Franking Machines for Parcels 2026: Savings and Setup

Franking used to save little or nothing on parcels. That changed on 5 October 2026, when Royal Mail raised parcel stamp prices but left franked prices where they were. If you send parcels regularly, it is worth another look. Prices checked October 2026.

What franking saves on parcels now

These figures come from dealer Mailcoms' tables for prices from 5 October 2026. Franked prices are Royal Mail's Mailmark tariff from 7 April 2026.

1st Class parcels

Size and weight	Stamps	Franked	Saving
Small parcel, up to 2kg	£5.90	£5.45	45p
Medium parcel, up to 2kg	£8.70	£8.05	65p
Medium parcel, 2kg to 10kg	£10.90	£10.05	85p
Medium parcel, 10kg to 20kg	£16.90	£15.45	£1.45

2nd Class parcels

Size and weight	Stamps	Franked	Saving
Small parcel, up to 2kg	£4.60	£4.25	35p
Medium parcel, up to 2kg	£7.50	£6.95	55p
Medium parcel, 2kg to 10kg	£9.50	£8.75	75p
Medium parcel, 10kg to 20kg	£14.20	£13.15	£1.05

Mailcoms says that before 5 October, franked and stamped parcel prices were the same. Now franking saves 35p to £1.45 per parcel, or up to about 8.6%.

What that adds up to

A small online shop sending 150 2nd Class small parcels and 50 1st Class medium parcels up to 2kg a month would save:

• 150 × 35p = £52.50
• 50 × 65p = £32.50
• Total: £85.00 a month, or £1,020 a year

That is before any savings on large letters, where a 1st Class large letter up to 100g is £2.86 franked against £3.30 with a stamp.

Machine features that matter for parcels

A scale that fits your parcels

Small parcels go up to 2kg and medium parcels up to 20kg. Most desk top machines have a built in scale up to around 2kg. FP, for example, lists a 2kg integrated scale on its PostBase Vision M2. If you send heavier parcels, you will need a separate platform scale that links to the machine.

Label printing

Parcels are too thick to feed through a franking machine, so you print the impression on a label and stick it on. Check:

• How labels are printed, whether from a built in dispenser or a separate printer
• The cost of labels
• How quickly a label prints

Parcel services

Make sure the machine and your account are set up for the services you use, such as Signed For or Special Delivery Guaranteed. Royal Mail lists both among the services available through franking.

Department or channel accounts

If you sell through several channels, accounts can split postage by channel for your records.

Franking vs other parcel options

Option	Good for	Watch out for
Franking	Regular mixed post of letters, large letters and parcels	Lease, ink and labels
Stamps	Occasional parcels	Highest price per parcel since October 2026
Online postage such as Click & Drop	Low volumes, tracked services	No machine, but you print labels on a computer
Business parcel accounts	High volumes	Usually need a minimum volume

If you mostly send tracked parcels at high volume, a business account with a carrier might beat franking. If you send a mix of letters, large letters and untracked parcels, franking often wins.

Preparing franked parcels for Royal Mail

Royal Mail asks franking customers to separate mail by destination, product and class. For parcels, that typically means:

1. Separate 1st Class and 2nd Class parcels.
2. Keep Signed For, Special Delivery and international tracked items apart and sealed.
3. Use mail bags marked by class. Dealer The Mailing Room says each bag should weigh no more than 11kg.
4. Stick labels on a flat, clean surface where they will not be covered by tape.

Where to post franked parcels

Royal Mail's pages list Post Office branches, Customer Service Points, mail centres and business post boxes for franked mail. Parcel Postboxes take prepaid items up to 2kg that fit the slot. If you send a lot, a business collection may be worth it. Our franked mail collection guide covers the options and costs.

Royal Mail now accepts franked mail up to seven days after the date in the impression, which helps if parcels are franked in advance.

Choosing a machine size

For parcel senders, volume and parcel share both matter:

• Up to 50 items a day with some parcels: an entry level machine with a 2kg scale and label printing.
• 50 to 200 a day with lots of parcels: a mid range machine with faster label printing and possibly a larger scale.
• Over 200 a day: talk to suppliers about higher volume systems and carrier accounts.

Our machine size finder can help you decide.

Costs to include

• Lease or purchase
• Ink
• Labels
• A separate scale if you send heavy parcels
• Collection fees, if you use them

Put these against the postage saving. For a parcel heavy business, the October 2026 change has made the sums much more attractive.

Questions parcel senders ask

Can I frank a parcel going abroad?

Yes. Royal Mail lists International Economy, Standard, Tracked, and Tracked & Signed among the services available through franking. Keep international items separate from UK mail when posting.

Do I need a different machine for parcels?

Not usually. Any current Mailmark machine can print parcel labels. What changes is the scale and how quickly labels print.

What if I frank a parcel at the wrong size?

If a parcel is underpaid, Royal Mail may charge the difference plus a fee. Measure thickness as well as weight, since a small parcel can be no deeper than 16cm.

Are franked parcels tracked?

Standard 1st and 2nd Class franked parcels carry a Mailmark barcode, but for tracking you can show customers, use a tracked or signed service.

Final thoughts

If you looked at franking for parcels before October 2026 and decided it was not worth it, look again. With 35p to £1.45 saved on every parcel, regular senders can now cover a small machine on parcels alone.

Get quotes from several suppliers using the form on this page, and compare total costs on our franking machine prices guide.

Prices checked October 2026, from Royal Mail's Mailmark franking tariff of 7 April 2026, Royal Mail's posting guidance, FP's UK product listing and dealer Mailcoms' and The Mailing Room's published information.