Why More Teams Are Ditching Stamps for Smart Print

The Problem with Stamps for Business Mail

Stamps were once the default way to send business letters. They were simple, accessible, and universally accepted. But for organisations handling high volumes or time-sensitive communications, stamps have become an expensive and inefficient choice.

They’re slow to process, offer no tracking, and provide no compliance safeguards. Rising postal costs only make the problem worse — especially when compared to modern alternatives like Smart Print.

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The Cost of Stamps in 2025

Current Royal Mail Prices (April 2025)

• 1st Class Standard Letter: £1.70
• 2nd Class Standard Letter: £0.87
• 1st Class Large Letter: £2.50
• 2nd Class Large Letter: £1.55

Stamp prices have risen more than 70% since 2020, and Royal Mail has signalled that regular increases will continue.

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The Real Cost for Businesses

When you add up printing, envelopes, and staff time, the cost per letter rises sharply.

Example: Sending 1,000 1st Class letters

• Postage alone: £1,700
• Printing & envelopes: ~£350
• Staff time/admin: variable, but significant
• Total: ~£2,050+

With stamps, there are no bulk discounts for SMEs and no built-in efficiency gains.

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Industry Trends – Why the Shift Away from Stamps

The way businesses send mail is changing:

• Ofcom’s Post Monitoring Report 2023–24 shows addressed letter volumes have halved since 2011 (from ~14bn to ~7bn annually).
• There was an 8% year-on-year drop in volumes in 2023–24.
• Businesses are increasingly turning to hybrid and digital channels for speed, cost efficiency, and compliance.

Stamps are now most often used for personal or occasional posting, not the primary method for business communications.

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What Is Smart Print?

Smart Print is hybrid mail:

• You upload letters digitally.
• The provider prints, envelopes, and posts them via Royal Mail.

With Micom Smart Print, pricing includes:

• Print
• Envelope
• Postage
• Real-time tracking and proof of handover

Cut-off times:

• Premium service: same-day dispatch for letters uploaded by 3pm
• Standard service: same-day dispatch up to 6pm

No stamps, no manual processing, no hidden costs.

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Stamps vs Smart Print – Side-by-Side Comparison

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Real Cost Savings Example

Sending 1,000 1st Class letters:

• Stamps: ~£2,050+ (including materials & labour)
• Micom Smart Print: ~£800 (all-in)

That’s a saving of ~£1,250 on a single job.
Over a year (12,000 letters), this could mean ~£15,000 saved, money that can be reinvested into your business.

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Additional Benefits of Smart Print

• Proof of delivery & full audit trail for compliance and customer service.
• Integrates with email and SMS for omnichannel communication.
• Reduces waste by centralising production and cutting manual processes.
• No need to pre-purchase or store stamps.

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Final Thought – Time to Switch

Stamps have served businesses well, but rising costs, slower processes, and lack of tracking mean they’re no longer the best choice.

With Micom Smart Print, you get:

• Lower costs (from £0.80 per letter)
• Same-day dispatch
• Built-in tracking and compliance
• Scalable sending for 1 or 50,000 items

Switch to Micom Smart Print Today →

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