Great Britain’s Royal Mail to raise postage rates April 3

By Linn’s Staff

Great Britain’s Royal Mail will raise its first-class and second-class domestic postage rates April 3.

The cost for first-class postage will climb by 15 pence, from 95p to £1.10. The second-class rate will increase by 7p, from 68p to 75p.

In the March 3 press release announcing the new rates, Royal Mail said the consideration for the changes came “in light of the 25% drop in letter volumes since the pandemic, increasing costs and the highest inflation rates for a generation.”

Royal Mail said its rates remain competitive compared to other European postal operators. The median price for the equivalent of a first-class letter service across Europe is £1.25, according to a calculation Royal Mail conducted across 29 countries in January.

Royal Mail also faces an increase in the number of addresses despite the decrease in letter volume.

“Letter volumes have decreased from more than 20 billion letters a year in 2004/5, to approximately eight billion letters per year now, while the number of addresses has risen by four million in the same period,” Royal Mail said.

Royal Mail announced other price changes as well, including the introduction of a single price of £2.20 to send standard letters weighing up to 100 grams worldwide.

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