Frequently asked questions
What is Size-based Pricing (SBP)?
Instead of charging solely on weight, SBP is a system already used by many postal authorities around the world. Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Australia, Japan and the USA already use this system and it will be introduced in Guernsey in April this year. In the UK, SBP was introduced by the Royal Mail in August 2006.
Why must mail be priced by size as well as weight?
With the increase in online shopping, items of mail are frequently being posted in many different shapes and sizes. Currently, it is very cheap for customers to send very large items that take up a lot of room in transit, but don’t weigh very much. Equally, it is very expensive for customers to send a very small, but very heavy item which only takes up a tiny space.
With more and more industry partners already charging by size and weight, it is important that the prices charged by Jersey Post are not only fairer to all customers by calculating a price based on all dimensions of an item, but help facilitate speedy onward delivery to industry partners who already use the principles of SBP.
What does SBP mean?
SBP will mean a number of changes to the traditional methods that customers use to send items with Jersey Post. The first change will be the creation of three new categories into which all items will fit - Letter, Large Letter and Packet.
Jersey Post also introduced new delivery options for all local mail to offer greater choice for customers posting locally. Rather than just one service, there are now two - Standard and Priority. The Standard Service is cheaper than Priority and has a maximum three-day delivery target whilst Priority will provide next-day local delivery.
When were these changes introduced?
Jersey Post implemented these changes on 8 May 2010.
Why does Jersey Post want to introduce this?
The Royal Mail is one of Jersey Post’s major partners for the processing and delivery of mail to the UK and to international destinations. The Royal Mail bases its contracts with large corporate customers like Jersey Post on the same charging principals that they apply to personal customers who use their postal services.
As a result of this situation, and until such time as Jersey Post can realign its charges to customers, there is a mismatch between what Jersey Post charges customers for delivery and what we pay our suppliers. This is making the business unsustainable.
Does this mean a price increase?
Through the implementation of SBP, Jersey Post rationalised all of its tariffs. This means that some prices were increased but others actually decreased. The rationalised tariffs that Jersey Post introduced all fall within the price cap imposed by the Postal Licence under which Jersey Post operates its business.
Are Special Delivery services included in these changes?
No, Special Delivery tariffs are not affected and will continue to be charged purely on weight.
Does Size-based pricing also affect European and international mail?
Jersey Post has taken this opportunity to rationalise all of its tariffs. All local, national, European and international letter and parcel rates were included in this rationalisation, but whilst some may have been increased, others have decreased so you may end up paying less for your postage.
In addition, European and international posting zones have been simplified to make it easier for customers to know which countries fall into which zones.
Are Parcel services affected by size-based pricing?
If an item exceeds any of these measurements, it will need to be posted using our Parcel service:
Rates for Parcels can be obtained by contacting our Customer Services department. Please click here for contact details.