Freepost EXPLAINED
Explaining printed Freepost envelopes from the Royal Mail in 2026
Freepost envelopes are Royal Mail–licensed reply envelopes that let customers return mail without a stamp. You first pay Royal Mail an annual £99.90 + VAT licence, then Royal Mail charges only for the items customers actually return (from 89p each). Choose PLUS for C6, DL and C5 Letters up to 100g; choose STANDARD if you also need C4 Large Letter size.
Freepost Envelopes, are 'No Stamp Required' Envelopes within the UK. They are part of the Royal Mail response service.
They encourage customers to respond to you, or your company, without paying Royal Mail postage costs. You'll pay it for them.
Freepost envelopes are the professional way to do it, and Trade Printing UK can print them (after you first apply for a licence from Royal Mail — see below) with your company's details and logo, following Royal Mail's layout guidelines.
Trade Printing UK is the leading Freepost envelope printing company within the print sector. Our envelope printing itself starts from as little as £19 with FREE DELIVERY; the Royal Mail annual licence and returned-post charges shown below are separate.
How does Freepost work? 4 simple steps
If you have never used Freepost before, this is the whole process in plain English:
Freepost PLUS or STANDARD — which do I need, and what does it cost?
There are two separate Royal Mail costs to understand: the annual Response Services licence, then the postage charge for each Freepost item that is actually returned to you. The printing cost of the envelopes themselves is separate.
for either Freepost PLUS or Freepost STANDARD
you only pay for responses you receive
You need a separate Royal Mail licence for each office address. If you have 10+ other branches, additional licences cost £98 + VAT per year.
Freepost PLUS prices
C6, DL and C5 are Royal Mail Letter sizes. PLUS is limited to items up to 100g and does not allow C4.
| Format | Item weight | 1st Class | 2nd Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter — (C6, DL, C5) | 0-100g | £1.77 | £0.89 |
Freepost STANDARD prices
STANDARD covers C6, DL and C5 Letters and also C4 Large Letters. C4 rates increase with weight, up to the 750g Large Letter limit.
| Format | Item weight | 1st Class | 2nd Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter — (C6, DL, C5) | 0-100g | £2.02 | £1.16 |
| Large Letter — (C4) | 0-100g | £2.51 | £1.35 |
| Large Letter — (C4) | 101-250g | £3.40 | £1.87 |
| Large Letter — (C4) | 251-500g | £4.62 | £2.69 |
| Large Letter — (C4) | 501-750g | £6.63 | £3.82 |
Here is Royal Mail's latest 2026 Response Services Rate Card — AUG 2026 — P26 + P27.
I understand the costs — how do I get a Freepost licence?
You'll need to apply to Royal Mail for either a Freepost PLUS or Freepost STANDARD licence. Your licence number is in a format such as AAAA-BBBB-CCCC.
Choose the service that matches the envelope sizes you actually need: PLUS for C6, DL and C5 Letters up to 100g, or STANDARD if you also need C4 Large Letters.
Use the return address issued on your Royal Mail Response Services licence agreement. Don't substitute your own preferred or locally-used version of the address, even if that is how your business normally writes it.
Royal Mail's Postcode Finder uses the Postcode Address File (PAF®). If the address is for a new build, has changed recently, or the version you normally use is missing or different, check it with Royal Mail before the final Freepost artwork is submitted for approval.
We regularly see artwork rejected when a different address variant is used. The safest route is to use the address shown on the Response Services licence unless Royal Mail's team tells you otherwise.
Check your address in Royal Mail Postcode FinderReport a missing or incorrect address
Once I have the licence, how do I get Freepost envelopes printed?
Once Royal Mail has issued your Freepost licence, you can then place your envelope printing order with us. Supply your licence number and the Royal Mail-approved return address from your licence agreement and we can create the compliant artwork, including the required Response Services barcode.
Things to bear in mind
The address block, 1st & 2nd class indicia, plus the Licence number must ALWAYS BE PRINTED IN BLACK INK.
We can add your Company Logo for FREE which we will print in Full Colour.
Benefits of using us to help you with printing Freepost
• TradePrintingUK can create professional Freepost artwork for you from our Freepost templates.
• Supply your licence number and address details to us and we will do the rest.
• Once created, we can forward the professional artwork to Royal Mail for Copy Approval.
• This helps to speed up the entire process and will take the burden off yourselves.
Do Freepost Envelopes need a stamp?
NO, you don't need a stamp for a Freepost Envelope in the UK because the postage is pre-paid by the recipient.
Monthly postage charges are invoices based on the actual amount of returned customer post to the recipient, which is usually a business or organisation if they have one of these Royal Mail Freepost ("Response") licenses.
The address is also pre-printed onto the envelope face, plus whether it is 1st or 2nd Class postage. So a person can write back FOR FREE without paying any postage cost.
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 same features as Busn Reply. It also has a choice of 1st or 2nd class indicia, delivered at the same time, and more consumer-focused.
Business Reply has a MORE formal and professional look. But there is NO difference in the actual service or what it actually does.
It is about public perception. We wish they'd standardise everything into one product, but there you go.
How to CONTACT the Royal Mail Freepost licensing team
To CONTACT the Royal Mail “Freepost” licensing team phone: 03457 950950
Then hold TWICE, then Press '4', then Press '2' — this will get you speaking to an actual person!
Lines are open 8am to 5pm — Monday to Friday. Alternatively, E-mail the Royal Mail response services licensing team
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 C6, DL and C5 are classed as "Letter" size, and C4 is classed as "Large Letter" size. Then choose either "EPS vector' or "PDF" format from the final radio button choice.
What type of flap can I use with Free Post? 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 50 - 10000; over this and you have the option to use our 100gsm Self-Seal envelope product on either the 'Freepost Standard' or 'Freepost Plus' licence formats.
We have two popular types of glued flaps on our Freepost Envelopes:
120gsm Peel & Seal
Our standard, Superior envelope product using premium 120gsm white bond paper, features a strong, single-use, pressure-sensitive gum behind a waxy paper strip that you remove to expose the glue before sealing the flap down securely.
They aren't compatible with automatic insertion [Fulfilment] machines — which require 90gsm Gummed Machinable with a special gummed flap shape — but are fantastic for long-term storage and portraying a high-end luxury image for your company.
An easy way for your customer to send back correspondence as a Freepost envelope, without resorting to licking the envelope (yuck! Nobody needs to lick an envelope any more) to seal it.
These are presented in "Superior" branded, high-end, red & black storage boxes, oozing quality.
✓SHELF LIFE: up to 5 years
✓WALLET Long-Edge Flap
✓BOXED: in 500's (C4 in 250's)
100gsm Self-Seal (aka "Touch & Seal")
Our alternative premium envelope on 100gsm white bond paper, these use a pressure-sensitive gum applied to both flaps that you then seal down together to form the bond with each strip of gum.
These have the bonus of a security pattern, generically printed inside the envelope.
✓SHELF LIFE: up to 6 months (as glue will dry out)
✓WALLET Long-Edge Flap as standard on all sizes, C6, DL, C5, and C4
✓SECURITY PATTERN INSIDE
✓BOXED: in 500's (C4 in 250's)
Freepost Envelope FAQ
Why has Royal Mail rejected the address on my Freepost artwork?
For Response Services artwork approval, use the return address issued on your Royal Mail Freepost licence agreement. Royal Mail's Postcode Finder uses the Postcode Address File (PAF®), so a locally-used address variant, a recently changed address or a new-build address that is not yet correctly listed can cause problems.
We regularly see artwork rejected when the supplied address differs from the approved licence address. Check the address in Royal Mail Postcode Finder and contact Royal Mail if it is missing or incorrect.
How long does Freepost take to be delivered in the UK, with both 1st Class and 2nd Class variants?
Freepost envelopes in the UK are treated the same way and with the same delivery time by Royal Mail as any other 1st Class or 2nd Class post.
1st Classshould be delivered to you in 1-2 daysand 2nd Class will be delivered to you in 3-4 days within the UK and Northern Ireland.
How long does 1st Class Post Take in the UK?
First Class Post with the Royal Mail should be delivered to you in 1-2 days within the UK and Northern Ireland.
Off-shore islands including the Scottish Highlands can take an extra one to two days.
How long does 2nd Class Post Take in the UK?
2nd Class Post with the Royal Mail should be delivered to you in 3-4 days within the UK and Northern Ireland. There are NO WEEKEND Deliveries for 2nd Class Post any more.
Off-shore islands including the Scottish Highlands can take an extra two days.
Royal Mail state it's 2 to 3 working days, however from mid-2025, it seems with reduced delivery days in the UK, that is an aspiration and no longer the case in the real world.