Most business owners know that franking mail is faster, easier, and more cost-effective than stamping mail. But, what does franking mail actually cost?
In most cases, you can save anywhere from 4p to £1.34 over online business rates with franked mail. If you’re shipping internationally, you can save up to £7.40 on a single large business letter! Of course, if you compare it with stamped rates, you can save much more.
This page is up to date with the Royal Mail Mailmark Franking Rate Update from 07 April 2025.
1st Class Royal Mail Franking Charges vs Stamp Charges
These are UK standard rates released in the update dated 07 April 2025.
Here, you’ll notice that in some cases, it can save you a great deal to opt for mail franking. In other cases, it might actually cost you more to frank your mail.
You’ll notice that the clearest savings are in the standard business first class large letter of up to 100g.
| Size | Weight Up To & Including | 1st Class Franked Charges | 1st Class Online Charges | 1st Class Stamped Rate | Difference from Online Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 100g | £1.67 | £1.70 | £1.70 | -3p |
| Large Letter | 100g | £2.65 | £3.05 | £3.15 | -40p |
| 250g | £3.25 | £3.30 | £3.60 | -5p | |
| 500g | £3.30 | £3.30 | £3.60 | 0 | |
| 750g | £3.30 | £3.30 | £3.60 | 0 | |
| Small Parcel | 2kg | £4.99 | £4.19 | £4.99 | +80p |
| Medium Parcel | 2kg | £7.19 | £5.85 | £7.99 | +£1.34 |
| 10kg | £8.99 | £7.65 | £8.99 | -£1.34 | |
| 20kg | £13.69 | £12.35 | £13.69 | +£1.34 |
Keep in mind that the online rate can actually be cheaper than the franked rate. Here, you have a business account and still have to print out your own labels.
However, if you note the column on the right, most franked charges are still cheaper than the online rate, with a maximum of £1.34 in savings with a 10kg medium first-class parcel.
2nd Class Royal Mail Franking Charges vs Stamp Charges
If you’re looking for cheaper rates, 2nd class mail is the way to go. However, savings on franking can be lower than with first-class postage. Let’s take a look.
| Size | Weight Up To & Including | 2nd Class Franked Charges | 2nd Class Online Charges | 2nd Class Stamped Rate | Difference from Online Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 100g | 84p | 87p | 87p | -3p |
| Large Letter | 100g | £1.41 | £1.55 | £1.55 | -7p |
| 250g | £1.77 | £1.91 | £2.00 | -14p | |
| 500g | £2.20 | £2.34 | £2.40 | -14p | |
| 750g | £2.50 | £2.64 | £2.70 | -14p | |
| Small Parcel | 2kg | £3.90 | £3.35 | £3.90 | 0 |
| Medium Parcel | 2kg | £6.29 | £4.95 | £6.29 | 0 |
| 10kg | £7.89 | £6.55 | £7.89 | 0 | |
| 20kg | £11.89 | £10.55 | £11.89 | 0 |
Again, online rates can actually be cheaper than franking. However, for large letters, franking remains the cheapest way to go.
Royal Mail Mailmark Franking Standard Charges
There are dozens of ways to post mail with the Royal Mail. With franking, you get custom rates on all of them, including some hefty discounts.
Let’s take a look at the current rates:
UK Signed
| Size | Weight Up To & Including | 1st Class Franked Charges | 1st Class Stamped Rate | 2nd Class Franked Charges | 2nd Class Stamped Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 100g | £3.57 | £3.60 | £2.74 | £2.77 |
| Large Letter | 100g | £4.55 | £5.05 | £3.31 | £3.45 |
| 250g | £5.15 | £5.50 | £3.67 | £3.90 | |
| 500g | £5.20 | £5.50 | £4.10 | £4.30 | |
| 750g | £5.20 | £5.50 | £4.40 | £4.60 | |
| Small Parcel | 2kg | £6.49 | £6.49 | £5.40 | £5.40 |
| Medium Parcel | 2kg | £8.69 | £8.69 | £7.79 | £6.29 |
| 10kg | £10.49 | £10.49 | £9.39 | £7.89 | |
| 20kg | £11.89 | £15.19 | £13.39 | £11.89 |
UK Guaranteed Franked Rates
Guaranteed by 1 PM Franked Rates
| Weight Up To & Including | Up to £750 | With Saturday Guarantee | Up to £1,000 | With Saturday Guarantee | Up to £2,500 | With Saturday Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100g | £8.75 | £13.50 | £11.75 | £17.10 | £18.75 | £25.50 |
| 500g | £9.85 | £14.82 | £12.85 | £18.42 | £19.85 | £26.82 |
| 1kg | £10.95 | £16.14 | £13.95 | £19.74 | £20.95 | £28.14 |
| 2kg | £14.05 | £18.86 | £17.05 | £23.46 | £24.05 | £31.86 |
| 10kg | £19.55 | £26.46 | £22.55 | £30.06 | £29.55 | £38.46 |
Guaranteed by 9 AM Franked Rates
| Weight Up To & Including | Up to £750 | With Saturday Guarantee | Up to £1,000 | With Saturday Guarantee | Up to £2,500 | With Saturday Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100g | £38.95 | £41.95 | £45.95 | £48.95 | £53.95 | £56.95 |
| 500g | £43.95 | £46.95 | £50.95 | £53.95 | £58.95 | £61.95 |
| 1kg | £48.95 | £51.95 | £55.95 | £58.95 | £63.95 | £66.95 |
| 2kg | £60.95 | £63.95 | £67.95 | £70.95 | £75.95 | £78.95 |
International Standard Franked Rates
Online franked rates can save you as much as £7.40 per large letter sent. Standard international letters are also £5 cheaper with franked rates than with online rates or stamps.
| Size | Weight Up To & Including | Europe Zone 1/2/3 | World Zone 1 | World Zone 2 | World Zone 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 100g | £3.20 | £3.20 | £3.20 | £3.20 |
| Large Letter | 100g | £3.50 | £4.30 | £4.30 | £4.30 |
| 250g | £5.80 | £7.70 | £9.00 | £8.00 | |
| 500g | £7.20 | £10.80 | £13.10 | £11.50 | |
| 750g | £9.55 | £16.00 | £20.10 | £17.10 |
Getting The Best Rates With Franked Mail
Franked mail is typically significantly cheaper than stamped mail or online rates. Even if you’re only sending standard envelopes, 4p per letter can add up. However, the biggest savings occur for large-volume large envelopes, which make up much of business mail. At an average of 40p per letter in savings over the online rate, your savings will rack up fast. Of course, franked mail is cheaper for letters and large letters no matter where you’re shipping to.