Pricing In Proportion
What is Pricing in Proportion?
Pricing in Proportion is a way of pricing mail on the basis of its size as well as its weight, as this reflects the costs of handling letters and packets in modern postal systems.
When was Pricing in Proportion introduced?
Royal Mail introduced Pricing in Proportion in August 2006. This has affected the way mail is handled through the Mailroom, and has therefore also affected departmental postal budgets. Departments will need to review their external postal methods. The size of envelope used, its thickness and its weight will all contribute to the overall cost of postage.
For example, if you were to post an A4 sheet of paper in a C4 envelope, it would cost you twice as much as folding the A4 sheet in half and using a C5 envelope.
How Pricing in Proportion works
There are three sizes for ordinary mail:
- Letters - most small and medium envelopes up to half the size of A4 (C5/C6/DL)
- Large letters - most larger envelopes up to A4 size (C4)
- Packets - anything else (Above C4, Jiffy bags, Aero foils etc).
Mostly, you will be able to tell which category your mail is in by the size of the envelope, but you will also need to consider its thickness and weight.
| Comments | Sheets up to 100gm | Sheets over 100gm | Postage 1st Class | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyreco Code | 991211 | Good size to use, but keep to 5 or less sheets | 0-5 | 6+ | Up to 5 sheets, 39p | 6+ sheets, 55p as the thickness will push the envelope up to the next price point |
| Colour | White | |||||
| Type | DL | |||||
| Size mm | 220x110 | |||||
| Lyreco Code | 712066 | Use this one instead of 254 x 178 if you want to avoid postage increase of 30% | 0-8 | 9+ | Up to 8 sheets, 39p | 9+ sheets, 55p as the thickness will push the envelope up to the next price point |
| Colour | Manilla | |||||
| Type | Large Letter | |||||
| Size mm | 254x178 | |||||
| Lyreco Code | 2564056 | Don't use this one - use one above to avoid cost increase as this is too large to be a letter | 0-19 | 20+ | Up to 19 sheets, 55p | New post prices will increase cost of A4 envelopes which contain a small number of unfolded pages from 39p to 55p per envelope |
| Colour | White | |||||
| Type | C5 | |||||
| Size mm | 229x162 | |||||
| Lyreco Code | 699309 | As above, C5 is better to use. | 0-17 | 18+ | Up to 17 sheets, 55p | If you have up to 5 pages, fold and put in DL envelope or if you have up to 8 pages fold and put in C5 envelope - postage would then be 39p not 55p |
| Colour | Manilla | |||||
| Type | Large Letter | |||||
| Size mm | 329x229 | |||||
| Lyreco Code | 699457 | The size of this envelope means that irrespective of how light the weight is, you will have to pay packet rates | 0-16 | 17+ | Up to 16 sheets, £1.10 | 7 - 46 sheets £1.36, envelopes too wide to be classed as a standard letter now becomes large letter even if only weighing under 100grms |
| Colour | Manilla | |||||
| Type | Foolscap | |||||
| Size mm | 381x254 | |||||
| Lyreco Code | 704252 | This gusset envelope is often used for examination scripts, the size means that it will now become a packet. | 0-12 | 13-42 | Up to 12 sheets, £1.10 | 13 - 42 sheets £1.36, envelopes too wide to be classed as a standard letter now becomes a packet even if only weighing under 100grms |
| Colour | Manilla | |||||
| Type | Foolscap Gussett | |||||
| Size mm | 381 x 254 25mm thickness capacity |
|||||
| Lyreco Code | 703258 | This padded envelope is too thick to be a letter even if it's weight is less than 100grms | 0-14 | 15-45 | Up to 14 sheets, 55p | 15 - 45 Sheets 79p |
| Colour | Padded | |||||
| Type | A4 | |||||
| Size mm | 220x330 | |||||
| Lyreco Code | 703269 | This padded envelope is too thick to be a letter even if it's weight is less than 100grms | 0-14 | 15-45 | Up to 14 sheets, £1.10 | 15-45 sheets, £1.36 |
| Colour | Padded | |||||
| Type | A4+ | |||||
| Size mm | 240x330 | |||||