I want printed Freepost Envelopes — how do I get them in the UK?
Firstly you'll need to apply to the Royal Mail to purchase either a 'Freepost Standard' or 'Freepost Plus' alpha licence number (e.g. AAAA-BBBB-CCCC). You only pay for the actual post that is sent back to you rather than buying all the postage costs up-front. You pay Royal Mail for that on a MONTHLY basis. So Freepost envelopes really mean you're only paying for what you receive back from your customers.
How much does a Freepost Licence Cost?
There is an annual licence fee that has to be paid up front to Royal Mail which is currently £99.50 + VAT per year to get your licence in the first place, plus £62 + VAT for any additional licences if you have other (over 10) branches. This is a grouped licence, so you get a bundle Freepost Standard / Business Reply Standard licence or Freepost Plus / Business Reply Plus licence together. Just pick either the 'Standard' or 'Plus' licence bundle.
How much will it cost me per Freepost envelope with Royal Mail?
After you have your licence from the Royal Mail, you then pay a price per single response [i.e. you pay Royal Mail directly — on a monthly account basis — for EACH returned Freepost envelope a customer sends you back] for all items up to 100g (e.g. under the PLUS licences for DL + C5 "Letter" sizes — 1st Class: 62p; 2nd Class: 44p; under the STANDARD licences for DL + C5 "Letter" sizes — 1st Class: 68p; 2nd Class: 52p; "Large Letter" such as C4 and above are more expensive [up to 100g weight] e.g. C4 1st class: 98p; 2nd Class: 78p because they are hand sorted by humans) and of course this depends whether you use a Royal Mail 1st Class or 2nd Class Indicia mark on your customised Freepost envelopes.
Royal Mail's latest 2021 Response Services Rate Card is
HERE.
How do I get Freepost envelopes printed after I have a licence?
Once you have that Freepost licence number, you can place your order with Trade Printing UK to actually print the DL envelopes (we also do C5 and C4 size variants) professionally for you. Don't forget you can include your company logo for free (your address block, the 1st/2nd class indicia in the top right, and the Licence number must ALWAYS BE PRINTED IN BLACK INK so that is the minimum colour you can print your logo as well.
We can add your Full Colour Logo for FREE to the above too.
We would then draw up your professional artwork with our own professional templates designed specifically for Royal Mail's products. To remove any hassle and make it easier for you, we'll forward the artwork (created from the licence and address details you supply) to the Royal Mail for approval. An added benefit of us contacting them on your behalf is that it helps significantly speed up the whole process.
What's the DIFFERENCE between Freepost STANDARD and Freepost PLUS envelopes?
The Freepost envelope type is the most popular variant as it will give your company an extra postage cost discount (currently 8p OFF per 2nd Class item) over the 'Freepost Standard' envelope type, but they can only weigh up to a maximum weight of 100g and must be pre-printed with the 'Plus' artwork and indicia barcode. The 'Plus' licence can only be used with DL and C5 sizes; C4 size envelopes are excluded as they're hand-sorted - you must use a Standard licence with the latter [see below].
Freepost Standard envelopes are the less popular of the two however they give the most scope to UK businesses for envelope size [i.e. Freepost Standard also allows for C4 envelopes unlike Freepost Plus which doesn't] and 1st or 2nd Class services etc.
Do Freepost Envelopes need a stamp?
Not in the traditional sense, but they do use the Freepost Envelopes' 1st Class or 2nd Class Indicia in the top right of the artwork. If you're a charity it's best NOT to ask your patrons donating to you to stick a stamp over the indicia as it will cost your charity extra money by a fine from the Royal Mail. So in the end it'll cost you money.
Why choose a FREEPOST envelope over a BUSINESS REPLY Envelope?
Good question! The straight answer is, there is NO difference! NONE whatsover. THEY DO THE SAME THING! Seriously. It's all down to personal choice.
Freepost is seen as LESS formal [yet exhibits the same features of a Business Reply licence number and 1st or 2nd class indicia, and are delivered in the same time] and more consumer-focused.
Business Reply is seen as a MORE formal and professional look. However, again, there is NO difference in the actual service or what it actually does. We wish they'd just standardise everything into one product, but there you go.
How to CONTACT the Royal Mail Freepost licensing team during Covid
To CONTACT the Royal Mail “Freepost” licensing team (as of Jan 2021) phone: 03457 950950 — then Press '1', then hold, then Press '4', then Press '2' — this will get you speaking to an actual person! (Lines are open 8am to 5pm — Monday to Friday.) Or alternatively, just E-mail the Royal Mail response services licensing team: HERE
 Already got a licence? You'll need the modern "Response Services Barcode" added to your existing artwork.
Back in April 2014, the Royal Mail introduced an additional font-based barcode to the licence plate area in the top left of envelopes, which must be added to your additional artwork (if you've got Freepost envelopes before). You can supply it by entering the 12-digit licence numbering into their Response Services Artwork Generator and pick the "Response Services Barcode" only, remembering that DL and C5 are classed as "Letter" size, and C5 is classed as "Large Letter" size. Then choose either "EPS vector' or "PDF" format from the final radio button choice.
TradePrintingUK can add that for you. Just phone 028 9084 1234 or E-mail us today and we can update your existing Freepost envelope artwork for you.
What type of flap can I use? Self-Seal or Peel & Seal?
From an over-printing perspective, we normally produce your Freepost envelopes via our now standard, premium 120gsm peel & seal product ranges (the highest quality in the UK print industry for this sector!) for quantities ranging from 250 - 5000; over this and you have the option to use our 90gsm self-seal envelope product on either the 'Freepost Standard' or 'Freepost Plus' licence formats.
SUMMARY CHECKLIST to buy printed Freepost Envelopes:
Firstly, Apply to Royal Mail for one of their 'Freepost Standard' or 'Freepost Reply Plus' prepaid Licence Numbers (can take a week or more sometimes!). Once Royal Mail have sent the new alpha Licence Number and your Address Block back to you, then come back to us and choose...
- Which Size of Royal Mail Freepost Envelope do you require?
DL, C5 or C4?
- Is it Royal Mail's 'Freepost Standard' or 'Freepost Plus' service you have the licence for?
- "Plus" can only be used up to 100g weight.
- Do you want 1st Class or 2nd Class indicia printed on your custom-printed
Freepost Envelope?
- We will then create your envelope's professional PDF artwork, and E-mail you a PDF proof that you send back to their response services team in Barnsley
- Once approved by them (we'll talk you through that potential nightmare via E-mail), you E-mail us back their sign-off. They're usually only interested in the content e.g. that your address block and licence number are correct though.
- Then phone us on 028 9084 1234 with your payment details
(we accept Credit or Debit Cards / BACS via Proforma Invoice if you wish).
- We will then proceed to production. Turnaround for any of our Freepost envelope products is normally just 5-6 working days after that. We ship FREE via DPD or Parcelforce.
How to CONTACT the Royal Mail Freepost licensing team during Covid
To CONTACT the Royal Mail “Freepost” licensing team (as of Jan 2021) phone: 03457 950950 — then Press '1', then hold, then Press '4', then Press '2' — this will get you speaking to an actual person! (Lines are open 8am to 5pm — Monday to Friday.) Or alternatively, just E-mail the Royal Mail response services licensing team: HERE
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