Special Delivery Guaranteed® and Royal Mail Signed For® is changing on 31 October 2022. Royal Mail is ending the use of coloured adhesive labels that senders currently attach to this mail. From 1 November, franking machine users will need to use a new meter indicia or shipping label on these mail items.
Why is this change happening?
Royal Mail is removing the use of coloured adhesive labels as part of its modernisation programme.
The new indicia and labels will include either a Mailmark® barcode and an S10 1D barcode, or a 2D barcode and an S10 1D barcode.
Quadient’s latest range of Mailmark franking machines will print the new barcode, making the Special Delivery Guaranteed and Signed For process simpler. Quadient will provide updates for these Mailmark franking machines to produce the new barcode.
How do you send Special Delivery Guaranteed® and Royal Mail Signed For® mail from 1 November?
From 1 November, senders of Special Delivery Guaranteed and Royal Mail Signed For mail will need to use one of the following solutions:
1. Meter Machine New Indicia
The latest meters indicia will be larger in width and include an S10 1D barcode, additional product name information and new alpha-numeric content within the visual service indicator boxes.
Illustrations below, not to scale. Also includes Special Delivery Guaranteed®
2. Secure Print New Indicia
The new indicia will be as per the Meter Machine New Indicia above, printed in black ink.
Illustrations below, not to scale. Also includes Royal Mail Signed For®
3. Shipping Label via Meters API (OLP)
This is available today for parcels, the labels offered will now include letter and large letter formats. This label will be made available with access to Royal Mail’s Online Postage (OLP) system. The system will produce a fully addressed shipping label for you to apply to your mail item.
Illustrations below, not to scale. Also includes Special Delivery Guaranteed®
Is it time to switch to a Mailmark franking machine?
Mailmark® from the Royal Mail is the most up-to-date franking impression. Its 2D blue barcode carries more information about the item being sent.
From 1 January 2023, Royal Mail will no longer accept mail from standard franking machines (known as decertification), making 2022 the year to switch to Mailmark.
The sooner businesses start using Mailmark, the sooner they benefit from a range of compelling advantages:
- Cost savings – Mailmark saves businesses money because it offers the lowest prices for Royal Mail franking products and services, helping them manage the cost of staying in touch through mail
- Fast and efficient mail processing - easy automatic selection of Royal Mail products and services helps save time when preparing outgoing mail
- Creating the right impression – a professional look to franked mail conveys the right image. The most up-to-date Mailmark franking machines support adding a company logo, slogan or message to reinforce brands and marketing campaigns
- Visibility and insight - Mailmark offers the potential to track mail location and delivery and improve reporting and management of tariffs. With a Mailmark franking machine, it’s simple to upload credit as needed and to track postage spend and monitor usage across the business.
Help is at hand
Further details on the changes to Special Delivery Guaranteed® and Royal Mail Signed For® mail can be found on the Royal Mail website.
Quadient has a page dedicated to your questions about decertification. If there’s anything you need help with, just let us know.
You can also find out more about the advanced features of Mailmark franking machines and how they can help your business get the most value from franked mail, simply take a look at Quadient’s franking machine range.
[1] S10 barcode is a 13-character item identifier
