From urgent and time-sensitive mailings to routine letters and reminders, circumstances often dictate the delivery option you decide upon for postage.
There are plenty of postal options to consider before settling on one, whether you are intent on the next-day delivery promised by a 1st Class service, or you’re happy for your non-urgent letter or parcel to arrive in a few days. One option you may not be familiar with is the Access Mailmark Economy Service, also known as Royal Mail Economy Access.
A Royal Mail alternative to 1st Class, 2nd Class and standard DSA mail services, Economy Postal Delivery is generally better suited to those with non-urgent mailing needs, though this adaptable postal alternative is flexible to different individuals and organisations. The postage option was added to the Royal Mail service at the beginning of 2021, and has already seen thousands of organisations take advantage of it.
Described by Royal Mail as ‘a lower priced service which defers the delivery of non-time critical letters’, Economy Access is a desirable option for those without the need for urgent delivery of their mailings. Be it a routine letter that isn’t time-sensitive in nature, promotional materials, or an informative mailing which doesn’t include information that needs to be acted upon quickly, Royal Mail Economy Access may be the preferable option to send your documents. More affordable than letters sent with standard class delivery, Royal Mail look to send Economy letters within four working days from receipt into their network.
Listed on their website, Royal Mail aim to deliver 97.5% of Economy mailings within a four-day window after handover. In general, recipients will receive mail on days 1-4 from handover if other posted items are being delivered on those selected days, otherwise, the posted item will be delivered on day 5. More often the mailings will be delivered prior to day 5, making Royal Mail Economy Access a sensible choice for those who already receive mail on a daily basis.
Fantastic for non-urgent batch mailings, and sure to provide cost savings for those who regularly send letters without pressure to reach recipients by a certain date, there are plenty of advantages to be found from utilising Economy Access. Though not suitable for every single business context, for example a doctors surgery looking to send out urgent test results, the wider delivery window of mailings sent via the Access Mailmark Economy Service may prove beneficial in some instances, including appointment reminders and council tax communications.
Scheduling the sending of Economy mailings in line with operations can provide additional flexibility for related tasks, with the longer window of delivery allowing teams to resource appropriately and deal with enquiries on a staggered basis. This was the case for Paul Linfield, Pension Communication Manager at East Sussex Pension Fund.
Looking to organise a large-scale postal mailing, but keen to do so in the most cost-effective manner possible, the organisation opted for CFH’s industry-first Economy Access Postal Service – which provides the proven convenience of hybrid mail, and definitive cost savings of Royal Mail’s Access Mailmark Economy Service.
The Docmail Economy Access Postal Service allowed us to reduce postage costs substantially, and schedule the sending of mailings in tranches. The longer window of delivery allowed our call centre team to resource appropriately and deal with enquiries.
Pension Communication Manager, East Sussex Pension Fund
Launched on the 1st of July 2024, CFH are now able to share the benefits of Economy post with new and existing Docmail customers, as well as Managed Service clients. Economy Access mailings from CFH start from 4p cheaper per letter than DSA mailings. Another slight variation between postal options, each letter sent via Economy Access in Docmail is sent in a non-windowed, closed faced envelope, rather than a traditional windowed envelope. Those opting for Economy Access through a Managed Service have the ability to use both non-windowed and windowed envelopes based on their contract agreement.
Economy Postal Delivery is already proving a popular choice with CFH customers. As evidence of this postage option working at scale, through the Royal Mail Test and Innovation Schemes (TIS), CFH saved over £41,000 on postage for council annual billing clients through March 2024. These savings were achieved across 13 councils on postage alone, and with careful planning and pre-scheduling, the increased delivery period had no impact on communications sent - enabling the councils to deliver their annual billing statements within the 10-day notice period required.
To find out more about how you can benefit from the convenience and savings of Economy Access postage first-hand, get in touch and our communication experts will be happy to discuss your requirements and how we can support you.
Fife-based Electricity Asset Services, specializing in electrical and civil engineering, employs CFH's Docmail system for improved communication with Scottish Power and staff.
