Redirection Charges

"Redirection charge" has two related but distinct meanings. Originally, it would have meant the amount required to redirect a single item of mail – referred to as "standard redirection" below – which when it applied was usually equal to the normal postage and charged to the addressee, along with any postage due for the original journey. (The redirecter could however pay the new postage in advance, essentially a new posting of the letter.) From the late 19th century there were also charges for setting up automatic redirection to a new address on moving house or business, which were charged on the basis of how long the redirection applied.

Standard Redirection

Redirected mail originally required a fresh payment for the second (or subsequent) transmission through the post, either paid on redirection or charged to the recipient. From 1840 redirection was charged at the prepaid rate even if the letter was unpaid (usually a double fee). A later concession was for no extra charge on mail redirected within the same delivery area.

In the 1890s charges for redirection were abolished, although a charge equal to the original postage was levied on undelivered printed matter and postcards if the sender wanted them returned. The Post Office Guide also listed certain requirements, principally that redirection should be done within a day of delivery, and a letter should not have been opened. Free redirection never applied to parcels, which always required a fresh payment for each journey.

On registered letters the registration fee always covered the letter throughout its journey, and so was never charged again upon redirection. Express fees were "one time only", however, and if express service was required for a redirected letter it had to be paid for.

Official Redirection to a New Address

This is a service offered to persons or businesses who move to a new address, who can have all mail sent to the old address officially intercepted and redirected to the new one until they consider that their correspondents have got the idea!

Until 1898 this was free of charge but limited to a year; subsequently it was possible to pay for a longer period, and in 1971 the initial free period was abolished.

Although the rates do not show up on covers, there were Post Office forms on which the charges could be paid in stamps or by a postage meter, and these are perfectly collectable. Modern high charges are most likely paid directly, but the rates are recorded here for completeness.

From 1971 the charges were specifically stated to apply to either an initial redirection or a renewal for the period in question.

For a period the charges for redirection for 1 year were cheaper if it commenced within the initial one year period, thus encouraging early payment. Where this applied, in the table below:

• "(before)" or "(B)" means "commencing before the first anniversary of redirection"
• "(on or after)" or "(A)" means "commencing on or after the first anniversary of redirection"

Since 1996 there have been separate charges depending on whether the redirection was from a business or a private residential address (the latter being considerably cheaper – it has sometimes been referred to in Post Office leaflets as "social" or "consumer" redirection).

These charges apply only to inland redirection – more recently there have been separate rates for redirection to overseas addresses. (These could be included if they generate any collectable material showing the rate paid – please contact the if you know of any.)