| older postbox ; smaller slot |
The slot in a pillar box is about 25cm x 7.5cm. Slot, thats the word I was looking for, I knew I shouldn't be calling it a mouth. Thanks for the info, should get my package in, saves me having to go to the post office tomorrow morning. Need to post a heavy or large parcel, or both? Take a look at our parcel weight and size restrictions for our international services and mail formats. Remember settings you've applied (such as layout, text size, preferences and colours) Remember selections you have made (such as search functions and results, and goods and services) Apply customised content segments to individual users. These boxes can save you a fortune in postage - our PiP Large Letter Boxes are designed specifically to fit through the Royal Mail's large letter PiP slot, to give you reduced post charges. Manufactured from hign quality, strong but very thin corrugated cardboard they maximise in a box what you can send using the Large Letter postal service. Download the Royal Mail App to find a Parcel Postbox near you or check this page regularly to keep up to date with the latest locations. The maximum Parcel size allowed into our new Postboxes is 44cm x 35cm x 16cm.
Answer : It can vary (mostly depending on age). Probably a rule is ; the older the box, the narrower (and probably smaller height) the slot.Central post offices probably have the biggest slots.
The biggest slots are pobably in new areas and also at the local main post office.
Note : The slot slopes upwards
The slot tends to slope upwards (e.g. to keep out rain I guess), so if tight, it could be worth trying to push the parcel in slightly upwards (to follow the angle).
Can you put parcels in postboxes :
My understanding is YES
Estimate sizes :
An estimate would be between 8-12 inches wide and maybe 5.5cm high (or smaller).
Width : In old areas, it can be as little as 8 inches wide. But in the newest areas it may be around 12 inches wide. And areas between old and new may vary between these sizes. This rule probably applies to height as well.
Height : As mentioned above, the newer the postbox the more likely it has more height. My local postbox made around 1981 is probably around 5.5cm high.
Examples for 1980's postbox slot :
The biggest slots are pobably in new areas and also at the local main post office.
Note : The slot slopes upwards
The slot tends to slope upwards (e.g. to keep out rain I guess), so if tight, it could be worth trying to push the parcel in slightly upwards (to follow the angle).
Can you put parcels in postboxes :
My understanding is YES. I have put parcels in.
Estimate sizes :
An estimate would be between 8-12 inches wide and maybe 5.5cm high (or smaller).
Width : In old areas, it can be as little as 8 inches wide. But in the newest areas it may be around 12 inches wide. And areas between old and new may vary between these sizes. This rule probably applies to height as well.
Height : As mentioned above, the newer the postbox the more likely it has more height. My local postbox made around 1981 is probably around 5.5cm high.
I use a postbox probably built around 1981 which has a bigger slot than older versions (both in width and height)
Examples for 1980's postbox slot :
Using a
Royal Mail Post Box Slot Size
circa 1981 postbox, I have found the following :| UK postbox slot (1981) | width | height |
| 20 cm : fits easily 25 cm : fits quite easily large letter size (exactly) : should fit 1980+ slot easy | 4.8cm high package : fits easily 6 cm high box : does not fit |
Royal Mail Letter Size Guide Template
Letter, Large Letter, small parcel or parcel?
In 2006 the Royal Mail decided to follow other country's postal system by introducing Pricing in Proportion. This was a system of charging different amounts for different size letters and packages.
Up until 2006 the Royal Mail charged by the weight of the item now it was to charge by weight and size. To enable the customers….especially business customers to access the correct size of a letter or package a Letter Size Guide template was introduced.
To begin with these were sent out by the Royal Mail in flimsy paper and if you were lucky you could get a limited cardboard version.
Today several years later there are many different versions of the Royal Mail Letter size guide available. See here for a selection.
Royal Mail Slot Size Chart
Most of the letter size guides are made from perspex and do have ability in some cases to break or split easily. However the Royal Mail have there own modern version made of very strong plastic and you can see these in the Post Offices up and down the country. You can also buy these Royal Mail Letter size guides and in deed the other versions from Ebay and Amazon.
The first slot is for all mail in letter size, usually a DL, not being thicker than 5mm. The letter MUST pass freely through otherwise it may be considered a Large Letter.
Large letters must again pass through without getting stuck and goes up to 25mm in thickness.
If your mail does not fit either slot it is then becomes a small or large parcel.
Small parcel is items to be posted up to the size of 2 kg in weight, 35cm in length, 25cm in width and 16cm in length. Any thing bigger is a Large Parcel.
Letter size guide s are very useful to anyone who send s out post on a regular basis. Especially Offices, Schools, Doctor Surgery's, Dentists etc. Even if you have a Franking Machine,as they do not have a Letter Size guide supplied with them. Many members of the public have a Letter Size guide so they can make sure the birthday card with a cheeky badge on it is sent with the correct postage on it.
If the letter or package does not have the correct postage on it the recipient can only obtain the letter by paying an extra £1.20plus the difference of postage between what was placed on the package and the next 2nd class price point.
Pricing in proportion only affects mail posted in the UK going to an UK address. This includes the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.
The slots on the letter size guide are not required for mail being sent to Europe or Internationally. This includes the Republic of Ireland.
