First-class stamps to rise again from 7 April 2026 with Second-class increasing to 91p
This Spring we’re set to see yet another round of stamp price hikes as the Royal Mail continues to overcome cost pressures and economic challenges. Last year the cost of stamps went up four times, with the last increase only happening in October.
Here, we explain how much stamps will cost from April and ways to beat the hike.
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How much are stamp prices rising?
First-class stamp prices will rise by 10p from 7 April 2026, taking the total cost for a standard stamp from £1.70 to £1.80. That’s a 6% increase. It means the price of a first-class stamp has more than doubled in five years.
Meanwhile, First-class large letter stamps are rising by 15p to £3.30 – a 5% increase. The cost of Second-class stamps is also increasing by 4p to 91p.
Stamp prices from 7 April 2026
The table below rounds up what stamps will cost to post standard and large letters from April
| Class | Letter type | Dimensions | Weight | Current price | New Price |
| First | Standard | Up to 24cm x 16.5cm x 5mm | Up to 100g | £1.70 | £1.80 (+10p) |
| First | Large | 35.3cm x 25cm x 2.5cm | Up to 100g* | £3.15 | £3.30 (+15p) |
| Second | Standard | Up to 24cm x 16.5cm x 5mm | Up to 100g | 87p | 91p (+4p) |
| Second | Large | 35.3cm x 25cm x 2.5cm | Up to 100g* | £1.55 | £1.55 (no change) |
Royal Mail will also increase postage prices for many of its its “Special Delivery Guaranteed”, “Signed For”, 1st and 2nd Class Parcels and “Tracked” delivery services from 7 April. A full list of postage prices is available here.
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How to beat the stamp price hike
There are a couple of postal hacks to help you beat the stamp price increase and save on sending letters.
The first is to start stocking up on stamps now before they increase. If you’re an avid letter-sender this could help you cut the cost of postage significantly.
Another way to beat the price hike is to consider using a slower delivery service. For example, sending a standard letter by second-class post.
The table below shows how much you could save by opting for second-class stamps.
| Letter type | Current 1st class price | Current 2nd class price | New 1st class price | New 2nd class price |
| Standard | £1.70 | 87p (save 83p) | £1.80 | 91p (save 89p) |
| Large | £3.15 | £1.55 (save 1.60p) | £3.30 | £1.55 (save £1.75) |
It’s worth noting that second-class delivery aims to deliver within three working days (rather than the next working day as with first-class). This isn’t a big deal if your letter isn’t urgent.
However, you’ll need to plan in advance if your letter needs to reach the recipient by a specific date.
Where possible, try to purchase stamps from your local Post Office or another authorised retailer (such as a supermarket or WH Smiths) to save as well.
Sometimes corner shops and even vendors on Amazon sell stamps at a marked-up price and there’s been an influx of fake stamps coming into the UK that can be hard to spot.
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Remember to swap out non-barcoded stamps
Non-barcoded stamps, which are also known as everyday stamps, expired on 31 July 2023.
These stamps featured the iconic picture of the late Queen’s profile on a solid-coloured background. And you’ll have seen them everywhere as they were commonly used to post letters.
Since 1 August 2023, Royal Mail introduced barcodes into stamps to integrate the postal service with the digital world.
Don’t worry If you still have non-barcoded stamps lying around as you can exchange them using the Royal Mail’s ‘Stamp Swap Out.’
This free-to-use scheme lets you trade in the old stamps for the new barcoded versions. You’ll have to use a special form to mail them off which you can pick up at your local Post Office or print it off online.
Check out our non-barcoded stamps guide to find out more about how the scheme works.
I believe that non barcoded picture stamp IE Christmas scenes etc can still be used.Is this true?
will I still be able to use 1st class stamp with barcode and Queen Elizabeth’s head?
Excellent
1st site I have found that gives an up to date stamp price,
try a search, even royal mail only show old prices.
Enter 1st class stamp price and all you get is bulk price.
You have made a mistake above, the First class Large letter only goes up to 100g at the price you state, there are further increased prices for 250g and 500g, the 750g weight remains unchanged but not at the price you state.
The second class Large letter also only goes up to 100g for the price you state, there are again increases for 250g and 500g again the 750g weight remains unchanged
You should also mention that most Signed for Prices have gone up for for letters and large letters.
All parcels remain unchanged
All Parcel prices remain the same.
Tell me what isn’t going up 🛗!!!!!