First class stamp cost: How much are first and second class stamps 2024
The cost of a first class stamp will rise to £1.65 just six months after another price hike.
The 30p rise comes into force on October 7 2024, while a second class stamp will remain at 85p, having risen by 10p in April.
First class stamps already rose from £1.10 to £1.25 in October 2023, before rising again in April 2024 to £1.35.
October's prise rise is the fifth in two years.
In fact, the 85p charge to send a second class letter is the same price it cost to send one first class at the start of 2022.
Royal Mail may also soon drop its Saturday deliveries for second class letters to save money.
Regulator Ofcom is considering changes which could also see second class deliveries made on alternate weekdays only. Royal Mail says delivery times of up to three working days would remain unchanged.
Ofcom is currently reviewing proposals and said it would hold a consultation in early 2025 before making a decision in summer 2025.
Royal Mail said the average family used to receive 14 letters a week in 2014/5 but now only receives four.
Nick Landon, Royal Mail's chief commercial officer, said Royal Mail "must adapt" to changing customer preferences and rising costs.
He said: "We always consider price increases very carefully. However, when letter volumes have declined by two-thirds since their peak, the cost of delivering each letter inevitably increases.
"A complex and extensive network is needed to get every letter and parcel across the country for a single price - travelling on trucks, planes, ferries and in some cases drones before it reaches its final destination on foot. We are proud to deliver the universal service, but the financial cost is significant."
Ofcom said it caps the price of second class stamps "to make sure an affordable option is always available".
As of August 1 2023, customers have only been able to use stamps that feature a barcode. Any without barcodes are not accepted. Users can return old stamps to Royal Mail for an exchange to a new, barcoded stamp.
Royal Mail stamps
Here is how much it will cost to send a letter and parcel via Royal Mail both first class and second class in October 2024 compared to April 2024.
| Size | Weight up to and including | 1st Class April 2024 | 1st Class Oct 2024 | 2nd Class April 2024 | 2nd Class Oct 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 100g | £1.35 | £1.65 | 85p | 85p |
Large Letter | 100g | £2.10 | £2.60 | £1.55 | £1.55 |
Large Letter | 250g | £2.90 | £3.50 | £2.10 | £2.10 |
Large Letter | 500g | £3.50 | £3.50 | £2.50 | £2.50 |
Large Letter | 750g | £3.50 | £3.50 | £2.70 | £2.70 |
Small parcel | 2kg | £4.59 | £4.79 | £3.69 | £3.75 |
Medium parcel | 2kg | £6.69 | £6.99 | £5.89 | £6.15 |
Medium parcel | 10kg | £8.39 | £8.69 | £7.39 | £7.65 |
Medium parcel | 20kg | £12.49 | £13.19 | £10.99 | £11.55 |
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