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Brits have been voicing their frustration over the “shocking” cost of Royal Mail stamps, which they believe is contributing to the plummeting sales of Christmas cards in 2024.
Reports earlier this week indicated a 23% decrease in boxed card sales and a 15% fall in individual card purchases compared to last year’s figures.
According to a Moneypenny survey, nearly half (49%) of businesses are opting out of sending festive greetings to clients and suppliers this year. TikTok user Jade Doutch expressed her astonishment after purchasing a book of four first-class stamps, exclaiming in her video: “Since when is a book of four stamps £6.60?”
She continued: “I just had such a shock – I thought they were about 25p each!” Another commenter shared their disbelief, saying: “I couldn’t believe it, I shouted, ‘£1.65’ in shock. “That’s the last stamp I buy.”
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Echoing the sentiment, someone else recalled: “I bought a book of four a few months ago, I nearly had a heart attack at the price.” While a third TikTok user admitted: “I work in a Tesco Express and I actually warn people how much they are before scanning them. It’s unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, one generous individual has found an alternative, stating: “I decided a couple of years ago to stop sending cards because of the cost of stamps. Decided to send money instead to Crisis at Christmas.” An astonishing revelation was then shared by one keen observer, who claimed: “Saw a post showing if you post 100 cards it’s cheaper to fly to Spain, post from there and fly back.”
Indeed, this statement comes off the back of a startling report that demonstrated how flying abroad could actually be more cost-effective for UK residents looking to post their Christmas greetings in bulk. Analysis by The Telegraph and Skyscanner pinpointed six foreign locations where posting 100 Christmas cards is less costly than dispatching them within Britain, even when including the expenses of return airfare.
Currently, mailing 100 first-class Christmas cards within the UK totals an eye-watering £165. Contrast that with Albania, where an international stamp sells for a mere 100 Lek (85p), bringing the price down to just £85 for the same quantity of cards, which may take up to five working days to arrive in the UK.
Flight comparison website Skyscanner suggests travellers can find flights from Luton to Tirana for as low as £27 in December. Accordingly, jetting off to the Albanian capital to send off 100 Christmas cards would have a complete cost of only £112 – a startling saving of £53 compared to sticking a stamp on them at home.
In a separate video, a savvy TikTok user has put forward her own penny-pinching advice regarding stamp purchases this festive season. Jo Jacob, the founder of Benella Home Organisation, adds: “I just want to make sure you’re aware of this trick to save money if you happen to be posting Christmas cards this year.”
She recommended: “Make sure you don’t get the barcoded [stamps] ones – don’t get the first or second class normal ones. Get proper Christmas stamps, because when the prices of stamps go up, they don’t change – they are still valid. So if you have Christmas stamps from five years ago and you bought them at whatever [price] they were, they’re still valid now. So maybe buy more than you’ll need as you can use them next year.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson had previously informed: “Our stamp prices of 85p for second class and £1.65 for first class remain well below the European average of £1.33 and £1.73 respectively.
“We always consider the price of stamps very carefully in the face of declining letter volumes and the increasing costs associated with maintaining the one-price-goes-anywhere universal service to all 32 million UK addresses.”
