Franking vs Stamps 2026: Which Is Cheaper for Post?
In 2026, franking is cheaper than buying stamps for almost every letter and large letter you send. A Royal Mail First Class letter costs £1.80 with a stamp but only £1.77 when franked at the Mailmark rate, and on large letters the gap widens dramatically, with franking saving well over 40p per item. For any business posting regular mail, those per-item savings quickly add up to hundreds of pounds a year, which is exactly why so many UK offices choose to frank rather than stick on stamps.
The letter and large letter prices below are Royal Mail rates that took effect on 7 April 2026 and are unchanged. Like all standard Royal Mail retail postage, they are exempt from VAT.
Important update: from 5 October 2026 Royal Mail has raised stamp prices on parcels while holding every Mailmark franking price. That means franking now saves money on parcels as well as letters, which was not the case before. See our Royal Mail Postage Rates 2026 October Price Update for the full tables.
The short answer: franking beats stamps on price
Every business that sends mail through a franking machine gets access to Royal Mail's discounted Mailmark franking rates. These rates are lower than the equivalent stamp prices, so you pay less for the same delivery service. The saving is a modest 3p on a standard letter, but it becomes far more meaningful on heavier and larger items, and it applies to every single item you post. Multiply a few pence across thousands of items a year and the difference is substantial.
Franking vs stamps: 2026 price comparison
The table below compares the current Royal Mail stamp price with the Mailmark franking price for the most common letter and large letter formats. The final column shows exactly how much you save per item by franking.
| Format (up to weight) | Stamp price | Mailmark franking | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter, up to 100g (1st Class) | £1.80 | £1.77 | 3p |
| Letter, up to 100g (2nd Class) | 91p | 88p | 3p |
| Large Letter, up to 100g (1st Class) | £3.30 | £2.86 | 44p |
| Large Letter, up to 100g (2nd Class) | £1.55 | £1.52 | 3p |
| Large Letter, up to 250g (1st Class) | £3.60 | £3.28 | 32p |
| Large Letter, up to 500g (1st Class) | £3.60 | £3.30 | 30p |
As you can see, the standard letter saving is small, but the large letter savings are where franking really earns its keep. A First Class large letter up to 100g costs £3.30 as a stamp and just £2.86 franked, a saving of 44p on a single item. If you regularly post brochures, contracts, welcome packs or A5 envelopes, franking can cut those costs by well over 10 per cent.
Parcels now save too, since 5 October 2026
This is the part that has changed. Until 5 October 2026, parcels were priced identically whether you franked them or stamped them, so a franking machine gave you nothing back on parcel post. A 1st Class small parcel cost £5.45 either way.
On 5 October 2026 Royal Mail raised the stamp price for parcels while leaving the Mailmark franked price exactly as it was, which opened a saving that did not exist before:
| Parcel (up to weight) | Stamp price | Mailmark franking | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Parcel, up to 2kg (1st Class) | £5.90 | £5.45 | 45p |
| Small Parcel, up to 2kg (2nd Class) | £4.60 | £4.25 | 35p |
| Medium Parcel, up to 2kg (1st Class) | £8.70 | £8.05 | 65p |
| Medium Parcel, up to 20kg (1st Class) | £16.90 | £15.45 | £1.45 |
| Medium Parcel, up to 20kg (2nd Class) | £14.20 | £13.15 | £1.05 |
That is a saving of between 7.3% and 8.6% on parcel postage since 5 October 2026.
Where franking saves the most
Franking is at its most cost-effective when you send higher volumes and larger items. A small office posting 20 First Class large letters a day would save around £8.80 a day at the top rate, which is roughly £2,200 across a typical working year. Even a business sending only standard letters saves 3p per item, so a few hundred items a week still returns a worthwhile annual saving. Since 5 October 2026 parcels add to that total rather than sitting outside it.
There is also a practical benefit beyond price. Franking gives you a tidy, professional impression on the envelope, lets you weigh and rate each item accurately so you never overpay by rounding up to the next stamp, and produces a clear record of your postage spend for accounting.
The costs to weigh up beyond postage
A fair comparison has to include the running costs of the machine itself. Alongside the machine rental or purchase, the two consumables you will buy regularly are franking ink and, for parcels or oversized items, franking labels. Keeping these costs low is the key to making sure your postage savings are not eaten up by overpriced supplies.
This is where buying compatible consumables makes a real difference. At Franking Ink we supply compatible ink cartridges and labels for all the major machine ranges, typically at a lower price than the manufacturer's own branded stock. Whether you run a Pitney Bowes, Quadient, FP Mailing or Frama machine, you can find the right cartridge for your model and pair it with cost-effective franking machine labels so your total cost per item stays as low as possible. If your impressions ever start to look pale, our guide on why a franking machine prints faded explains the common fixes.
Is a franking machine worth it in 2026?
For most businesses that post more than a handful of items each week, yes. The Mailmark discount, the accurate weighing that stops you overpaying, and the professional finish usually outweigh the cost of the machine and consumables. If your postage is very occasional, stamps or a click-and-drop online service may still be simpler. The tipping point comes down to your volume and the mix you send, and since 5 October 2026 parcels count towards the saving as well as letters and large letters.
If you are unsure, add up how many items you post in a typical month, split them into letters, large letters and parcels, and apply the savings in the tables above. Many businesses are surprised by how quickly the numbers stack up. You can also keep the running costs down from day one by sourcing affordable envelopes and consumables in the same place.
Frequently asked questions
Is franking cheaper than stamps in 2026?
Yes. Royal Mail's Mailmark franking rates are lower than stamp prices on letters and large letters, and since 5 October 2026 on parcels too. You save 3p on a standard letter, up to 44p on a First Class large letter, and up to £1.45 on a parcel.
How much does a franked First Class letter cost in 2026?
A First Class letter up to 100g costs £1.77 when franked at the Mailmark rate, compared with £1.80 for a stamp. That is a 3p saving per item, and this price did not change on 5 October 2026.
Do you save money franking parcels?
Yes, since 5 October 2026. Before that date Royal Mail charged the same for small and medium parcels whether they were franked or stamped, so there was no saving. On 5 October the stamp price rose while the Mailmark franked price stayed the same, so franking saves between 35p and £1.45 on every parcel, which is 7.3% to 8.6%.
Are 1st and 2nd Class stamp prices going up in October 2026?
No. A 1st Class letter stays at £1.80 and a 2nd Class letter stays at 91p. Large letter stamp prices are unchanged too. Only parcel stamps and the tracked and guaranteed services rose.
What do I need to keep a franking machine running?
You mainly need franking ink cartridges, plus franking labels for parcels or oversized items that will not fit through the machine. Buying compatible cartridges and labels rather than manufacturer-branded stock keeps your running costs low and protects your postage savings.
Are franking prices the same as stamp prices for tracked mail?
No. Services such as Signed For and Special Delivery also have discounted Mailmark franking rates, so franking users pay slightly less than stamp users for the same tracked service. Since 5 October 2026 that gap has widened on Signed For parcels, where the stamp price rose and the franked price held.
Ready to make your postage go further? Browse our full range of franking ink and labels to find the right supplies for your machine, or get in touch with our team if you need help choosing the correct cartridge for your model.