Royal Mail to hike price of first AND second class stamps in weeks – how to beat the rise
ROYAL Mail is hiking the price of first and second class stamps again in just a few weeks.
The price of a first-class stamp will go up by 5p, bringing the cost to £1.70, the postal service has confirmed.
Similarly, the cost of a second-class stamp will rise by 2p, moving from 85p to 87p.
Royal Mail said the price increase will come into force from April 7.
The increase in the cost of second class stamps marks a significant U-turn, as the company had previously pledged to freeze their price until 2029.
Larger items will also face sharper price hikes, with the cost of a first class large letter up to 100g increasing from £2.60 to £3.15, and small parcels up to 2kg rising from £4.79 to £4.99 for first class and from £3.75 to £3.90 for second class.
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The postal service is also set to increase the fees for signed-for deliveries.
From April 7, the cost of a first class signed-for stamp will rise by 25p, going from £3.35 to £3.60.
Similarly, the price of a second class signed-for stamp will increase by 22p, moving from £2.55 to £2.77.
How are postage prices decided?
Royal Mail typically increases the price of stamps annually and this year the price rose in April.
Normally, it gives customers advance warning of around a month before pushing up prices.
This year the hike was announced in March.
Royal Mail said it is hiking the price of postage due to the decline in the number of people sending letters.
It blamed rising inflation for the increase too.
It also cited the costs associated with maintaining the so-called Universal Service Obligation (USO) under which deliveries have to be made six days a week.
How can I beat the price hike?
Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, has long encouraged Britons to stock up on stamps in bulk ahead of price increases, helping them save a significant amount on their postage costs.
He's previously said: "For years, every time stamps go up in price I've suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance, as provided the stamp doesn't have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it's still valid after the hike.
"So you may as well stock up now, even if it's just for Christmas cards for the next few Christmases."
Buy from reputable high street outlets and, where possible, hang on to your receipt.
To check whether a stamp is genuine, you can use Royal Mail's new "fake stamp scanner" on the app.
Stamps are also available directly from the Royal Mail online shop, but you have to spend £50 to get free delivery.