Speed and cutoffs
What is the fastest way to send a letter online in the UK?
Upload your letter before the day's collection cutoff and choose a faster postage service. With PostOwl, first class costs £2.69 for one page and usually arrives the next working day after posting. Special Delivery by 1pm costs £17.20 and aims for the next working day by 1pm after posting, with postcode exceptions. Delivery times count from posting, not from when you order, so the cutoff matters as much as the service.
Services, prices and usual timings
- Royal Mail 2nd class
- £1.79 for one page. Usually 2–3 working days after posting.
- Royal Mail 1st class
- £2.69 for one page. Usually the next working day after posting.
- Royal Mail Tracked 24
- £6.24 for one page. Usually 1–2 working days after posting, with a tracking reference.
- Special Delivery by 1pm
- £17.20 for one page. Next working day by 1pm after posting; postcode exceptions apply.
- Collection cutoff
- The live collection time on the PostOwl homepage is the cutoff for that working day's dispatch. Orders after it go out on a later working day.
How to save time
- Check the live collection time before you start, and order before it.
- Have the letter ready as one signed PDF; you do not need a printer or stamps.
- Copy the recipient's address exactly, including the postcode.
- Pick the postage service at checkout; the total updates before you pay.
Arrival times are estimates, not guarantees. If a recipient accepts email, an online form or hand delivery, that can be faster than any postal service; check what they accept before relying on post for a deadline.
Related pages
- Pricing calculator
- Send a letter without a printer
- Proof of posting explained
- Send a tracked letter online
Prices and facts checked on 26 September 2026. Checkout always shows the current total before you pay.
Common questions
Can a letter I send online today arrive tomorrow?
It can if you order before that working day's collection cutoff and choose first class or Special Delivery by 1pm. First class usually arrives the next working day after posting; Special Delivery by 1pm aims for the next working day by 1pm, with postcode exceptions. Neither date is guaranteed by PostOwl.
Is first class worth it over second class?
First class adds £0.90 per letter and usually saves one to two working days. Second class at £1.79 usually takes 2–3 working days after posting. Choose first class when the timing matters and second class when it does not.
Do weekends and bank holidays count?
No. Dispatch and the usual delivery estimates are in working days. An order placed after Friday's cutoff is dispatched on the next working day.
Does a faster service prove when the letter arrived?
Standard first and second class letters are not tracked. If you need a record of the delivery, choose a tracked service and keep the tracking reference, and read what each record shows on the proof of posting guide.
PostOwl is an independent printing and posting service run by Pixel Goblin Ltd. It is not Royal Mail or the Post Office. Delivery estimates are not guaranteed arrival dates.