Royal Mail’s planned October 2026 increase in bulk mail prices was blocked at the last minute. But postage is still going up: revised prices are due in December, and the final increase isn’t clear yet. Here’s what happened, what it means for your mailings, and how organisations are cutting the volume they need to post.
In short: Ofcom suspended Royal Mail’s proposed access (bulk) mail price rises in September after a complaint from the industry, and Royal Mail withdrew them on 5 October 2026. Revised, lower increases are now intended for early December. Prices will still rise, so it’s a good time to move to digital-first delivery and post only what you have to.
What happened
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 23 July 2026 | Royal Mail notifies access customers of price increases (Contract Change Notice 129), due on 5 October. Reported rises include around 36% for some access business letters and 11 to 12% for some advertising mail. |
| 4 September 2026 | Ofcom accepts a dispute from the Mail Competition Forum, acting for 17 access customers, to decide whether the increases are fair and reasonable. The increases are suspended while it does. |
| Late September 2026 | Royal Mail issues revised access prices under a new notice, which it says are lower than the original proposal, intended for early December 2026. |
| 5 October 2026 | No increase takes effect. Royal Mail withdraws the original notice and Ofcom closes the dispute. |
Source: Ofcom, Dispute between Mail Competition Forum and Royal Mail.
Prices will still rise: we’re waiting to see by how much
The October increase was stopped, not cancelled. The revised prices are still increases, and they could take effect in December unless there are further complaints to Ofcom. How much more any particular mailing will cost depends on the format, weight, service level and how the mail is sorted and presented, so there is no single percentage that applies to everything.
The dispute only covered access mail, the route most bulk business mail takes. Other Royal Mail services, including stamps, are priced separately.
We’re reviewing the revised prices as the detail is confirmed and will update our print and post customers on what it means for their mailings. In the meantime, plan for higher postage in 2027 budgets, and book autumn and Christmas mailings early.
Post less: digital first, paper where needed
The most reliable way to protect yourself from postage increases is to send less post. A digital-first approach works like this:
- Send a secure digital letter. Each customer gets an email or SMS inviting them to view their letter or document online.
- Protect the content. The document sits in a secure, branded portal behind two-factor verification, so only the right person can open it.
- Track every invite. You see whether each invite was delivered, and whether the document was opened.
- Post only the rest. Where an email bounces or an SMS fails, the letter is printed and posted automatically, so everyone still receives it.
Digital letters arrive in minutes rather than days, cost a fraction of a posted letter, and come with proof of delivery and opening that post can’t give you. Some notices must still go by post, and some customers need paper. A digital-first approach keeps the post for them.
In practice: two projects from 2025
A UK council
The council delivered its customer mailings as secure digital letters. Residents received a link to a branded portal, where each document sat behind two-factor verification. For council billing, residents also confirmed their postcode, a further check before any billing details were shown.
A finance house
A finance house needed to send updated terms and conditions to its customers. Every invite was tracked through to delivery, opening or failure. Only the customers whose email or SMS invite failed were sent a printed letter: about 10% of the overall volume. The other 90% received their terms digitally, with a record of delivery.
Making the post you do send cost less
- Use bulk mail services, not stamps. Access mail through a mailing partner costs far less per item than a stamp.
- Qualify for marketing discounts. Mailings planned to Royal Mail’s advertising mail requirements can attract lower postage. Talk to us before you design the mailing.
- Clean your data. Every letter sent to a wrong or out-of-date address is wasted postage and print.
- Choose the right format and weight. A small change in size or paper weight can move a mailing into a cheaper price band.
How everymessage helps
- Digital letters: secure, branded documents delivered by email or SMS, behind two-factor verification, with tracking from delivery to opening.
- Print and post: printing, enclosing and postage handled for you, including Royal Mail marketing discounts on mailings that qualify.
- Automatic fallback: letters are posted only where digital delivery fails, from one platform.
- Your brand throughout: our AI branding tool styles your forms and documents in your own brand, online and on paper.
Frequently asked questions
Did Royal Mail’s October 2026 price rise go ahead?
No, not for access (bulk business) mail. Ofcom accepted a dispute over the proposed increases on 4 September 2026, which suspended them, and Royal Mail withdrew the notice on 5 October 2026. Revised access prices, which Royal Mail says are lower, are intended to take effect in early December 2026.
Will postage still go up?
Almost certainly. The revised access prices are still increases, and other Royal Mail products are priced separately. The size of the rise for any mailing depends on the format, weight, service and sortation used.
What is access mail?
Bulk business mail that is collected and sorted by a postal operator or mailing house before being handed to Royal Mail for final delivery. It’s how most large mailings reach a lower price per item than stamps.
Can every letter be sent digitally instead?
Not always. Some notices must be sent by post, and some customers prefer or need paper. A digital-first approach sends a secure digital letter where it can be delivered and tracked, and posts a printed copy to everyone else.
How much post can a digital-first approach save?
It depends on how complete and accurate your email and mobile data is. In one 2025 project for a finance house, only about 10% of the total volume needed to be printed and posted.
Find out how much post you could save
Tell us about your mailings and we’ll show you how a digital-first approach would work for your customers.