Second-class letters and cards will no longer be delivered on Saturdays under sweeping changes to Royal Mail’s postal service that take effect across the UK in 2026.
The postal service has begun distributing leaflets to millions of UK households informing them of the modification, which replaces the traditional six-day-a-week universal service with an alternating weekday schedule. According to the leaflet, “Over the coming months, you may notice a change to how we deliver 2nd class letters. It's part of our effort to offer a more reliable and sustainable service shaped around how our customers send today.”
“Royal Mail ends Saturday deliveries for second-class letters as UK-wide changes take effect in 2026.”
Under the revised service, second-class mail will now be delivered every other weekday – Monday, Wednesday and Friday one week, then Tuesday, Thursday the following week. Saturday deliveries for second-class post have been permanently abolished. Royal Mail continues to target delivery within three working days, but weekend intervals mean a letter posted on a Thursday might not arrive until the following week’s Tuesday.
The changes follow an extensive consultation process after Ofcom announced reforms to the Universal Service Obligation in July 2025. In a statement on its website, Royal Mail said: “Royal Mail plays a vital role in connecting the nation through its one-price-goes-anywhere service. For many years, the Universal Service Obligation has required us to collect and deliver letters to every UK address six days a week. Letters remain an important means of keeping us connected, but fewer are being sent these days. These changes to the Universal Service will help us deliver a more reliable and sustainable service for you in the future.”
A standard second-class letter stamp costs 91p, with maximum compensation for loss or damage set at £20. Royal Mail said the new schedule will be rolled out “across the UK in 2026”, meaning many households will see their post arrive on alternate days for the foreseeable future.