Royal Mail Compensation: How Much You Get by Service (2026)

The Royal Mail claim form is the P58 — historically a paper form for inland lost, damaged, or delayed mail. Most claims now go through the online Royal Mail Claims Centre at royalmail.com/claims, which uses the same evidence rules as the P58 but routes faster. A paper P58 is still available at any Post Office if you cannot claim online, and Royal Mail must accept it as long as you file within the 80-calendar-day window.

You will need: the tracking or reference number, proof of posting (Post Office receipt, Certificate of Posting, or business manifest), proof of value (purchase invoice, order confirmation, bank or marketplace transaction), and full sender and recipient details. For damaged items, attach photos of the item and packaging. The sender files the claim — if a retailer arranged the delivery, ask the retailer to submit the P58 and email them in parallel citing the Consumer Rights Act 2015 so your claim against the retailer runs alongside.

Royal Mail will not process a claim before the qualifying period passes (10 working days after the due date for 1st Class, 2nd Class, Tracked 24 and Tracked 48; 5 working days for Special Delivery). The 80-day outer deadline runs from the date of posting, not the due date — keep your Post Office receipt, that is what locks the start date.

Rejections usually trace to one of five reasons. First, request an internal review and ask Royal Mail to state which evidence is missing or which test the claim failed. Send stronger evidence, scans, receipts, a named recipient statement. If the review still fails, escalate to POSTRS, the postal redress scheme that reviews unresolved Royal Mail complaints. For retailer orders, a Royal Mail rejection does not end your case: the retailer remains responsible under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and must refund or replace regardless of Royal Mail's decision.

No proof of posting

Counter it with a Post Office receipt, Certificate of Posting, online postage receipt, collection confirmation, or business manifest. A tracking number helps, but Royal Mail often still asks for proof that the item entered their network.

No proof of value

Provide the purchase receipt, invoice, marketplace order page, bank transaction, or replacement cost evidence. If the item was second-hand, use screenshots showing the agreed sale price.

Claim made too early or too late

Wait the qualifying period before claiming, but do not miss the 80-calendar-day deadline. If Royal Mail says you claimed too early, resubmit once the qualifying period has passed.

Excluded or under-covered contents

Check whether the item needed Special Delivery or additional cover. If Royal Mail underpays because the service had a lower limit, you may still have a stronger route against the retailer if this was an online purchase.

Royal Mail says the item was delivered

Ask for the delivery scan, GPS evidence, signature, delivery photo, or recipient details. If the evidence does not match your address or no valid signature was captured for a signed service, challenge the decision in writing. If you are dealing with a parcel marked as delivered but not received, see the full dispute process for that scenario.

A damaged parcel follows a different process from a lost one. Report damage to Royal Mail as soon as possible — keep all original packaging and take photographs before and after unpacking. The compensation limits are the same as for loss by service type (up to £20 for standard services, up to £100 for Tracked 24/48, and up to the Special Delivery compensation level purchased). The key difference is evidence: Royal Mail may ask you to present the damaged item and packaging at a Post Office for inspection.

For retailer orders, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 also gives you the right to a repair, replacement, or refund from the seller for goods that do not arrive in satisfactory condition. The retailer cannot refuse on the basis that damage happened in transit — that is their courier's responsibility, not yours to absorb.

Royal Mail only pays compensation for late delivery on services that carry a guaranteed delivery promise. Special Delivery Guaranteed (by 1pm or 9am) includes a £0 service refund if the item arrives after the guaranteed time. For all other services — 1st Class, 2nd Class, Tracked 24, Tracked 48 — Royal Mail does not guarantee next-day delivery and does not pay compensation purely for lateness.

For online orders where a guaranteed delivery date was part of the contract, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you more: if the retailer agreed a specific date and missed it, you can treat the contract as at an end and claim a full refund. This route runs against the retailer, not Royal Mail. See our late delivery compensation guide for the full breakdown of when claims apply and what each Royal Mail service covers.