The cheapest way to post a parcel in the UK is not always 2nd Class. If you buy postage online, a small parcel can cost less with a tracked service than with 2nd Class. Here are Royal Mail’s online prices for parcels, letters and large letters, so you can set postage that does not eat your profit.
The short answer
- For a small parcel up to 2kg bought online, Tracked 48 is £3.75, which is less than 2nd Class at £4.40.
- Tracked 48 also gives you tracking and compensation up to £75, against £20 on standard services.
- Light items fit in a large letter: from £1.55 in 2nd Class, or £2.90 with tracking (Tracked 48, up to 1kg).
- Collection from your door costs an extra 50p per item.
Royal Mail online prices from 5 October 2026
| Size and weight | 2nd Class | 1st Class | Tracked 48 | Tracked 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small parcel, up to 2kg | £4.40 | £5.70 | £3.75 | £4.80 |
| Medium parcel, up to 2kg | £7.00 | £8.20 | £5.70 | £6.75 |
| Medium parcel, up to 10kg | £9.00 | £10.40 | £7.55 | £8.80 |
| Medium parcel, up to 20kg | £13.70 | £16.40 | £12.25 | £14.30 |
These are online prices, for example through Royal Mail Click & Drop. Buying in a branch can cost more, so check before you queue.
Letters and large letters
Light items such as books, cards, clothes and small accessories often fit in a large letter, which is much cheaper than a parcel. These are the online prices:
| Size and weight | 2nd Class | 1st Class | Tracked 48 | Tracked 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter, up to 100g | £0.91 | £1.80 | — | — |
| Large letter, up to 100g | £1.55 | £3.20 | — | — |
| Large letter, up to 250g | £1.90 | £3.30 | — | — |
| Large letter, up to 500g | £2.40 | £3.30 | — | — |
| Large letter, up to 750g | £2.70 | £3.30 | — | — |
| Large letter, up to 1kg (Tracked only) | — | — | £2.90 | £3.90 |
A dash means the service is not offered at that size or weight. Standard 1st and 2nd Class large letters stop at 750g, and tracking starts at large letter size.
- For heavier large letters, 1st Class is poor value. From 250g it is a flat £3.30, while Tracked 48 is £2.90 and adds tracking.
- Tracked 48 costs only a little more than 2nd Class at the top of the range: 20p more than 2nd Class at 750g (£2.70), and 50p more at 500g (£2.40).
- Tracked large letters go up to 1kg; standard ones stop at 750g.
Royal Mail size limits
Check the packed item, not just the product. Royal Mail’s limits are:
- Letter: up to 24cm x 16.5cm, up to 0.5cm thick, up to 100g.
- Large letter: up to 35.3cm x 25cm, up to 2.5cm thick, up to 750g (1kg for Tracked).
- Small parcel: up to 45cm x 35cm x 16cm, up to 2kg.
- Medium parcel: up to 61cm x 46cm x 46cm, up to 20kg.
Go over the thickness limit even slightly and the item is priced as a small parcel instead, so measure the thickness of the packed item. Royal Mail has more detail at royalmail.com/size.
What the prices do not include
- Collection: 50p per item if Royal Mail collects it from you.
- Compensation: standard 1st and 2nd Class cover up to £20. Tracked services cover up to £75.
- Extras: Signature on delivery and other options cost more.
Worked example: does your postage cover the cost?
You sell a small item and charge the buyer £3.50 postage.
- Sent 2nd Class at £4.40, you lose £0.90 on postage.
- Sent Tracked 48 at £3.75, you lose £0.25, and the buyer gets tracking.
- Charge £3.99 and Tracked 48 covers itself with a few pence left over.
Now a light item in a large letter, with £2.99 postage charged:
- Sent 2nd Class up to 100g at £1.55, you have £1.44 left over.
- Sent Tracked 48 at £2.90, you have £0.09 left over, and the buyer gets tracking.
For a cheap item the 2nd Class saving can be worth having. For a more valuable item, tracking is usually worth the extra postage.
Remember that on eBay, business sellers pay fees on the postage you charge too, so the real gap can be slightly larger. Our free eBay fee calculator includes postage in the sums.
Ways to cut your postage costs
- Weigh the parcel and pick the smallest size band it fits. Going over 2kg moves you into the medium parcel prices.
- Use the cheapest service that still protects the sale. Tracked services help if a buyer says an item never arrived.
- Buy postage online instead of at the counter.
- Build the postage cost into the item price or the postage you charge, rather than hoping it works out.
- Check what each platform offers. eBay, Vinted and Depop have their own postage options, with their own prices.
Track the real cost
Postage is one of the costs people forget in their profit sums. Record it for each sale: our spreadsheet guide shows how, and the guide to pricing used items on eBay shows how to price with postage in mind. To compare platforms, see our fee comparison.
Royal Mail changes its prices at least once a year, so check before you rely on these figures. Prices checked on 9 November 2026. Other couriers are not covered. General information, not financial advice.
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