What do I need to do to get started?
There are quite a few things that need to be planned. These include operational, systems and financial activities. Royal Mail Wholesale staff will provide details and guidance as required if you decide to go ahead.
How long does it take to get to the point of signing a contract?
This depends on lots of things, including a prospective customer's own internal decision making processes, levels of commitment and expertise. Based on experience to date, it is unlikely to take less than four months from initial contact to first posting and has taken some companies considerably longer.
What is Royal Mail Wholesale's credit policy, and where can I find details?
At Royal Mail we operate a clear and consistent credit policy for our Business customers. Invoicing and payment terms for our postal services are weekly invoicing with 30 calendar days to pay calculated from the invoice date (provided the customer is not in breach of it's credit limit). For more details on our credit policy,
click here.
Is there a minimum posting level?
Yes, there is a minimum posting requirement under the Access Letters Contract. If you are handing over mail into 4 or more Inward Mail Centres you must post a minimum of 6 million items a year. If you are handing over mail into 3 or less Inward Mail Centres you must post a minimum of 1 million items a year.
In each case, you are also required to have a minimum 4,000 items for each daily posting.
Do I need to sort my mail?
Yes, all mail posted as Access mail must be sorted in accordance with the Access product specification. The minimum sortation is the 48-way sort level. The Access sortation database, is contained in the Access Selection Files which are available free to download from the technical pages.
Does Royal Mail collect my mail?
No. Access prices do not include collection, so it is your responsibility to arrange delivery of your pre-sorted mail into each Royal Mail Inward Mail Centre.
Can I use a subcontractor to deliver my mail into Royal Mail?
Yes. Third party carriers may be used to deliver mail into Royal Mail on your behalf, however it is your responsibility to ensure your subcontractor complies with the terms of the contract. Most Access Contract holders have such an arrangement.
Do I need to book in a delivery?
Yes. Deliveries can be made in the Access window between 7.30am and 12.00pm*. Each delivery has to be pre-booked into a pre-agreed 30 minutes Access slot within the Access window. Only one carrier is allowed per slot. Each slot at each Inward Mail Centre is subject to availability. Bookings may be done by your third party carrier on your behalf.
*Unless you are signed up to our Earlier Access Slot scheme in which case you can handover into some Inward Mail Centres from 6.30am.
Does Royal Mail supply me with containers to put my mail into?
Royal Mail supplies carriers with bags, bag ties and blank bag labels free of charge. Royal Mail also supplies trays and tray labels free of charge, subject to the terms of the Access Letters Contract prior to supply. Royal Mail does not provide any other containers, but offers anyone who wants to deliver their mail in Yorks and ALPS an opportunity to purchase from Royal Mail suppliers. We will then operate all containers on a one-for-one swap arrangement at point of handover in all mail centres. The use of Yorks and ALPS are subject to terms of the Containerisation schedule as detailed on our Contracts page.
What are the service levels offered by Royal Mail for Access mail?
As part of our standard service, Royal Mail aims to deliver Access items the next working day after hand over into our Inward Mail Centre. The service aim is to achieve a 95% service standard on average for these items over a year.
For our economy service Royal Mail aims to deliver Access items within 4 working days after hand over into our Inward Mail Centre. The economy service aim is to achieve a 97.5% service standard on average for these items over a year.
Access mail quality of service performance is independently monitored and the actual performance is published on our website every quarter.
What postage mark do I print on the envelopes?
Royal Mail has a unique postage mark for all Access items. This is to allow our staff to identify the mail correctly and to distinguish it from 'upstream' mail. Access customers need to have their indicia tested by Royal Mail prior to posting on an Access Contract. This testing is part of a set of activities that are required prior to signing a contract and each is fully explained by Royal Mail Wholesale staff to prospective Access customers.
What is a Premium Agreement?
It allows customers to deliver mailing items into an Inward Mail Centre at a defined evening access slot for Royal Mail to deliver the following working day. International items cannot be posted under this agreement. Further details will be explained if you decide to go ahead.
Wholesale
