Post boxes for franked mail

NotAGolf · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:07

I went to post my lovefilm disc back today and managed to forget to stop at my normal post box and ended up going to a different one in town. This one had two boxes, one for stamped mail, and one for franked.

What's the point in the franked mail box? I understand that franked mail is used by businesses so people don't have to worry about stamps, but that's about it. I imagine this saves time at the sorting office for Royal Mail, but as the collection times are the same, and lovefilm is supposed to be first class, does it actually make any difference whether you put it in the stamped or franked boxes?

That's my random question for the day :cool:

MickeyFinns · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:09

I imagine it's just to save time sorting it.

Greebo · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:11

MickeyFinns said:
I imagine it's just to save time sorting it.

This. Where I used to work, all franked mail had to go into bags and wee kept seperate from normal mail. I guess it means it can skip a line on the sorting office where the envelope is franked as it's already done. They can go straight to sorting.

Ascendancy · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:12

As far as I'm aware you're not allowed to post franked mail in regular mailboxes.

NotAGolf · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:22

Ascendancy said:
As far as I'm aware you're not allowed to post franked mail in regular mailboxes.

I doubt that as I've only ever seen two postboxes with a franked mail box, so people who need to post things must have to travel miles out of their way.

Plus I've been using a standard postbox to send my discs back for ages. Unless lovefilm isn't franked mail and I'm getting confused...

guitaristanime · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:26

Our franked mail goes in the franked mail post box, in a special bag.

Your lovefilm disc is in a pre-paid envelope not franked...
Franked mail is done using a franking machine by a registered business, you pay for franking credits like a pre-pay mobile and redeem them using your machine.

Ascendancy · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:32

Franked mail must not be posted in a regular post box, unless you are using low volume posting envelopes. These low volume posting envelopes can be obtained from your machine supplier but can only be used to post up to thirty items of mail per day.

I guess it's just to stop business spamming mailboxes or something.

http://www.royalmail.com/discounts-...anking#Where and how can I post franked mail?

NotAGolf · 31 Oct 2012 at 15:43

guitaristanime said:
Our franked mail goes in the franked mail post box, in a special bag.

Your lovefilm disc is in a pre-paid envelope not franked...
Franked mail is done using a franking machine by a registered business, you pay for franking credits like a pre-pay mobile and redeem them using your machine.

Ahh, that would make sense. Thanks

Greebo · 31 Oct 2012 at 16:59

Ascendancy said:
I guess it's just to stop business spamming mailboxes or something.

http://www.royalmail.com/discounts-...anking#Where and how can I post franked mail?

Yeah but on busy days I could completely fill our local post box with bags of franked post

PhillyDee · 31 Oct 2012 at 17:03

mpledge52 said:
I doubt that as I've only ever seen two postboxes with a franked mail box, so people who need to post things must have to travel miles out of their way.

Plus I've been using a standard postbox to send my discs back for ages. Unless lovefilm isn't franked mail and I'm getting confused...

Small amounts of franked are dropped off at a locl PO, large amounts will have a van drop by. I use packetpost and take a sack already bagged and tagged and ID'd to the local PO. Goes straight into the system.

Richie · 31 Oct 2012 at 17:22

Don't businesses get a small discount with franked mail due to the volume?

PhillyDee · 31 Oct 2012 at 17:37

They do get a discount, but it comes with a but.

They have to pay for the ink, the stickers and the rental of the machine from the people who supply it. It can end up costing more than the proper price.

Its much better to go for other bulk mail, but then it does depend on how much, and where you send it to!

PhilthyPhil · 31 Oct 2012 at 17:56

The discount is quite large! 44p instead of 60p for a first class letter, with up to a further 10% discount if you use cleanmail and you letters are machine readable.

Franked mail is kept seperate from stamped mail because it bypasses the culling, facing and canceling process that stamped mail goes through and goes straight to sorting. Franking customers are supposed to tray or bundle their letters with 1c and 2c seperate and this is what the discount is given for.

yhack · 31 Oct 2012 at 18:53

I do the sorting of franked mail fairly often and really it doesn't make much difference, we will throw it in the right box anyway. It will save some time if you put it in the right one though, because it doesn't have to be taken out and sent to the right area to be sorted.

cheechm · 31 Oct 2012 at 20:09

PhilthyPhil said:
The discount is quite large! 44p instead of 60p for a first class letter, with up to a further 10% discount if you use cleanmail and you letters are machine readable.

Franked mail is kept seperate from stamped mail because it bypasses the culling, facing and canceling process that stamped mail goes through and goes straight to sorting. Franking customers are supposed to tray or bundle their letters with 1c and 2c seperate and this is what the discount is given for.

We sort out mail like this, but then the postie comes to collect it and wacks everything in the same bag including prepaid.... Beats me.

Westyfield2 · 31 Oct 2012 at 20:46

Its for sorting separately. Main Post Office in Bath had separate boxes for First Class, Second Class, and Franked.