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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 it ?
Our credit policy is the same as the Royal Mail Group credit policy, and is available on our Group website by following this link.
What is meant by the term ‘operator’?
An operator is an intermediary who processes and/or transports mail on behalf of third parties and/or is authorised by licence to carry letters from one place to another in the UK, subject to various conditions set out by Postcomm, the UK postal regulator.
What is a National Agreement?
This is a type of contract that requires the customer to meet a posting profile that is consistent with the average Royal Mail national mix of mail for delivery throughout the UK. It is reviewed on a monthly basis (i.e. not to each individual daily posting). There are other commitments involved under a National Agreement, including that a customer has to hand over daily to a minimum of 60 postcode areas (at the appropriate Inward Mail Centre), 31 of which are mandatory. Prices are geographically uniform, based on format and weight band. International items cannot be posted under this type of agreement. Further details will be explained if you decide to go ahead.
What is a Zonal Agreement?
This type of contract is suitable for customers whose posting profile does not meet the Royal Mail average national geographical profile. Under a Zonal Agreement, Royal Mail has four price zones using the criteria of delivery point density and delivery volumes that are the principal drivers of its delivery costs. Each posting on any given day is priced based on the number of items for delivery in each zone for each Access service used. There is a free zonal calculator at www.royalmailwholesale.com for you to work out an overall cost for any mailing profile. Mail posted under a Zonal Agreement must carry an alphabetic Zonal Indicator ("a" to "d"). International items cannot be posted under this type of agreement. Further details will be explained if you decide to go ahead.
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.
Is there a volume entry level?
Yes, there are four options of entry level:
• a minimum 25,000 items a day, or not less than £5,000 spend on Access charges a day, on
• at least five working days of the week, Monday to Saturday; or in aggregate during each
calendar week at least 250,000 items, or not less than £50,000 spend on Access charges
a week; or
• in aggregate at least one million mailing items during each of at least 10 months in each
year; or
• in aggregate at least two million items during each of at least six months in each year.
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 120-way sort (Access 120). The Access sortation database, which is very similar to the Mailsort database that Royal Mail has used for its retail bulk products for more than a decade, is available free to download from the website www.royalmailwholesale.com
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 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 the responsibility of the customer – not the subcontractor – to comply with the terms of the contract. Most Access Agreement holders have such an arrangement.
Do I need to book in a delivery?
Yes. Royal Mail makes available a 30-minute Access window between 7.30am and 12.00pm to all Access contract holders. Only one carrier is allowed per slot. Each slot is by prior booking of an available slot at each Inward Mail Centre. Booking may be done by your third party carrier on your behalf.
Does Royal Mail supply me bags and containers?
Royal Mail supplies contract holders with bags, bag ties and blank bag labels free of charge. . Royal Mail also supplies trays free of charge, subject to a customer signing a ‘Tray Loan Agreement’ prior to first use. Royal Mail does not provide any other containers, but offers anyone who wants to deliver their mail in containers (called Yorks and ALPS) an opportunity to purchase, from independent suppliers, the Royal Mail compatible containers. We will then operate all containers on a one-for-one swap arrangement through a separate agreement.
What are the service levels offered by Royal Mail for Access mail?
Based on current services, Royal Mail aims to deliver Access items the next working day after hand over to Royal Mail. The service aim is to achieve a 95% service standard on average for these items. Access mail quality of service performance is independently monitored and the actual performance is made available 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 Agreement. 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.
If the answer to your question is not here then please email us by clicking on the link at the top of the page or visiting the contacts section.
