Royal Mail's Economy delivery is a slower, cheaper option for parcels where speed genuinely doesn't matter, aiming for delivery in several working days rather than one or two. It's easy to overlook because most sellers default to faster services out of habit, but for the right items, Economy is essentially free money saved with no customer-facing downside.
What Economy delivery is
Economy is Royal Mail's lowest-cost parcel option, with a delivery aim of several working days rather than next-day or two-day. It's designed for non-urgent items where neither the sender nor the recipient cares when the parcel arrives, as long as it arrives. The trade-off is purely speed, not reliability or safety of the item.
Economy vs 2nd Class and Tracked 48
Economy sits below even 2nd Class and Tracked 48 on speed, and generally below them on price too. The key difference from 2nd Class is that Economy is a parcel service with a longer delivery aim, while 2nd Class is a two-to-three-day aim. For genuinely non-urgent parcels, Economy undercuts both.
When Economy makes sense
Economy suits replenishment and restock orders, back-ordered items the customer already accepted a delay on, and any parcel where the recipient explicitly chose the cheapest option. If a customer selected the slowest shipping at checkout, sending on Economy matches their expectation and protects your margin.
When Economy is the wrong choice
Anything the customer is waiting on, anything time-sensitive like event or seasonal items, and anything with a promised delivery date should not go Economy. The saving is real but small, and a single late parcel that annoys a customer or triggers a dispute erases the saving across many orders.
Tracking and compensation on Economy
Economy is a basic service, so tracking and compensation are limited compared with tracked options. That's fine for low-value, non-urgent items, but it means Economy is a poor fit for anything valuable or anything where you need proof of delivery. For those, step up to a tracked service instead.
How to access Economy rates
Economy postage is available through Click & Drop and business accounts, and the label prints in the same 100 × 150mm format as any other service. There's no separate setup, you simply choose the Economy service when buying postage for an eligible parcel.
Building Economy into your checkout
The cleanest way to use Economy is to offer it as the cheapest shipping option at checkout and let customers self-select. Those who want speed pay for it, those who don't save you money. This is the same logic covered in our Royal Mail shipping rates guide, and it's the most reliable way to capture the Economy saving without disappointing anyone.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Royal Mail Economy take? Economy has a delivery aim of several working days, slower than 2nd Class, making it suitable only for non-urgent parcels.
Is Economy cheaper than 2nd Class? Yes, Economy is generally Royal Mail's cheapest parcel option, undercutting 2nd Class and Tracked 48 on price in exchange for slower delivery.
Does Economy include tracking? Economy is a basic service with limited tracking and compensation, so it's best reserved for low-value, non-urgent items.
Slow parcel, sharp label
Even Economy parcels need a clean barcode. Print it on a 100 × 150mm direct thermal label and it'll scan at every sorting step regardless of speed.
Shop 4×6 Labels