What This Means for Your Business
As of 19 January 2026, Royal Mail Labels has introduced an important change for business customers — thermal label rolls are no longer provided for free.
These Royal Mail label rolls, which many eCommerce sellers and fulfilment teams relied on without charge, are now treated as a paid consumable when ordering through the Royal Mail business supplies portal.
According to Royal Mail’s official mail supplies page, business customers must now pay for direct thermal and self-adhesive label rolls that were previously included at no extra cost.
For example, standard 100×150 mm printed thermal labels are now priced at around £4.69 per roll (excl. VAT) — which becomes approximately £5.60 with VAT — when ordered directly.
This change also comes with a new order limit: businesses can only request up to five rolls per order, reduced from the previous allowance of ten.
For companies that print labels daily, particularly those shipping with Royal Mail Click & Drop or using Online Business Account (OBA) services, this change shifts what used to be a “free” operational input into an ongoing expense. Label rolls are used on every shipment, so the cost per roll adds up quickly as parcel volumes rise.
Try a Free Sample of Compatible Labels
We supply a range of direct thermal and shipping labels that work with popular thermal printers and courier systems.
To help you transition, you can receive a free Royal Mail-compatible “White Direct Thermal Label”. This gives you a chance to ensure compatibility before buying in bulk.
Complete the form below to receive your free sample:
What Has Changed at a Glance
Royal Mail’s official mail supplies page now shows that direct thermal label rolls are no longer free — they are a paid consumable that businesses must purchase when ordering supplies.
Specifically:
- Standard 100 × 150 mm (4″×6″) thermal label rolls are being charged at about £4.69 each (ex VAT).
With VAT added (20%), that comes to roughly £5.63 per roll.
This applies to labels ordered directly from Royal Mail’s Online Mail Supplies portal. Want to learn more about Royal Mail Parcel Sizes and Prices
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