Information Guide

How Much to Send a Letter Recorded Delivery?

Current Royal Mail Signed For prices, what you get, and whether it is worth the extra cost.

4 min readUpdated April 2025

Recorded delivery prices

Royal Mail Signed For (formerly Recorded Delivery) adds proof of delivery to standard post. You pay the normal stamp price plus an additional Signed For fee.

Signed For fee: around £2.25 on top of your standard first or second class stamp
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Second class Signed For total: roughly £3.00 for a standard letter (stamp + fee)
Compensation: up to £50 cover for loss or damage included as standard
Available for letters and parcels up to 2kg via Royal Mail

Quick answer

Recorded delivery costs the standard stamp price plus around £2.25. For a second class letter, the total is roughly £3.00. You get a signature on delivery, online tracking, and £50 compensation cover. Use it when you need proof that an important letter was received.

What is included

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Signature on delivery - recipient must sign for the item
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Online tracking - follow your letter using the reference number
£50 compensation - covers loss or damage to contents
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No time guarantee - delivery follows standard first/second class timescales

Need guaranteed next-day delivery? See Special Delivery prices or learn what recorded delivery is.

When to use recorded delivery

Good reasons to use Signed For0 / 5 checked

Important documents: contracts, certificates, legal paperwork
Items where you need proof the recipient received them
Low to medium value items (up to £50) needing some protection
Dispute resolution - proof of posting settles disagreements
Job applications or submissions with deadlines

How to send recorded delivery

Take your letter to a Post Office counter and ask for Signed For service. Staff will add the tracking label and charge the fee. You get a receipt with a tracking number. You can also buy Signed For postage online via Royal Mail Click & Drop and print the label at home.

Recorded vs Special Delivery

Around £2.25 extra vs £7.65+ for Special Delivery. The budget option for a signature and basic tracking.

Special Delivery guarantees next-day by 1pm or 9am. Signed For has no time guarantee.

Special Delivery includes up to £500 compensation vs £50 for Signed For. Use Special for valuable items.

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Frequently asked questions

The stamp price plus around £2.25. A second class letter totals roughly £3.00.

Yes, Signed For includes online tracking via the reference number on your receipt.

Yes, the recipient must sign. If nobody is home, a card is left for collection.

Standard timescales: next working day aim for first class, 2-3 days for second class. No guarantee.

Up to £50 for loss or damage. For higher cover, use Special Delivery (£500 standard).

Related articles

How Much Is Special Delivery?What Is Recorded Delivery?How Long Does Recorded Delivery Take?Does Special Delivery Require a Signature?

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