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Royal Mail: what the terms promise customers

Royal Mail's public terms include 6 promises that give customers money back, credit or compensation. Here is each one, with the deadline, what to send and the exact clause.

#41 of 77 UK companies#4 of 11 in Delivery · Fair
Promises found
6
Strongest promise
Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm delay compensation - £5
Shortest deadline
14 days

The promises

Every promise in Royal Mail's terms

CompensationClaim within 90 daysTakes a few steps

Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm delay compensation - £5

Needs product documentation and precise delivery/posting dates, requiring multi-step gathering rather than a single message.

“Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm® (not posted on account) | £5 | £10”Royal Mail policy page, Compensation Payments for delay
What to include: sender name address, addressee name address, claimant name address, product used, place of posting
CompensationClaim within 80 daysHarder to claim

Actual-loss compensation for items with intrinsic value (additional evidence)

Requires an original signed paper claim form plus original supporting evidence of value, which cannot be completed via a single AI message.

“Item has intrinsic value (with additional evidence) | Postage refund, plus compensation on basis of the customer's actual loss. This compensation is subject to the maximum payable being the lower of the market value of the item and £20. Articles for the Blind compensation is on...”Royal Mail policy page, Table 1, Note 1 & 4
What to include: signed loss and damage claim form, evidence of posting, evidence of value eg receipts bank statements invoices
CompensationClaim within 80 daysHarder to claim

Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm: fee refund plus actual-loss compensation

Needs an original signed claim form, proof of the compensation level purchased, and value evidence, requiring manual document submission.

“All items (with additional evidence) | Fee refund plus compensation on basis of the customer's actual loss. This compensation is subject to the maximum payable being the lower of the market value of the item and the maximum level of compensation purchased”Royal Mail policy page, Table 2 – Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm®
What to include: signed loss and damage claim form, evidence of posting, evidence of compensation level purchased, evidence of value
CompensationClaim within 80 daysHarder to claim

Full actual-loss compensation for intrinsic-value items with additional evidence

Requires a signed physical claim form, original documentary proof of value/posting, and retention of damaged goods for possible inspection, which an AI agent cannot complete unaided.

“Item has intrinsic value (with additional evidence) | Postage refund, plus compensation on basis of the customer's actual loss. This compensation is subject to the maximum payable being the lower of the market value of the item and £20. Articles for the Blind compensation is on...”Royal Mail policy page, Table 1 / Note 4
What to include: signed claim form, evidence of posting original, evidence of value original receipts or statements, retained packaging and contents, description of damage
CompensationClaim within 80 daysHarder to claim

Fee refund plus actual-loss compensation for Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm damage/part loss

Needs original evidence of purchased compensation tier and value plus a signed form and physical item retention, requiring human/manual steps beyond a simple claim message.

“All items (with additional evidence) | Fee refund plus compensation on basis of the customer's actual loss. This compensation is subject to the maximum payable being the lower of the market value of the item and the maximum level of compensation purchased”Royal Mail policy page, Table 2
What to include: signed claim form, evidence of posting original, evidence of value, evidence of compensation level purchased horizon receipt or product documentation, retained packaging and contents
Service creditClaim within 14 daysTakes a few steps

Fee refund for missed Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm guarantee

Short 14-day window and need for product documentation make this require careful timely form submission rather than a single simple message.

“Claims for a refund of the Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed® fee must be submitted within 14 days of posting.”Royal Mail policy page, Table note (*)
What to include: product documentation, date of posting, date of delivery

How to claim

Claiming from Royal Mail, step by step

  1. Find the promise above that matches what happened, and note its deadline. The shortest here is 14 days.
  2. Contact Royal Mail customer service in writing (email, web chat or their online form), so you have a record.
  3. Name the promise and quote the clause, and include: sender name address, addressee name address, claimant name address, product used, place of posting, signed loss and damage claim form.
  4. Keep the reply. If you are not happy with the answer, ask for their complaints process, which is set out in the terms.

Based on Royal Mail's public terms and policy pages, read on 2 October 2026. Read the current terms. Terms change, so check the current version before you claim. This page is information, not legal advice.

Questions

Royal Mail refunds and compensation: quick answers

Does Royal Mail offer refunds or compensation?

Yes. Royal Mail's public terms include 6 promises that pay out or give credit when something goes wrong, including: Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm delay compensation - £5; Actual-loss compensation for items with intrinsic value (additional evidence); Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm: fee refund plus actual-loss compensation; Full actual-loss compensation for intrinsic-value items with additional evidence.

How long do I have to claim from Royal Mail?

It depends on the promise. The shortest deadline in the terms is 14 days, so claim as soon as you can. Each promise on this page shows its own deadline.

How does Royal Mail rank in the Promise Index?

Royal Mail has a Promise Score of 52 out of 100 (fair), ranking #41 of 77 UK companies and #4 of 11 in Delivery.