Royal Mail Covid-19 Tariff Change results in three new Post and Go NVI stamps for 2020
Royal Mail will increase their prices for the third time in 2020 on 1st September, generally due to the impact of COVID-19 and the knock-on effects of increased transport costs across the world. This time the price changes affect International Letter and Large letter tariffs as well as parcels and builds on the earlier changes to pricing zones on 1st July 2020 when a new ‘Zone 3’ was introduced specifically for the USA. https://www.royalmail.com/international-zones#worldzone3
From a Post and Go collector’s perspective this change will result in the introduction of three new NVI values – the first for a few years.
Firstly, the new tariff combines two previously different tariffs- Europe 100g and Worldwide 20g to the same price point (£1.70) , which allows for a new ‘Combi’ Euro 100g World 20g NVI stamp to be introduced.
Secondly, the introduction of new Worldwide pricing zone 3 earlier in the year has allowed for the applicable Letter rates, for the first time, to differ, so we have the Letter rate for zone 1 and 3 at £2.50 and zone 3 (Australasia) a rate of £2.55 – the first time for a while – certainly since Post and Go stamps have existed- that International letter rates have differed in this way.
This is accomodated by introducing two further new NVI values- a “Worldwide 100g Zone 1-3” and a “Worldwide 100g Zone 2”.
The values ‘retired’ as of 1st September as no longer required are “Euro 100g”, “Worldwide 20g”, and “Worldwide 100g”.
In summary, a comparison between existing and revised values and prices available from before and after 1st Sept 2020:-
| 1st Class Collectors Strip until 31st August 2020 | 1st Class Collectors Strip from 1st September 2020 | ||||
| 1st Class | £0.76 | 1st Class | £0.76 | ||
| 1st Class Large | £1.15 | 1st Class Large | £1.15 | ||
| Euro 20g/World 10g | £1.43 | Euro 20g/World 10g | £1.45 | ||
| Euro 100g | £1.68 | Euro 100g/World 20g | £1.70 | ||
| World 20g | £1.63 | World 100g Zone 1 – 3 | £2.50 | ||
| World 100g | £2.42 | World 100g Zone 2 | £2.55 | ||
| Total | £9.07 | Total | £10.11 |
The new NVIs will be available on 1st September from all NCR kiosks in Post Offices and IAR locations that are currently in use. (some SSKs are currently out of use to maintain social distancing in Post Office branches and some museum locations are yet to re-open).
The prices for the OV stamps will be updated in line with the tariff, without any design changes.
Machin Stamps are available here:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174417193519
Robin Stamps are available here:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174417218960
For the NCR SSK and SFKs the ‘buy stamps’ menu will be updated, with the Worldwide 100g stamp option being removed.
