Sending 1st Class Mail or 2nd Class Mail – What Is The Real Difference?

Many businesses in the UK are still unsure whether it is more beneficial to send mail by first class mail or second class mail. Other than the price and value of the postage, there is not really any differentiation between the two mail classes. Second class mail was introduced in the 60s and it was introduced to help provide a discount to customers wishing to send mail items that they deem less urgent. It was at this point that first class mail and second class mail was introduced.

However, sending mail via a franking machine attracts many businesses due to the discounted rates on offer and due to the fact that the mail items are usually pre-sorted and ‘Mailmarked’ which allows Royal Mail to handle mail much easier and effectively.

The average small sized business that sends average quantities of mail will not see any major difference in the level of service and speed of delivery between first class mail and second class mail. Due to the time and cost of sorting and distinguishing between the two classes, odds are your first class mail and second class mail will be delivered within the same time frame.

This means that the only real difference between the two is the cost. At 65p for a first class stamp, it is 9p more expensive to send a standard letter via first class post. This cost decreases if you are using a Mailmark franking machine, where it costs 55p to send a letter via first class and only 38p via second class mail. That’s a 17p saving. See how much you can save by using our online calculator today.

However, there are still some businesses that will perceive that class mail represents a premium service and if you are sending out items of high importance, such as a cheque, then it is wiser to use the first class mail service. If you are still not convinced, see the 2017 pricing schedule so you can do your own comparisons or use our savings calculator here – https://www.mailcoms.co.uk/franking-savings-calculator/.

Format Weight First Class Stamps First Class Mailmark Second Class Stamps Second Class Mailmark
Price Price Price Price
Letter 0-100g 65p 55p 56p 38p
Large Letter 0-100g 98p 85p 76p 65p
101-250g £1.30 £1.19 £1.22 91p
251-500g £1.74 £1.58 £1.58 £1.22
501-750g £2.52 £2.23 £2.14 £1.72
Small Parcel 1g-1000g £3.40 £3.12 £2.90 £2.62
1001-2000g £5.50 £5.22 £2.90 £2.62
Medium Parcel 0-1000g £5.70 £4.87 £5.00 £4.52
1001-2000g £8.95 £7.57 £5.00 £4.52
2001-5000g £15.85 £15.85 £13.75 £13.75
5001-10000g £21.90 £21.90 £20.25 £20.25
10001-20000g £33.40 £33.40 £28.55 £28.55

Now that you have a little more insight into the 2017 Royal Mail rates and the difference in sending mail via first class and second class post, we must ask whether your company currently benefit from using a franking machine or not? As you can see from our table above, the potential savings are great. If you do not use a franking machine to frank your mail, we suggest enquiring today.

If you are interested in getting a franking machine or upgrading to a Mailmark franking machine with even lower prices available, then please view our franking machine page here or call us today on 01543 572 776.

We are a Royal Mail Authorised Independent Inspector & Maintainer of Franking Machines with over 20,000 customers nationwide and we can supply you with our very own range of models.

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