printer-free returns
    with our super convenient Parcel Collect option, when our posties come to pick up Tracked Returns, they can bring the label too, meaning you don't need to send one with every order, and your customer doesn't need a printer. Win win. Plus with Labels to Go, we also offer label printing in store for customers wishing to return at a Customer Service Point, local Post Office or Collect+ point. It's as simple as scanning a QR code!

+ Mintel Online Retailing Consumer Report 2023. Research conducted with Online Shoppers.

Spreading Christmas cheer across the globe

We partner with local postal carriers worldwide to deliver a great doorstep experience to overseas customers.

Not only are these carriers known and trusted by global shoppers, their knowledge helps to increase first time success and local language notifications add extra peace of mind.

Our range of Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) solutions will help you avoid delays and extra charges so you can ensure a smooth delivery experience for your European customers too.

Royal Mail International
Tracked delivery

  • Full item visibility
    with tracking updates and confirmation of delivery across 80 e-commerce countries+
  • Track like a local
    and let your customers follow their parcel’s progress on the local postal provider’s website. We currently offer notifications in 6 local languages, making it easier for recipients to follow their deliveries
  • Streamlined despatch
    via our dedicated Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre, plus priority handling within the overseas network
  • Compliant customs data
    via our shipping solutions such as
    Click & Drop® will help you avoid delays
  • Up to £100 compensation
    for lost or damaged items means
    you can confidently replace items with the option to add up to £300
  • Speedy international shipping
    with a delivery aim of just 2-4 working days depending on your destination.

Tracked Heavier

  • Send parcels up to 30kg
    to over 80 countries. This new heavier weight applies to medium parcels too (measuring up to 61x46x46cm).

Untracked delivery

  • Great value reach
    to over 230 countries and territories worldwide
  • Worldwide delivery aim
    of 3-5 working days
  • Compensation included
    as standard up to £20 for the rare occasions things don’t go to plan.

+ Dependent on destination country scanning capability.

A trusted partner for Christmas and beyond

Whether you’ve dipped a toe into recycling or gone all in with a sustainable strategy, it makes sense to choose more eco-friendly and ethical shipping for your deliveries and returns.

Customers are leading with their feet, and choosing brands that provide greener products and supply chains, and clearly support their people in the workplace.

We’re the greenest carrier in the UK+

  • Foot-forward delivery
    our posties walk up to a billion steps a day, making over half of our delivery routes wholly or partially on foot, giving us the lowest carbon footprint per parcel of any major UK delivery company
  • Greener alternatives
    we’ve begun our transition to renewable diesel alternatives, using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for our HGVs which reduced our diesel consumption by 10 million litres over the last year
  • A large electric fleet
    we have the largest EV delivery fleet in the UK with 5,000 electric vehicles (making up over 10% of our total fleet)
  • Cleaner energy
    we purchase or generate 100% renewable electricity across our entire estate
  • Net-Zero
    our Steps to Net-Zero strategy aims to decarbonise by 2040
  • Reduced emissions
    by moving more mail by road and reducing the use of domestic air freight.

Let’s talk about our people^

  • 98% of our UK team
    are on permanent contracts
  • Award-winning mental health
    and wellbeing strategies in the workplace
  • We believe in paying a fair wage
    rather than paying per parcel delivered
  • We’re a committed equal opportunities employer
    and support the Government’s mission to have a million more disabled people in work by 2027
  • We’re part of the community
    and are committed to giving back,
    by being involved in projects
    that make a real difference
  • Our Royal Mail employees
    stay with us on average
    for 18 years
  • We’re striving to be more representative with
    33% female board representation
    as our target for 2025.

+ Based on average gCO2e emissions per parcel delivered by UK parcel operators, as published by Citizens Advice 2023 Parcels League Table.

^ Royal Mail Environment, Social and Governance Report 2022-23.

Marketing that delivers festive sales

Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness, grow your customer base or simply remain front-of-mind with existing customers, mail could be the answer.

A whopping 95% of advertising mail is engaged with,+ so whatever your business goals, your marketing is in safe hands with our specialist mail services.

Hybrid Mail

  • Save time and money
    with a digital solution that allows your team to upload mail directly to our servers from home
  • We’ll take it from here
    to process, print and deliver
    your mail to the door.

Partially Addressed Mail

  • Location-specific targeting
    to reach small groups of carefully
    selected households
  • No personal data required
    as we’ll deliver to homes rather
    than individuals.

Door to Door

  • Precise targeting
    by location or demographic,
    to around 32 million addresses
  • No personal data
    we’ll deliver leaflets, flyers and
    brochures directly to customers’ homes.

Addressed Advertising Mail

  • Strengthen relationships
    with current customers,
    to prompt them online or in-store
  • Grow your business
    with precision targeting
    to expand your brand reach.

+ JICMAIL Quarterly Results Q4 2023.

  • † We’re open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. Calls may be recorded and monitored for training and compliance purposes.
  • * Based on average gCO2e emissions per parcel delivered by UK parcel operators, as published by Citizens Advice 2023 Parcels League Table.
  • ^ Exceptions apply. We deliver throughout the UK but there are restrictions to delivery guarantees in some areas.
        See Appendix A: Delivery Speeds in the UK parcels services user guide for full details.

Royal Mail and the cruciform are registered trade marks of Royal Mail Group Limited. Royal Mail Group Limited, registered in England and Wales, number 4138203, registered office: 185 Farringdon Road, London, EC1A 1AA.

© Royal Mail Group Limited 2024. All rights reserved.