Stamp prices to rise from next month

From Monday 23 March, prices will change as follows:

• A first-class stamp for a standard letter will rise by 6p from 70p to 76p.  

• A second-class stamp for a standard letter will rise by 4p from 61p to 65p. 

• A first-class stamp for a large letter will rise by 9p from £1.06 to £1.15.

• A second-class stamp for a large letter will rise by 5p from 83p to 88p.

A standard letter can weigh up to 100g and be a maximum of 24cm x 16.5cm x 5mm. Large letters can be 35.3cm x 25cm x 2.5cm, but still have to weigh 100g or less – if they weigh more you'll have to pay extra.  

It's the biggest single hike to stamp costs since 2012. Last year, Royal Mail raised the price of first and second-class standard stamps by 3p each. 

The cost of sending heavier letters and some parcels is also going up – you can see a full breakdown of the new prices on the Royal Mail website. 

If you're an avid letter-writer, have invitations to send or are just looking ahead to your Christmas card list, it's possible to beat the rises by stocking up on stamps at the cheaper rate before 23 March – in fact, one MoneySaver reckons he's saved £100s over the years by bulk-buying stamps to beat price rises. Buy a stamp now and it will still be valid once the prices rise after 23 March.

What does Royal Mail say?

Stephen Agar, managing director of letters at Royal Mail, said: "We are operating in a tough market at present, under the threat of making a loss by 2021.

"These price increases will help us maintain the quality of service that is expected by our customers, while supporting the universal service."