📬 What Does Royal Mail’s “Universal Service Obligation” Mean for Your Boldly Whittle Orders?
In the last couple of weeks Royal Mail and Ofcom have announced changes to the Universal Service Obligation, which fundamentally changes the expectation that businesses and customers should have about the speed of delivery, at first glance it's scary stuff, but we're here to break it down.
Your greeting card deliveries via 2nd Class Standard Delivery are covered under Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation, meaning you can expect reliable, accessible, and affordable delivery for the foreseeable future.
All our other items are sent via Royal Mail, but using other services; like 1st Class, RM 24 & 48 or Special Delivery for UK orders, there's no change to these!
📨 What is the new Universal Service Obligation (USO)?
In short: it’s a legal requirement that Royal Mail must deliver letters and similar items, including greeting cards, across the UK at a uniform price and will be delivering every other weekday (Monday to Friday), aiming to deliver within three weekdays, to every address in the country.
This ensures that everyone, no matter where they live, gets reliable mail delivery at a fair cost.
You can read more about it from Royal Mail’s official site on the Future of Letter Deliveries.
(Please note: as of now, details about the pricing and frequency changes are still being debated, but the core commitment remains in place.)
💌 What It Means for Your Cards from Boldly Whittle
At Boldly Whittle, our greeting cards currently ship via 2nd Class Standard Delivery, all of which is protected under the USO.
This means:
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Your cards should arrive within a three working days (so if we post it on Monday, you should expect it to arrive by Thursday, and if we post it on Friday, you should expect it by Wednesday).
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Delivery is available across the UK, from cities to remote postcode, because the USO guarantees broad coverage.
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Pricing stays consistent and transparent, so shipping costs are stable even if Royal Mail makes changes to their service.
✅ Why This Matters to You
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Reliability
You can trust that your card delivery is part of a regulated service designed to reach every UK address every week.
Ofcom has toughened up the reliability targets for 1st class (to 90% delivery next-day and 99% delivery within 3 days) and 2nd class delivery (to 95% delivery within 3 days and 99% delivery within 5 days). These new targets will come into effect from 1st April 2026. -
Fair & Predictable Pricing
We don’t need to pass variable costs onto you, postage pricing reflects the standard USO rate, though prices are routinely updated by Royal Mail, where we can we don't pass on these increases to you. -
Peace of Mind
Even if there are future Royal Mail changes, the USO ensures bare-minimum service stays in place for letters and cards.
🚀 What We're Doing at Boldly Whittle
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We’ll continue shipping greeting cards via Royal Mail 2nd Class Standard Delivery as usual, but as always you'll have the option to upgrade the delivery to either 1st Class or to Special Delivery.
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If Royal Mail announces changes to the USO affecting delivery times or prices, we’ll keep you updated promptly, right here on the blog or via email.
- Most importantly, we’ll keep crafting personalised cards that bring joy, regardless of postal changes.
🤔 What's our Personal Opinion?
In all honesty, as scary as it might seem, we believe it's a good thing. The feedback we receive from our customers tells us that most of the time, Royal Mail are delivering on time, but sometimes it isn't quite as smooth sailing.
So, if reducing the frequency of delivery days helps to increase the reliability, without having a negative impact on the speed of the deliveries, we're all for it!
🧁 In Summary
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Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation ensures that your greeting cards and letters can still reach you reliably.
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Sending via 2nd Class Standard Delivery fits perfectly within that guarantee.
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You can continue to shop Boldly Whittle greeting cards with confidence and peace of mind.
Have questions about delivery timings or need expedited shipping for a card order? Just hit reply or send us a message—we’re always here to help.
With love,
James + Amy
Team Boldly Whittle 💚💙
