Franking Machines, Royal Mail Special Delivery® & Signed For®

How to access and use the new franking machine indicia

Over 40% of all UK franking machines have been affected by a dramatic change in how franked mail is prepared and processed. Traditionally franking machines simply produced a value stamp that printed directly onto letters or alternatively onto a franked label for parcels or packages. Then the franking machine operator placed a Signed For® or Special Delivery® tracker barcode and service sticker on the mail piece for Royal Mail to scan in order to track the item in the delivery system and offer proof of delivery to customers and recorded the item in a pre-printed book supplied by Royal Mail. These stickers and books have been discontinued by Royal Mail as of midnight on 31st October 2022. Manufacturers of franking machines have had to, in some cases, create new machines or redevelop existing technology to accommodate these changes.

Below is a guide to how the new franking machine indicia (below) for Special Delivery® and Signed For® services will look and how franking machine operators will process tracked items through franking machines in the UK.

Royal Mail Special Delivery and Signed For services processed through franking machines from midnight on 31^st October 2022.

Gone are the orange stickers, replaced by a brand new Royal Mail indicia franked onto the envelope or franking machine label directly from your franking machine.

We offer a full range of franking machines compatible with the new Royal Mail changes. If your franking machine can’t frank the new indicia onto your mail pieces, contact us and we will help you to switch without any hassle even if you are in contract elsewhere.

Once you have a compatible franking machine, sending Royal Mail Special Delivery® and Signed For® is super simple.

> Select Royal Mail service on your franking machine & frank the mail piece

There is no change to how services are selected and franked on the franking machine.

• Place your letter on the franking machine scale;
• Select the required RM Signed For® or Special Delivery® service;
• Frank the envelope;
• The new indicia with tracking number (see above) is franked alongside the Mailmark frank.
• The new indicia replaces the orange stickers which should no longer be used.

> Record your tracking details

Once the item is franked, the franking machine will offer you the ability to print a tracking receipt onto a franking machine label.

• Select ‘Yes’ using the buttons on your franking machine;
• Introduce a franking label to your franking machine feeder;
• The label is printed.

The tracking receipt contains the unique tracking number and space to enter the recipient’s details.

> Track your mail

Tracking is accessed in the normal way at www.royalmail.com.

Need a franking machine compatible with the new Royal Mail Special Delivery® & Signed For® indicia? No problem! Contact Franking Sense^® today and we will switch you to a compatible franking machine without any hassle, even if you currently have a franking machine contract elsewhere.