The rules and regulations for sending franked mail

When you send franked mail, Royal Mail has a few clear rules to follow: lay the address out correctly, add a return address, print the franking impression in blue in the top right-hand corner, frank the correct date (the next working day if it is after 5pm), and use a franking label where the ink will not show clearly. The good news is that most modern franking machines handle much of this automatically.

The address

How an address is laid out is fairly strict with Royal Mail, but it means everyone knows which items will get through the depot.

• There is no need to add England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland when sending anywhere in the United Kingdom from the United Kingdom.
• Every part of the address must be on a new line. Do not squeeze the building name and street name onto the same line.
• No punctuation is needed between the lines of the address.

Return address

If a mail item gets lost, a return address helps Royal Mail identify you as the sender and return it to you rather than disposing of it. The general rules are:

• Royal Mail prefers the return address on the back of the item, no more than 40mm from the top. The front is acceptable, and a franking machine franks this on the front as standard.
• The return address must start with the words “Return Address”.
• Accepted fonts are Lucida Console or Letter Gothic.
• Accepted font sizes are between 10 and 12pt.

Blue is the colour

When using a franking machine, the impression must be placed in the top right-hand corner of the envelope and printed in blue so it is easily identifiable by Royal Mail.

The date

It is vital to frank the correct date onto the front of your mail item. This may not be today’s date – anything franked and sent after 5pm needs the following working day’s date. All the franking machines we stock, such as the Mailsend Prime, come with Smart Meter and Mailmark technology and can change the date to the next day automatically. If you are franking in advance for a different day, you will still need to set this yourself.

Using a label

Sometimes franking straight onto the item is not practical – on manilla envelopes or brown packages, the blue ink will not stand out. In that case a franking label is better. We stock both single cut and double sheet franking labels to suit all franking machine needs.

Sending franked mail may seem complicated

It can seem complicated, but many of these rules are set automatically on modern franking machines, so you do not need to become an expert in Royal Mail guidelines overnight. Many Mailmark franking machines even connect to Wi-Fi and have USB ports, letting you add credit without leaving the office.

If you are interested in getting a franking machine or upgrading to a Mailmark franking machine with lower prices available, please view our franking machine page here or call us today on 01543 572 776. Mailcoms is a Royal Mail Authorised Independent Inspector & Maintainer of postal franking machines, and we have serviced and supplied over 40,000 customers across the UK.

Frequently asked questions

Which corner does the franking impression go in?

The top right-hand corner of the envelope, printed in blue so Royal Mail can identify it easily.

What date should I frank if it is after 5pm?

Anything franked and sent after 5pm needs the following working day’s date. Modern franking machines change this automatically.

Do I need a return address on franked mail?

Royal Mail prefers it on the back, within 40mm of the top, starting with the words Return Address, so lost items can be returned to you.