UK Postage Calculator — Royal Mail vs Evri

Looking for a quick UK postage price? The two couriers most UK small sellers use are Royal Mail and Evri (formerly Hermes). They suit different parcel shapes and weights — this guide helps you pick the right one, with links to the calculators for each.

Royal Mail — best for letters, small/light parcels, tracked economy

Royal Mail runs the widest service network and is the only option for letters and large letters (lightweight flat items that fit through a standard letterbox). Their key services:

• 1st and 2nd Class Letter — up to 100g, must fit through a letterbox (250×38mm). 2nd class is typically £1.10–1.40.
• Large Letter — up to 750g and 25mm thick, also letterbox-bound. Good for clothing, phone cases, jewellery, small books.
• Small Parcel — up to 2kg, 45×35×16cm. The most common format for eBay/Etsy sellers.
• Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 — adds tracking to the above. Available only through Click & Drop or online booking (cheaper than counter prices).

→ Royal Mail Click & Drop postage calculator — find the exact price for your weight and speed, with the online booking discount applied.

Evri (formerly Hermes) — best for larger/heavier parcels

Evri is typically cheaper than Royal Mail for parcels over about 2kg, and competitive for 1-2kg too. Their parcel services go up to 15kg. There's no letter or large-letter equivalent — Evri is parcels only.

• Standard delivery — 3-5 days, cheapest option, good for non-time-sensitive goods
• Next-day delivery — available at a premium
• Drop-off vs collection — drop-off to a ParcelShop is cheaper than booking a home collection

→ Evri vs Royal Mail comparison calculator — enter your parcel weight and see both couriers side by side.

Which should you use?

Where postage cost leaks

The three most common ways UK sellers overpay on postage:

• Paying at the counter. Royal Mail's counter prices are higher than online booking via Click & Drop. Tracked 48 booked online is often 20-30% cheaper than the same service at the post office counter.
• Wrong service for the shape. Something that could go as a Large Letter gets sent as a Small Parcel and costs twice as much. Always check if your item will fit through a standard letterbox (250mm × 38mm).
• Not weighing before booking. Guessing and picking the next weight band up adds up fast. A £12 postal scale pays for itself in a week for anyone shipping more than a few orders.

See the UK shipping supplies cost guide for a full breakdown of per-order packaging cost alongside postage.

Parcelforce and Yodel

For heavy or bulky items (10kg+), Parcelforce is a common option — they handle items that Evri won't, and offer customs-cleared international services. Yodel and DPD are used mainly by larger e-commerce businesses with volume accounts rather than individual sellers. For most small UK sellers, Royal Mail + Evri covers 95% of use cases.

Tax note

Postage costs are an allowable business expense for self-employed sellers — they reduce your taxable profit on your Self-Assessment return. Keep receipts (or Click & Drop history exports as your record). See the UK allowable expenses guide.

Frequently asked questions