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Royal Mail Tracking

One of the oldest postal services in the world, Royal Mail was established in 1516. The service covers the entire United Kingdom provides collection and delivery of mail and packages. The company itself is noted for its red pillar boxes which include the initials of the current monarch of England. Until 2011, the company was a part of the government, but after 499 years it divested itself of the company through sales of its shares.

How Do I Track my Royal Mail Package?

To track your package that is being delivered by Royal Mail, you simply enter the tracking number on the tracking page within the Royal Mail website. The track and trace service will provide you with a history of the delivery which includes the last known location of the package itself.

When Royal Mail takes the package, a tracking number is assigned which enters the delivery system. As the package makes its way on trucks and through processing centers, it is scanned to reveal its current location. Once the package has made its final delivery, it is scanned out of the system to show that it has reached its final destination.

What Does a Royal Mail Tracking Number Look Like?

A typical tracking number for all Royal Mail packages include the same combination of letters and number across a 13-digit code. There are a set of prefix characters which usually precedes the rest of the letters and numbers such as the following.

  • EA, EB, EC, ED, EE, and CP

If you were to look at a typical Royal Mail tracking number, it would look something like the following.

  • EE123456789DD
  • CP123456789FF

Keep in mind that you can attach the tracking number to the end of the URL for Royal Number tracking to find the exact page that contains the information about the delivery.

Royal Mail Delivery Times

Royal Mail prides itself on delivering standard letters by the next business day if possible. For packages, the typical delivery time is three to five business days for standard service. Royal Mail offers a next day delivery service as well, which means that it is possible to receive two deliveries from Royal Mail on the same day. The types of services provided by Royal Mail include the following.

Universal: This rather unusual service is required under UK law. Items that are of a pre-designated size can be sent anywhere in the UK for a fixed price. Distance plays no role in the setting of the price. However, this service may be discontinued in 2021 when the contract with the UK government runs out.

Special Delivery: This is a same day or next day service depending on when the package is entered into the Royal Mail system. This means that packages sent in the morning will arrive by 1pm. Packages sent after the predesignated time arrive by 9am the next business day.

Royal Mail operates six days a week with Sundays off plus bank holidays. Processing orders that are placed before 8pm start on the same day.