British International Postage Rates
2000-present

Compiled by Larry Rosenblum

Domestic Rates (1966-2006)
Domestic Pricing in Proportion Rates (2006-present)
Rates to U.S. (1968-2000)

Other pages show postal rates for the Machin period (starting in 1968) for inland mail and for mail to the United States. These were compiled by Mark Robinson and published for GBCC members. I have kept those tables up to date, and now I have decided to expand the listing to include all international rates.

    Surface Airmail Additional Charge for:
    (letters exclude Europe) Europe Zone 1 (Note 1) Zone 2 (Note 1) International Signed For Airsure
Beginning Ending Letters
to 20g
and Postcards		 Letters
to 60g		 Postcards Letters
to 20g		 Letters
to 40g		 Postcards Letters
to 10g		 Letters
to 20g		 Letters
to 40g		 Postcards Letters
to 10g		 Letters
to 20g		 Letters
to 40g		 (Note 2) (Note 3)
April 27, 2000 July 1, 2001 36p 58p 36p 36p 50p 40p 45p 65p £1.00 40p 45p 65p £1.05 - -
July 2, 2001 July 3, 2002 " " 37p 37p 52p " " " " " " " " - -
July 4, 2002 May 7, 2003 37p 61p " " " 42p 47p 68p £1.05 42p 47p 68p £1.12 £2.85 £4.00
May 8, 2003 Oct 8, 2003 " " 38p 38p 53p " " " " " " " " " "
Oct 9,
2003		 Mar 31, 2004 " " " " " " " " " " " " " £3.30
(Note 4)		 £4.00
April 1, 2004 April 6, 2005 39p 66p 40p 40p 57p 43p " " " 43p " " " " "
April 7, 2005 April 2, 2006 40p 68p 42p 42p 60p 47p " " " 47p " " " £3.50
(Note 5)		 "
April 3, 2006 April 1, 2007 42p 72p 44p 44p 64p 50p 50p 72p £1.12 50p 50p 72p £1.19 " £4.20
April 2, 2007 April 6, 2008 46p 78p 48p 48p 69p 54p 54p 78p £1.17 54p 54p 78p £1.24 "
(Note 6)		 "
                                 
              Worldwide (Note 7)            
April 7, 2008   48p 81p 50p 50p 72p 56p 56p 81p £1.22         "
(Note 8)		 "
 

Notes about the chart:

1. Zone 1 includes the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian sub-continent and most of Southeast Asia including Hong Kong. Zone 2 covers the rest of the world outside Europe.

International Signed For label

2. International Signed For service replaced International Registered and International Recorded services on October 31, 2002. It included signature on delivery. Priority handling in the UK, ensuring placement on the first available flight, was added on October 9, 2003, giving it the same speed as Swiftair (see Note 4).

The International Signed For label includes the international “R” symbol, as shown on the right, indicating that it is an equivalent service to registered mail. I believe this means that foreign postal services should treat such mail in the same way as registered mail is treated.

Airsure label

3. Airsure was also introduced on October 31, 2002. It offered placement on the first available flight, priority handling abroad, tracking en route and signature at delivery. At introduction, Airsure was offered to 14 European locations. Prior to October 9, 2003, a service called Swiftair offered placement on the first available flight, priority handling overseas in some countries, and electronic tracking to the point of departure from the UK. The fee for Swiftair was £3.30. It was offered to countries to which Airsure was not available.

Both services offered insurance up to £30 for loss or damage. Additional insurance could be purchased for £1; it offered up to £500 for Airsure and either £250 or £500 for International Signed For, depending on the destination.

4. Swiftair was discontinued on October 9, 2003. As of that date, International Signed For service offered the same speed as Swiftair. Airsure was expanded to 25 European destinations and the United States. Prices shown above are the surcharge for the service that is added to each item in addition to the weight-based postage charge.

Prepaid envelopes for International Signed For service were issued on that date at £4.59 for Europe and £6.49 elsewhere for items up to 300g. An envelope for Airsure items up to 300g was available for £6.99. The envelopes covered both postage and the extra service. The envelopes for International Signed For included the capital letter “R” symbol that is the international standard for registered mail and the text, “Priority Handling and a Registered Delivery.”

5. On April 7, 2005, the cost for additional insurance for both services was increased to £1.50. The basic cost for International Signed For increased to £3.50 sometime before this date; the exact date is not known.

6. On April 2, 2007, the cost for additional insurance for both services was increased to £2.00. The basic cost for these services remained unchanged.

7. On April 7, 2008, the two airmail zones for destinations outside Europe were abolished.

8. On April 7, 2008, the cost for additional insurance for International Signed For and Airsure increased to £2.20. The basic cost for these services remained unchanged.

Thanks to Gerry Fisk, president of the Modern British Philatelic Circle, for some of the information presented here.

Last update: January 31, 2008   Macintosh!
Copyright © 2005 by Great Britain Collectors Club