Royal Mail urges customers to put two words on envelopes every time

Royal Mail urges customers to put two words on envelopes every time A simple addition to your post could make all the difference if a letter or parcel cannot reach its destination Whether you are sending a birthday card, an important document or a parcel to a friend, there is one small detail worth adding before it goes in the post. Royal Mail recommends including a return address so undelivered items have a way of finding their way back to you. The two words to write are 'Return Address' followed by your own name and address underneath. That label helps identify the sender’s details rather than leaving them to be confused with the address of the person receiving the item. Royal Mail’s own advice says a return address can be added to the back of an envelope if you want undelivered mail returned. It is a straightforward step, but one that can be forgotten when people are focused on writing the recipient’s address, buying the correct stamp and getting the item sent on time. If the delivery address is incomplete or the item cannot be delivered for another reason, having your details on the outside gives Royal Mail a way to return it. For ordinary letters, the back of the envelope is a sensible place to put the information, keeping it separate from the recipient’s address on the front. Write 'Return Address' clearly, then put your full return address underneath, including the postcode. If you choose to put the return address on the front instead, make sure it is clearly separated from the recipient’s details and does not interfere with the main delivery address. The key is to make it obvious which address is for the person sending the item and which is for the person receiving it. Royal Mail also advises customers to write the recipient’s address clearly, with each part on its own line, and to include a postcode where possible. Its guidance says postcodes help sorting machines work efficiently, while missing postcode information can mean a card takes longer to arrive. Adding a return address is not a guarantee that every missing or delayed item will make it back to you, but it provides an important extra route if delivery fails. So before posting your next letter or parcel, take a moment to add those two words and your details underneath.