How Much Can a Franking Machine Save Your Business in 2026?
A franking machine can cut the cost of every letter you send, but the size of the saving depends on what you post and whether your meter uses Mailmark. In 2026, franking with Mailmark saves 3p on a standard letter and up to 44p on a large letter compared with buying stamps. For a business that sends post every day, those pennies add up to real money over a year. This guide breaks down the current savings, works through a couple of realistic examples, and explains the ongoing costs you should weigh up.
Updated for October 2026: from 5 October 2026 Royal Mail raises stamp prices on parcels while holding every Mailmark franking price. Franking now saves on parcels as well as letters, which was not previously the case. Full tables are in our October 2026 price update.
The short answer: how much do you save?
Since Royal Mail's price change on 7 April 2026, Mailmark franking is cheaper than stamps on letters and large letters. A 1st Class letter costs £1.80 as a stamp but £1.77 franked, and a 2nd Class letter costs 91p as a stamp but 88p franked. That is a 3p saving per letter. The bigger wins come on large letters, where a 1st Class item up to 100g drops from £3.30 to £2.86, a saving of 44p or roughly 13.33 per cent. If your outgoing post is heavy on large letters such as brochures, contracts and multi-page statements, franking pays for itself quickly.
2026 Mailmark franking prices versus stamps
The table below compares stamp prices with Mailmark franking prices for the most common letter formats. These letter and large letter prices are not changing on 5 October 2026. All standard Royal Mail retail postage is exempt from VAT.
| Format | Weight | Stamp | Mailmark franking | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter (1st Class) | 0-100g | £1.80 | £1.77 | 3p |
| Letter (2nd Class) | 0-100g | 91p | 88p | 3p |
| Large Letter (1st Class) | 0-100g | £3.30 | £2.86 | 44p |
| Large Letter (2nd Class) | 0-100g | £1.55 | £1.52 | 3p |
| Large Letter (1st Class) | 101-250g | £3.60 | £3.28 | 32p |
| Large Letter (1st Class) | 251-500g | £3.60 | £3.30 | 30p |
Parcels now save too, from 5 October 2026
This used to be the one gap in the franking argument. Small and medium parcels cost exactly the same whether you franked them or stamped them, so the discount really only applied to letters and large letters.
From 5 October 2026 that is no longer true. Royal Mail raises the parcel stamp price while holding the Mailmark franked price, so a saving appears where there was none:
| Parcel | Weight | Stamp | Mailmark franking | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Parcel (1st Class) | 0-2kg | £5.90 | £5.45 | 45p |
| Small Parcel (2nd Class) | 0-2kg | £4.60 | £4.25 | 35p |
| Medium Parcel (1st Class) | 0-2kg | £8.70 | £8.05 | 65p |
| Medium Parcel (1st Class) | 10-20kg | £16.90 | £15.45 | £1.45 |
| Medium Parcel (2nd Class) | 10-20kg | £14.20 | £13.15 | £1.05 |
That is 7.3% to 8.6% off parcel postage. For the full picture across every service, see our summary of the 2026 Royal Mail postage rates.
Worked example: a small business mailroom
Imagine a small firm that posts 100 items a week: 60 second-class standard letters and 40 first-class large letters up to 100g. On stamps that costs (60 x 91p) plus (40 x £3.30), which is £54.60 plus £132.00, a total of £186.60 a week. Franked with Mailmark it becomes (60 x 88p) plus (40 x £2.86), which is £52.80 plus £114.40, a total of £167.20 a week.
That is a weekly saving of £19.40, or around £1,008 a year from postage alone. Almost all of that comes from the large letters, which shows why the mix of what you send matters far more than the headline "3p off a stamp" figure suggests. From 5 October 2026, any parcels in that mix add to the total rather than sitting outside it.
Savings beyond the stamp price
Postage discounts are only part of the story. A franking machine also removes trips to the Post Office queue, so staff spend less time standing in line and more time working. Because the machine weighs and prices each item, you avoid overpaying by sticking a whole stamp on something that needed less, and you avoid underpaying, which is what leads to surcharged or rejected mail. Franked mail also looks professional, carries your business name or logo in the franking impression, and gives you a clear record of spend for accounting.
The ongoing costs to weigh up
To judge the true saving, set the postage discount against the running costs of the machine. The main ones are the machine itself, whether bought outright or on a rental agreement, plus consumables and occasional rate updates. The two consumables you will reorder most are ink and labels. Keeping a spare franking ink cartridge on hand prevents faint or missed impressions, and stocking the right franking labels and supplies keeps larger items moving when they will not fit through the machine.
Ink is where many businesses quietly overspend. Choosing the correct cartridge for your model and understanding the difference between original and compatible options can lower your cost per frank without hurting print quality. We cover this in detail in our guide to original versus compatible franking ink. It also pays to store cartridges correctly so they do not dry out before you use them, as explained in how long franking ink lasts.
Why Mailmark is the key to the discount
The cheaper franking prices apply to Mailmark franking, which is Royal Mail's current barcode-based mail standard. If you run an older, non-Mailmark meter you will not receive the lowest rates, so upgrading can be worthwhile purely on the postage difference. If you are unsure whether your machine qualifies, our simple guide to Mailmark explains what it is and how to tell. You can also confirm the latest figures directly with Royal Mail's Mailmark information.
Is a franking machine worth it for your business?
As a rough rule, the more post you send and the more large letters you handle, the stronger the case. A business posting only a handful of standard letters each week will save little, because 3p per letter takes a long time to cover running costs. A business sending dozens of large letters a week can save hundreds of pounds a year while also saving staff time and presenting a more professional image. From 5 October 2026 parcel-heavy senders have a case too, where they did not before. Work out your typical weekly volume and format mix, apply the savings in the tables above, then subtract your expected ink, label and machine costs to see where you land.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a franking machine save per letter in 2026?
With Mailmark franking, a 1st Class letter costs £1.77 versus £1.80 as a stamp, and a 2nd Class letter costs 88p versus 91p, so both save 3p. The largest letter saving is on large letters, where a 1st Class item up to 100g saves 44p.
Is franked postage cheaper than stamps for parcels?
Yes, from 5 October 2026. Before that date small and medium parcels cost the same whether franked or stamped. From 5 October the stamp price rises while the Mailmark franked price holds, so franking saves between 35p and £1.45 per 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 are rising on 5 October 2026.
Do I need to update my franking machine for the October 2026 change?
No. Because Mailmark franking prices are not changing, there is no new tariff to download. The rates your machine loaded on 7 April 2026 remain correct.
Do you need Mailmark to get the discounted franking prices?
Yes. The lower franking rates apply to Mailmark franking. Older non-Mailmark meters do not receive the discounted prices, so upgrading to a Mailmark machine can be worthwhile for the postage savings alone.
What ongoing costs come with a franking machine?
The main running costs are ink cartridges, franking labels, the machine rental or purchase cost, and occasional Royal Mail rate updates. Weigh these against your postage savings to judge the true benefit for your business.
Ready to keep your franking costs down? Browse our best selling franking ink cartridges or explore the full range of franking machine supplies to make sure every letter you send is as cost effective as it can be.