Franking Price Increase 2026: What Changed and When
Royal Mail changed franking prices once in 2026, on 7 April. A second round of changes on 5 October hit stamp prices for parcels and tracked services, but left franked prices alone. Here is what moved, by how much, and what it means for your post. Checked October 2026.
The April 2026 franking increase
Royal Mail's Mailmark franking prices changed on 7 April 2026. These are the main UK rates, compared with the tariff that applied from 7 April 2025.
1st Class franked
| Item | From April 2025 | From April 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter, up to 100g | £1.67 | £1.77 | +10p |
| Large letter, up to 100g | £2.65 | £2.86 | +21p |
| Large letter, up to 250g | £3.25 | £3.28 | +3p |
| Large letter, up to 500g | £3.30 | £3.30 | No change |
| Large letter, up to 750g | £3.30 | £3.30 | No change |
| Small parcel, up to 2kg | £4.99 | £5.45 | +46p |
| Medium parcel, up to 2kg | £7.19 | £8.05 | +86p |
| Medium parcel, up to 10kg | £8.99 | £10.05 | +£1.06 |
| Medium parcel, up to 20kg | £13.69 | £15.45 | +£1.76 |
2nd Class franked
| Item | From April 2025 | From April 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter, up to 100g | 84p | 88p | +4p |
| Large letter, up to 100g | £1.41 | £1.52 | +11p |
| Large letter, up to 250g | £1.77 | £1.81 | +4p |
| Large letter, up to 500g | £2.20 | £2.30 | +10p |
| Large letter, up to 750g | £2.50 | £2.50 | No change |
| Small parcel, up to 2kg | £3.90 | £4.25 | +35p |
| Medium parcel, up to 2kg | £6.29 | £6.95 | +66p |
| Medium parcel, up to 10kg | £7.89 | £8.75 | +86p |
| Medium parcel, up to 20kg | £11.89 | £13.15 | +£1.26 |
April 2025 figures come from Royal Mail's Business Price Guide for that year. April 2026 figures come from Royal Mail's Mailmark franking tariff. All are exempt from VAT.
What happened in October 2026
On 5 October 2026, Royal Mail raised stamp prices for 1st and 2nd Class parcels, Signed For parcels, Special Delivery Guaranteed and Tracked services. According to dealer Mailcoms, franked prices did not change on any format, and letter and large letter stamp prices also stayed the same.
The effect is that franking parcels now saves money where, before October, the stamped and franked parcel prices were the same. Mailcoms puts the saving at 35p to £1.45 per parcel. For example, a 1st Class small parcel up to 2kg is now £5.90 with stamps and £5.45 franked.
Mailcoms also says franking users did not need to load a new tariff in October, as the April rates remained correct.
What the April rise means in real money
Take an office sending, each month:
- 600 2nd Class letters
- 150 1st Class large letters up to 100g
Under 2025 franked prices, that cost 600 × 84p + 150 × £2.65 = £504.00 + £397.50 = £901.50.
Under 2026 franked prices, it costs 600 × 88p + 150 × £2.86 = £528.00 + £429.00 = £957.00.
That is £55.50 more a month, or £666 a year, for exactly the same post. Using stamps would have cost more still: 600 × 91p + 150 × £3.30 = £546 + £495 = £1,041 a month.
How to soften the increase
- Check formats. Folding an A4 letter to fit a C5 or DL envelope can turn a large letter into a standard letter. That saves £1.09 per item on 1st Class franked.
- Use 2nd Class where you can. A franked 2nd Class letter is 88p against £1.77 for 1st Class, which halves the cost of anything that is not urgent.
- Trim weight. Large letters just over a band edge cost more. A 1st Class large letter at 101g costs 42p more than one at 100g.
- Move routine letters online. Emailing invoices, or using hybrid mail, can cut volumes. See our hybrid mail guide.
- Frank your parcels. Since October, franking saves money on parcels that it did not before.
Do I need to do anything?
For April changes, your supplier normally sends the new rates to your machine before the change date. Royal Mail advises contacting your manufacturer or supplier to make sure your machine is ready. If your machine was showing the new prices from 7 April, you are set.
For October 2026, no action at all was needed for franked mail.
When will prices change next?
Royal Mail usually announces price changes in advance and has tended to change franking prices in April. Changes are normally published several weeks ahead, which gives you time to check formats, plan budgets and confirm with your supplier that the update will reach your machine. We will update this page when the next changes are published. Keep an eye on Royal Mail's prices page and your supplier's emails.
Quick reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When did franking prices last change? | 7 April 2026 |
| Did franking change in October 2026? | No, according to Mailcoms |
| 1st Class franked letter | £1.77 |
| 2nd Class franked letter | 88p |
| 1st Class franked large letter, up to 100g | £2.86 |
For every band and service, see our guide to Royal Mail franked mail costs. To see whether franking still pays at the new prices, try our postage price calculator.
Prices checked October 2026, from Royal Mail's 2025 Business Price Guide, its Mailmark franking tariff of 7 April 2026, its prices pages and dealer Mailcoms' October 2026 tables.