SHOW MENU

Parcel Rates 1987-2013

1991 – £2.52 second step rate for 1-2kg, sender(?) using old Royal Mail Parcels label

From 7th September 1987 the system of concessionary rates for "local" or "county" parcels was abolished, with a universal parcels rate countrywide for a given weight.

Privatisation of the Post Office was first seriously debated in the mid 1980s, and in 1986 Royal Mail's business was separated into three divisions (letters, parcels, and counters) as a possible preliminary. In 1990 Royal Mail Parcels was rebranded as "Parcelforce" and took over the universal parcels service as "Parcelforce Standard". In 2002 this was transferred back to Royal Mail (the "standard parcels" rate), with Parcelforce concentrating on time-guaranteed deliveries. From the point of view of a member of the public sending a parcel this made little difference and the rates for all three periods are included below.

From 2nd April 2013 the standard parcels rate was integrated with the letter service, with the former category of "packets" now scrapped in favour of "small parcels" and "medium parcels" with weights up to 20kg.


Date Rates Date Rates Date Rates Date Rates
1987
(7 Sep)
£1.60 – 1kg
£2.00 – 2kg
£2.45 – 3kg
£2.65 – 4kg
£2.90 – 5kg
£3.10 – 6kg
£3.25 – 7kg
£3.40 – 8kg
£3.60 – 9kg
£3.75 – 10kg
£4.75 – 25kg
1988
(5 Sep)
£1.70 – 1kg
£2.10 – 2kg
£2.60 – 3kg
£2.80 – 4kg
£3.00 – 5kg
£3.30 – 6kg
£3.45 – 7kg
£3.60 – 8kg
£3.85 – 9kg
£4.00 – 10kg
£5.00 – 25kg
1989
(2 Oct)
£1.85 – 1kg
£2.30 – 2kg
£2.85 – 3kg
£3.10 – 4kg
£3.30 – 5kg
£3.60 – 6kg
£3.80 – 7kg
£3.95 – 8kg
£4.20 – 9kg
£4.40 – 10kg
£5.50 – 25kg
1990
(17 Sep)
£2.00 – 1kg
£2.52 – 2kg
£3.15 – 3kg
£3.40 – 4kg
£3.60 – 5kg
£4.00 – 6kg
£4.15 – 7kg
£4.30 – 8kg
£4.80 – 9kg
£5.00 – 10kg
£6.05 – 25kg
1991
(1 Jul)
£2.50 – 1kg
£3.15 – 2kg
£4.10 – 4kg
£4.65 – 6kg
£5.35 – 8kg
£6.25 – 10kg
£7.80 – 30kg
1992
(30 Nov)
£2.60 – 1kg
£3.25 – 2kg
£4.25 – 4kg
£4.80 – 6kg
£5.50 – 8kg
£6.50 – 10kg
£8.10 – 30kg
1993
(1 Nov)
£2.65 – 1kg
£3.25 – 2kg
£4.50 – 4kg
£5.00 – 6kg
£5.80 – 8kg
£6.75 – 10kg
£8.10 – 30kg
1994
(3 Oct)
£2.70 – 1kg
£3.30 – 2kg
£4.70 – 4kg
£5.25 – 6kg
£6.10 – 8kg
£7.10 – 10kg
£8.40 – 30kg
1996
(15 Apr)
£2.70 – 1kg
£3.35 – 2kg
£4.90 – 4kg
£5.50 – 6kg
£6.30 – 8kg
£7.30 – 10kg
£8.55 – 30kg
1997
(7 Apr)
£2.70 – 1kg
£3.40 – 2kg
£5.15 – 4kg
£5.80 – 6kg
£6.40 – 8kg
£7.30 – 10kg
£8.55 – 30kg
1998
(6 Apr)
£2.70 – 1kg
£3.40 – 1.5kg
£3.65 – 2kg
£5.65 – 4kg
£6.15 – 6kg
£7.05 – 8kg
£7.55 – 10kg
£8.85 – 30kg
1999
(26 Apr)
£2.85 – 1kg
£3.65 – 1.5kg
£3.90 – 2kg
£5.95 – 4kg
£6.45 – 6kg
£7.40 – 8kg
£7.95 – 10kg
£9.05 – 30kg
2000
(3 Apr)
[1]
£3.00 – 1kg
£3.85 – 1.5kg
£4.15 – 2kg
£6.30 – 4kg
£6.80 – 6kg
£7.80 – 8kg
£8.40 – 10kg
£9.80 – 30kg
2001
(2 Jul)
£3.10 – 1kg
£4.00 – 1.5kg
£4.30 – 2kg
£6.50 – 4kg
£7.05 – 6kg
£8.05 – 8kg
£8.65 – 10kg
£10.10 – 30kg
2002
(4 Jul)
£3.15 – 1kg
£4.05 – 1.5kg
£4.35 – 2kg
£6.55 – 4kg
£7.15 – 6kg
£8.15 – 8kg
£8.75 – 10kg
£10.20 – 30kg
2003
(8 May)
[2]
£3.32 – 1kg
£4.27 – 1.5kg
£4.58 – 2kg
£6.91 – 4kg
£7.54 – 6kg
£8.59 – 8kg
£9.23 – 10kg
£10.76 – 30kg
2004
(1 Apr)
£3.46 – 1kg
£4.45 – 1.5kg
£4.78 – 2kg
£7.20 – 4kg
£7.86 – 6kg
£8.96 – 8kg
£9.62 – 10kg
£11.21 – 30kg
2004
(1 Jun)
£3.46 – 1kg
£4.45 – 1.5kg
£4.78 – 2kg
£7.20 – 4kg
£7.86 – 6kg
£8.96 – 8kg
£9.62 – 10kg
£11.21 – 20kg
2005
(7 Apr)
£3.60 – 1kg
£4.63 – 1.5kg
£4.97 – 2kg
£7.20 – 4kg
£8.17 – 6kg
£9.32 – 8kg
£10.00 – 10kg
£11.65 – 20kg
2006
(3 Apr)
£3.85 – 1kg
£4.95 – 1.5kg
£5.31 – 2kg
£7.70 – 4kg
£8.74 – 6kg
£9.97 – 8kg
£10.70 – 10kg
£12.46 – 20kg
2007
(2 Apr)
£3.85 – 1kg
£4.95 – 1.5kg
£5.68 – 2kg
£8.24 – 4kg
£9.35 – 6kg
£10.67 – 8kg
£11.45 – 10kg
£13.33 – 20kg
2008
(7 Apr)
£4.20 – 2kg
£6.85 – 4kg
£9.30 – 6kg
£11.40 – 8kg
£12.24 – 10kg
£14.26 – 20kg
2009
(6 Apr)
[3]
£4.41 – 2kg
£7.06 – 4kg
£9.58 – 6kg
£11.74 – 8kg
£12.61 – 10kg
£14.69 – 20kg
2011
(4 Apr)
£4.41 – 2kg
£7.62 – 4kg
£10.34 – 6kg
£12.67 – 8kg
£13.61 – 10kg
£15.86 – 20kg
2012
(30 Apr)
£5.30 – 2kg
£8.80 – 4kg
£12.30 – 6kg
£15.80 – 8kg
£18.80 – 10kg
£21.90 – 20kg
2013
(2 Apr)
Separate service ended


  1. Date given in Parcelforce Worldwide brochure for the public – Post Office Inland Parcel Post Amendment (No.12) Scheme 2000 was made 14th April and stated to come into force 27th April
  2. Date given in Royal Mail poster for the public – Consignia plc Inland Parcel Post Amendment (No.5) Scheme 2003 was made that day and stated to come into force 17th May
  3. Date given in Royal Mail leaflet for the public – no Scheme made for this change