Royal Mail advises senders to add a 'Return Address' to letters and parcels

Mixed · 2Royal Mail recommends that people sending letters and parcels include a return address, so the postal service has somewhere to send an item that cannot be delivered. 1 2 Mixed · 2The 'two words' in the headlines are 'Return Address', which should be written above the sender's own name and address so it is clear the details belong to the sender and not the recipient. 2 1 Mixed · 2For an ordinary letter, the back of the envelope is the suggested place, with the full address including the postcode, kept separate from the recipient's details on the front. 2 1

Left · 1The Mirror adds that a return address can go on the front instead, provided it is clearly separated from the delivery address and does not interfere with it. 2 Right · 1The Express says Royal Mail's technical guidance for some mail formats specifies that a return address be headed with the words 'Return Address', and that position and layout matter, with requirements depending on the type of mail. 1 Mixed · 2Royal Mail also advises writing the recipient's address clearly, with each part on its own line, and including a postcode, which it says helps sorting machines work efficiently; mail without one may take longer to arrive. 1 2

Mixed · 2Both papers note that a return address is no guarantee an undelivered item will come back, but say it gives an extra chance of it reaching the sender, particularly for important paperwork, personal cards or gifts. 1 2