Business · Companies · 2 days ago
Royal Mail urges customers to add a return address before posting items
Royal Mail is advising people in the UK to add a return address before sending letters or parcels.
Write “return address” and your own address on the back, on the right-hand side.
If an item cannot be delivered, the return address lets Royal Mail send it back to you.
Put the recipient’s name and address clearly in the bottom left of the front, and include a postcode if possible.
The advice comes as Royal Mail has raised prices for several parcel services, with new charges taking effect on October 5, 2026.
For example, sending a medium parcel weighing up to 20kg at a counter now costs £16.90 by 1st Class or £14.20 by 2nd Class.
Royal Mail also says to put the stamp in the top right and keep phone numbers and email addresses off the outside.
Royal Mail advises customers to write a return address on the back of letters and parcels before posting them.
The company says undeliverable items can then be sent back to the sender.
It recommends writing “return address” above the sender’s details on the back, on the right-hand side.
Royal Mail also says to write the recipient’s address clearly on the front and include a postcode if possible.
Its guidance follows parcel price increases that took effect on October 5, 2026.
- Who
- Royal Mail is advising people who send letters and parcels.
- What
- It urges customers to add a return address to the back of items before posting them.
- When
- The advice was reported on October 10, 2026. Parcel price changes mentioned in the article took effect on October 5, 2026.
- Where
- The guidance is for items sent through Royal Mail in the UK.
- Why
- A return address allows Royal Mail to send an item back if it cannot be delivered.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
New charges for several Royal Mail parcel delivery services came into effect.
The Mirror published Royal Mail’s advice to add a return address before posting letters or parcels.
- Return address
- Write the sender’s address on the back of the item
- Placement
- Right-hand side of the back, with “return address” written above the details
- Recipient address
- Bottom left corner on the front
- Postcode tool
- Royal Mail’s Postcode Finder can look up up to 50 postcodes or addresses for free
- Price-change date
- October 5, 2026
What people are saying
Remember to include a return address. If for any reason your item can't be delivered, we can send it back to you.
Write the address clearly on the front, following our guidelines, and always include a postcode if possible.
Sources
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