Customers prepare their mail as usual without franking or stamping. Place it into a pouch or sack, fill in the daily docket and get the mail collected from their exchange.

As with all queries, through our Client Liaison team, who will then log the problem to allow us to investigate.

We handover to Royal Mail the day after we collect your mail and they are contractually obliged to delivery the mail the following day. It is a more considered / structured mail delivery operational route which is why we can be so definite about the service. Royal Mail aim to deliver 98% of First Class mail within 2 working days.

You do not require a franking machine to use First Post. You may still require a franking machine if you want to retain the option of sending registered mail, but you can still benefit from the great savings.

Stamps are legal currency in the UK, you can exchange them for currency at any post office, (provided they have not been cancelled, postmarked). So you can cash them in and start saving money by using the First Post service.

We are using our existing Legal Post collection network and we purchase postal services wholesale, from Royal Mail.

DL = A4 sheet folded 2 times

C5 = A4 sheet folded in half

These are both "Letter" Format. C4 = sheet of A4, (not folded).

This is the "Large Letter" format

This is mail that is either "Letter" or" Large Letter" format under 100g, under 5mm thick, clearly addressed with a full UK postcode on the last line of the address, using a font which can be read by "Optical Character Recognition" cameras, (ie Arial 10 point). It must be bendable, ie no solid objects or bound spines. The OCR engines can read handwritten mail, but there is no guarantee on this as there is such a wide variety in standards of individuals handwriting.

Over 100g, over 5mm thick, non bendable, handwritten, (see above), no postcode in address. This mail is hand sorted.

It is simply the postmark, (Latin for "mark"). The dictionary definition is:-
pl.n.
1. Identifying marks; indications.
2. Markings on bulk mailings used as a substitute for stamps or cancellations
[Latin, pl. of indicium, sign, from index, indic-, indicator.

Yes you can but they will be classed as un-machineable mail. And you can still save money by using First Post.

Invoices will be sent out for a week's postings the following week and our payment terms are in line with Royal Mail which is a strict 14 days. This is unlike stamps and franking machines where it is pre-payment up front. There is also a convenient direct debit service.

Window envelopes dictate the position of the address and allow the recipients name from the letter to show through, (no need to re-write/print another address).

Yes if they are windowed, the addresses will still be readable.

Certain fonts are better at being read than others, the fonts that we recommend are exactly the same as Royal Mail.

It doesn't matter, you can send a single envelope with First Post, we have no minimum requirement.

It is how mail should be, we have aimed to make the service as easy as possible to use.

Yes we have a simple overview as well as a detailed customer guide.   Please click on the blue banner at the bottom of this page and click on Improve the Quality of your Mail.

No we cannot do general registered or signed for mail as this is still fully controlled by the Royal Mail.

Yes.

Everywhere that Royal Mail deliver, (worldwide), we can deliver too.

Yes, there are different account registration forms, but you too can benefit from the savings that First Post offers.

If you are an existing Legal Post customer we will collect the mail from your local Exchange.

Royal Mail will continue to carry out the "final mile" delivery of all mail.

Open up an account and once you have received your documentation start sending mail. It's as easy as that!

The only contract that you will have with us is that you agree to our terms and conditions, you will only be invoiced for the mail that you send.

If you are an existing Legal Post customer it is completely free to join. If you will only be using the First Post service there is a nominal joining fee.

Instead of a stamp or franking machine mark, it will have a DSA, (downstream access), providers postmark on it. This will be class-less, ie it will not clearly show it as 1st or 2nd class will be perceived as premium business mail.

Yes. We have no minimum requirements, no joining fee and no contract for you to sign. Once registered for First Post, you can use the service as much as you wish as and when required.