Two Royal Mail services solve the what happens to my post when I'm away or when I move problem, and they're easy to confuse. Keepsafe holds your mail at the delivery office for a set period, while Redirection forwards it to a new address. Both are paid services, both are useful in specific situations, and knowing which one you need saves you from buying the wrong one.
What Keepsafe does
Keepsafe holds your mail at the local delivery office while you're away, then delivers it all in one go when you return or the period ends. It's the answer to going on holiday or being away for work and not wanting post piling up on the doorstep. You book it for a set number of days, up to a few months, and it costs a flat fee for the period.
What Redirection does
Redirection forwards mail addressed to your old address on to a new one, for a period you choose, typically three, six or twelve months. It's the service for moving house, and it's worth setting up before you move so there's no gap. You'll need proof of identity and the old and new addresses, and it applies to most but not all mail.
What they cost
Both are paid services with fees that vary by duration, and both are cheaper than the cost of missed post, a lost parcel or identity documents going to the wrong person. Keepsafe is a per-period fee, Redirection is a per-duration fee, and both are buyable online through the Royal Mail website in a few minutes.
What each one doesn't do
Keepsafe doesn't forward anything, it just holds. Redirection doesn't hold, it forwards. And neither covers parcels from every courier, they're Royal Mail services, so mail and parcels delivered by other carriers aren't affected. If you get a lot of courier deliveries, you'll need to redirect those separately with each courier.
Setting them up
Both are set up online. Keepsafe needs your address and the dates you're away, and you can usually start it the same day. Redirection needs proof of identity and address, and it's worth doing a week or two before a move so it's active on day one. Both are simple, but the identity checks on Redirection mean you can't do it entirely last-minute.
When each is the right call
Going on holiday or away temporarily, Keepsafe. Moving house or changing business premises, Redirection. The confusion usually comes when someone moving house books a Keepsafe thinking it forwards, so the simple test is: do you want the post to wait or to follow you?
Why this matters for a seller
For a business, missed mail can mean a missed invoice, a returned parcel or a supplier letter, and neither service is expensive against that downside. If you run the business from home and you're away for a stretch, a Keepsafe protects the post while you're gone. If you move premises, Redirection catches the stragglers that still have your old address on file.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Keepsafe and Redirection? Keepsafe holds your mail while you're away and delivers it when you return. Redirection forwards mail from an old address to a new one.
How much does Royal Mail Keepsafe cost? Keepsafe is a flat fee for the period you're away, varying by duration, and it's bookable online through Royal Mail.
Does Redirection cover parcels from other couriers? No, Redirection only affects Royal Mail mail. Parcels sent by other couriers need to be redirected with those couriers separately.
Whatever your post is doing, the label matters
Whether mail is being held or forwarded, a clean 100 × 150mm direct thermal label keeps every parcel scannable so it ends up where it should.
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