Sending Mail in the UK: The Complete 2026 Guide

• Royal Mail is the universal postal service in the UK, delivering to every address six days a week.
• A 1st Class stamp costs around £1.70 and a 2nd Class stamp around £0.87 — but you also need envelopes, paper, and a printer.
• 1st Class aims for next-working-day delivery; 2nd Class typically takes 2–3 working days.
• With PostPal you skip all of it: write your letter online and we print, envelope, stamp, and post it for a flat £4 in the UK or £8 worldwide.
• No account, no printer, and no trip to the Post Office required.

Most of us send far fewer letters than we used to — which is exactly why posting one has become such a faff. You need stamps you don't have, an envelope you can't find, and a printer that's out of ink. For a single letter, the effort rarely feels worth it.

This guide covers how sending mail in the UK actually works in 2026: what Royal Mail charges, how long letters take, and how to post a letter online in a couple of minutes without owning any of the supplies.

Royal Mail prices its standard letter service by speed and by the size and weight of the item. For a standard letter (up to 100g and no thicker than 5mm):

• 1st Class: around £1.70 per stamp, aiming for next-working-day delivery including Saturdays.
• 2nd Class: around £0.87 per stamp, typically delivered in 2–3 working days.
• Large Letter: anything bigger than a standard letter (up to 250g) costs more and is priced separately.

Stamp prices have risen several times in recent years, so it's always worth checking the current rate before you post. Remember that a stamp is only part of the cost — envelopes, paper, and ink add up too.

Delivery times depend on the service you choose:

• 1st Class: next working day (not guaranteed) — good for time-sensitive letters.
• 2nd Class: 2–3 working days — fine for most everyday post.
• International: 5–10 working days on average, depending on the destination country.

These times apply whether you buy a stamp yourself or use PostPal — the letter still travels through the Royal Mail network. For anything with a legal deadline, keep proof of the date you posted it. We explain how in keeping proof you sent an important letter.

PostPal replaces the whole process with a web page. Here's how it works:

1. Write or upload. Type your letter in the browser or upload a PDF (contracts, forms, photos — up to 5 attachments).
2. Add the address. Enter the recipient's details. In the UK the county is optional — the post town and postcode do the work.
3. Pay. A flat £4 covers a UK letter (£8 worldwide), including printing, envelope, postage, and delivery.

We print your letter on quality paper, fold and seal it in a proper envelope, apply postage, and hand it to Royal Mail the next business day. You get an emailed confirmation of posting for your records.

Ready to try it? Send your first letter — no printer, no stamps, no queue.