Network News

Stamping on FREEPOST?

Recently there have been comments within the charity press regarding the use of stamps on Freepost envelopes. It is thought that the Royal Mail sorting equipment is unable to identify Freepost envelopes which have stamps on them and therefore the charity is charged regardless of whether its supporter has put a stamp on or not. To make matters worse, it seems that the Royal Mail has been telling Freepost users that it cannot make refunds to those who feel they have been overcharged.

David Marfleet, Director of Global Connections member Giving the Best, says "It is still worthwhile continuing to use Freepost - there is plenty of evidence to show that it enhances response rates significantly".

Here are some action points suggested by David:

• Change the wording on your envelope to, for example, "Please DO NOT use a stamp on this envelope".
• Ask your supporters to enclose a stamp with their response to cover future mailing costs, or include a tick box option stating "I would like to contribute a little extra to cover postage costs".

Another suggestion is to include two envelopes with your mailing - one with a Freepost address and one with your standard address; or enclose a sticky label of your standard address which can be affixed by your supporter over the Freepost envelope address.

We would be interested to hear of any other comments or suggestions.

Information about Freepost services can be found on the Royal Mail website.