Royal Mail has issued guidance urging customers to stop writing the recipient's address in the centre of an envelope, warning that the common habit could cause delivery delays.
Official guidance says senders should place the recipient's name and address in the lower-left corner of the envelope or package. The advice is published on a Royal Mail webpage titled: "How to address your mail – clear addressing tips."
The advice states: "The name and address go on the bottom left corner of the front of the envelope or parcel. Use clear and easy to read handwriting (or font if you are printing the address). Use a pen or ink that is clear against the colour of the envelope or parcel."
Why the bottom-left position matters
Royal Mail explains that positioning the address centrally or on the right-hand side can cause automated systems to miss it altogether, diverting the letter from the rapid automated stream into slower manual sorting. Keeping the text to the bottom-left ensures the top-right remains entirely clear for stamps and postmarks, preventing postage cancellation marks from accidentally smudging or obscuring the delivery address details.
Royal Mail states that following these instructions helps to guarantee on-time delivery. When the text is positioned at the bottom left of the designated area, high-speed optical character recognition (OCR) scanners can instantly read and process the mail.
Envelope rules for fast delivery
- Position the recipient's name and address in the bottom-left corner.
- Left-align all lines; avoid centring lines or writing them in a "stepped" format.
- Do not use commas or full stops.
- Position your stamp or postage mark in the top-right corner.
- Include a return address to ensure the item can be returned if it cannot be delivered.
Royal Mail also advises that phone numbers and email addresses should be omitted in order to safeguard people's privacy.
Return addresses and postage rules
Senders are advised to provide a return address alongside the recipient's details. "If for any reason your item can't be delivered, we can send it back to you. Write the words 'return address' on the back of the envelope and underneath that, the actual return address," the guide says.
Royal Mail explains what happens if a letter is sent without the correct postage: "If you send a letter without the correct postage we may still attempt to deliver it, but the recipient may be asked to pay the missing amount - along with a surcharge. If the recipient doesn't pay, the item is returned to sender (if a return address is included) or held for a limited time."
It also warns that all UK stamps, including barcoded ones, can only be used once. Reusing stamps is considered fraud and may result in your item not being delivered or being subject to additional charges.
