Royal Mail is renewing its current incentives for a further 12 months while updated fixed percentage discounts will once again be available on different types of mail to enhance the offering.

The Mailmark Economy incentive was launched in July and offers up to 30% off for businesses looking to send increased Advertising Mail, Responsible Mail, and Partially Addressed Mail volumes.

Since the launch Royal Mail Wholesale has already agreed to support 25 million incremental items and from 4 January 2022 the incentive rate for the Partially Addressed Mail Service is increasing from 9.3% to 14.5%.

Two new incentives will also be launched in April 2022. The New User Incentive will target high-potential brands which have not previously used direct mail before, while a new incentive for Programmatic Mail will outline clear objectives and controls for that type of activity.

2021 saw a bumper intake of incentives, with 235 applications approved and £4.5m accrued in credits to be offset against postage costs. Numerous discounts are continuing to be offered for advertising mail, business mail, and publishing mail.

As the body that represents mailing houses across the UK, the SMP said it sees these incentives as “a huge boost for the sector” and that it will help to keep its members updated on any developments and make the process of capitalising on these savings as easy as possible.

SMP chair Judith Donovan said: “These schemes support more cost-effective mail and make it easier to use an efficient method of communication in what are still challenging times. The lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still affecting trading across numerous sectors and these incentives will go some way to offsetting fundamental costs for businesses across the board.

“It is great news that these incentives are being extended into 2022, as well as the introduction of some new ones, as this will continue to boost our members’ activity and see the sector continue to recover. Considering the latest JICMail data, it is still as timely as ever to utilise the power of mail.”