Freepost and Business Reply Envelopes

We know that the success of direct mail marketing campaigns depends on the number of responses marketers get. However, there are many questions marketers generally start by asking themselves, like:

Is the campaign relevant to the audience?
Are the offers exciting enough to make people respond?
Is the response mechanism easy?

And, out of these, most marketers struggle to solve the puzzle by understanding the ins and outs of the response mechanism.

Thus, keeping this in mind, we are going to focus on the last question related to response mechanisms to help you find that missing puzzle piece.

So often, companies use QR codes, personalised URLs, coupon codes, etc., to let people respond. Though these are perfectly viable options, there is another option you perhaps don’t know much about — Business Reply Envelopes Royal Mail.

Business reply mail is a Royal Mail service that lets your recipients reply to you without paying any postage. But, how does Business Reply mail work exactly?

Firstly, you send pre-printed and prepaid Business Reply mail envelopes along with your direct mail items.
If your recipients wish to respond, they can use these envelopes and respond to your mail.
Then, you need to pay the postage cost to Royal Mail while receiving these responses.

That’s the gist of the concept! But there’s way more to it. Royal Mail offers several response services for companies in the UK—

Business Reply Standard
Business Reply Plus
Freepost Standard
Freepost Plus
Freepost Name

Keep reading to know how these services differ from one another. We will also discuss how to use Business Reply envelopes to boost response levels.

What Are Business Reply and Freepost Services?

The basic idea behind Business Reply and Freepost services is to encourage your prospects to respond. They no longer need to go through the trouble of buying envelopes and paying the postage themselves only to reply to your mail. In short, you do all the legwork and offer an easy way of responding to your mail recipients.

All your prospects and customers have to do is insert their response in your Freepost envelopes and drop it in a mailbox. That’s all!

The plus point is that you don’t need to pay for all the distributed envelopes. Companies have to pay an annual Business Reply Mail permit fee to acquire the licence.

Apart from that, you need to only pay for the responses you receive after a campaign. So, you don’t risk prepaying the postage and not receiving any mailing responses.

Difference Between Business Reply and Freepost Envelope UK

A common question to ask while using response services is- do you need a stamp for Business Reply mail? Fortunately, the answer is no!

A Business Reply Envelope in the UK is also known as a ‘no postage required’ envelope.

These envelopes have your licence number and barcode rather than Business Reply envelope stamps.

But, what about Freepost services, and how are they different from Business Reply mail services?

To begin with, Business Reply looks more elegant and professional due to its envelope design. Therefore, it is more preferred by B2B companies and is the most popular choice among all the options.

You can use Business Reply for format types—letters, large letters, and packages. The licence number and barcode are both printed on the top-left corner of your envelopes.

Below is an example of how a Business Reply envelope looks like:

Coming to Freepost, its services are precisely like those of Business Reply. The only difference is the envelope design, as the barcode is printed along with the return address.

Now, before you ask, “do business reply envelopes need return addresses,” yes they do!

Hence, Freepost envelopes are more customer-centric and are ideal for promotional campaigns.

Like Business Reply, your recipients can send letters, large letters, and parcels under Freepost services.

What does a Freepost envelope look like? Look at the image below to know:

Please note that Freepost and Business Reply both exhibits the same characteristics. They also have the same delivery window. Plus, they both have 1st or 2nd class indicia on the top-right corner. So, you don’t need to think much before making a choice.

Freepost Plus and Business Reply Plus Envelopes

While applying for a licence, you need to mention if you want a Standard or Plus licence. But, you should first learn the difference between the two.

The Plus permit is for those customers who want to get discounts on their postage rates. For example, Royal Mail charges Plus licence holders 6p less on every response. But for that, you have to follow the Royal Mail envelope dimensions.

If you use envelopes that fall under these dimensions, the postal workers can sort them through machines. Hence, Royal Mail saves on hand-sorting and passes down the savings to you.

Therefore, you can spend less on postage and increase your ROI. If you use Business Reply services regularly, it is advisable to get a Plus licence.

Again, Freepost Plus and Business Reply Plus work the same way, except for the envelope design.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long does Freepost take to deliver?

The Freepost and Business Reply envelope delivery time depends on the mail class you select. For example, if you choose the 1st Class option, your delivery takes only one business day; 2nd Class can take up to three days.

Business Reply Plus, do I need a stamp?

Freepost and Business Reply envelopes are known as envelopes that don’t need a stamp. So, no, you don’t need stamps for any Standard or Plus services.

What if I shift to a new place?

In that case, apply and pay for a new permit. You need to present the following details:

Present license number
Company name
Account number
Old address
Contact name
New address
Telephone/ Fax/ Email

You can either email these details to response.services@royalmail.com or send them to the below address:

Royal Mail Response Services Team
PO Box 740
Barnsley
S73 0ZJ

Freepost NAME

Freepost NAME offers a convenient and efficient way for your customers to respond to your mail items. They can reply using letters, large letters, and packages—without spending one penny.

Royal Mail allows you to replace your Business Reply mail return address with a one-line address with this service.

In literal terms, it is not even a response address. Instead, you select a highly recognisable and memorable word that represents your company.

For example, suppose your company name is Gaze Publications.

Your Freepost NAME could be Freepost Gaze.

The names are given on a first-come-first-served basis, so you may probably not get a name you want if it’s already registered. In this case, you can select other names that associate with your brand.

But, sometimes, Royal Mail asks for proof saying you are eligible to use a particular name.

This way, Freepost NAME helps you build brand recognition and increase awareness.

The name could be anything related to your campaign, product, or service; you can also select a generic word. But, Royal Mail does not permit using long names or names of places.

Find some FAQs below that can help you understand Freepost Name better

How much does this service cost?

First, you have to buy an annual Freepost NAME license for every return address you use. Then, you need to pay the 1st Class postage for it whenever you get a response, depending on its weight.

How long does it take for the Freepost NAME to become functional?

It takes at least five working days for Royal Mail to examine and approve the name you select.

How should I apply for it?

You can fill up the Response Services application form and submit it to your post office to get a licence.

Can I use one Freepost NAME licence for more than one return address?

No, you can use one licence for one delivery address only. Please note that the validity of your permit is only one year; you need to renew it after this period.

Yet, it is partially possible if you have two return addresses and want to use the same Freepost NAME for them. But, there will be some variations in the name to differentiate between the two.

Let us take the example we used earlier- Freepost Gaze. Both your addresses will have the names Freepost Gaze 1 and Freepost Gaze 2, respectively. Please remember that you need to pay a separate fee for every variant of your Freepost NAME.

Steps to Use Royal Mail’s Response Services

Choose the Service Type

You have several options to select from, including Business Reply, Freepost, and Freepost Name. Furthermore, you also need to choose between Standard and Plus.

All you have to do is, select your official business envelopes carefully after considering all the features. After all, they represent your brand and can help you push up response levels.

Apply For a Licence

Get in touch with Royal Mail and apply for the licence you want. You will have to pay an annual licence fee along with a deposit. So, every time you get a response, the postage is deducted from this deposit account.

Design and Print Your Reply Envelopes

Royal Mail suggests using their artwork generator to produce your own response pieces. This tool helps you design envelopes with your address, licence number, barcode, and postage indicia. But, you still need to send your samples to Royal Mail for approval.

You can send them using any one of the following addresses:

Address 1

Freepost RESPONSE SERVICES

Address 2

Royal Mail Response Services Team
PO Box 740
Barnsley
S73 0ZJ

However, PostGrid already has Royal Mail’s Business Reply envelope templates. So, you can get through the whole process in a matter of minutes.

Send Your Mail Items and Wait For the Responses

Once you design and print your reply envelopes, you are ready to conduct your marketing campaigns.

Business Reply Envelope Sizes

Here are the four popular sizes of Business Reply and Freepost envelopes:

DL envelopes: DL envelopes are about the size of an A4 paper folded three times. They measure 110mm x 220mm.
C6 envelopes: These envelopes are A4 sheets folded two times and measure 114mm x 162mm.
C5 envelopes: If you want to use the Plus licence, this size is as large as your envelopes can get. C5 envelopes measure 162mm x 229mm. They are the size of A4 paper sheets folded once.
C4 envelopes: Only Business Reply Standard and Freepost Standard customers can use the C4 envelopes. They measure 324mm x 229mm and are of the size of an unfolded A4 size paper.

Conclusion

Using Freepost and Business Reply mail is an excellent way to get more responses and boost conversion rates. You can use these Royal Mail services and get the best out of your marketing campaigns.

PostGrid’s print and mail API can help you send out your mail items and response envelopes with complete convenience. Request a demo now to send Business Reply envelopes using our automated services and enjoy high conversion rates.

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PostGrid UK

Tuesday, November 30, 2021