Royal Mail has changed the way it charges for parcels and mail that either have not been paid for or have less than the required fee.

Until now, there has been a £1 handling fee and the recipient had to pay the remaining fee owed over that underpaid.

Under the new rules, where insufficient postage has been paid there will be a flat fee of £1.50 for a letter or large letter. Where no postage has been paid this will be £2. In the case of small parcels, the fee will be £3 whether underpaid or not paid for at all.

The process is designed to be cost neutral – the average recipient should not pay any more for the changed system. The system has not changed for ten years, where Royal Mail claim that the processing costs of such items has risen.

In a statement, the UK national postal operator said that it is designed to speed up the administration process and reduce delays in delivery.