Royal Mail Insurance

Why do you need additional insurance for Royal Mail?

Royal Mail's built-in compensation is far more limited than most senders realise. Cover caps at £2,500 in the UK and just £250 on international parcels, and only Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm insures valuables at all. Standard services such as 1st and 2nd Class or Signed For pay a maximum of £20, and jewellery and money are excluded outright. Once a parcel is worth more than a few hundred pounds, dedicated parcel insurance is the only way to protect its true value.

Royal Mail also settles claims at “actual loss”, meaning the value adjusted for age, condition and depreciation, so a used or second-hand item is reimbursed well below its resale price, and higher-risk goods are restricted or refused. Secursus takes a different approach and reimburses the full declared value of your parcel, with no depreciation and no excess, whether the item is new, refurbished or pre-owned.

You have up to 80 days to claim from Royal Mail, and an item is only deemed lost after 5 working days for Special Delivery. We recommend opening your Secursus claim within 14 days of shipping. For high-value parcels such as watches, jewellery, phones, art and electronics, our shipping insurance covers far beyond Royal Mail's £2,500 ceiling, up to £90,000 per parcel, anywhere in the world.

Claim management

Filing a claim shouldn't mean weeks of paperwork. Our online claims platform lets you upload your proof of posting, proof of value and parcel details in minutes, and we aim to compensate you within 30 days of validation. Because our insurer requests a copy of the carrier's claim, we guide you through the Royal Mail claim in parallel, so both files move forward together and you never have to chase two processes on your own.

Coverage

Secursus cover runs up to £90,000 per parcel and deliberately includes the high-risk categories Royal Mail limits or excludes: mobile phones, high-tech and electronics, watches, jewellery, art, car parts, collectibles and second-hand goods. Every item is reimbursed at its full declared value rather than a depreciated one, closing the gap that most often leaves Royal Mail senders out of pocket when a valuable parcel is lost, stolen or damaged.

Safety

To keep your claim watertight, always open a claim with Royal Mail as well as Secursus whenever a parcel isn't delivered, since a copy of the carrier claim is required by our insurer. Keep your proof of posting and proof of value such as an invoice or receipt from the moment you ship, and declare the parcel's real value when you take out cover. These few steps ensure a fast, full payout if anything goes wrong in transit.

Why is Royal Mail a reliable shipping service?

Royal Mail is one of the UK's most established carriers, delivering across the UK and worldwide with tracking and signature options on its premium services.

For urgent or valuable items it offers Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm and by 9am, plus Signed For on standard mail. But its compensation stays capped, which is exactly where a top-up insurance helps.

Whichever Royal Mail service you choose, adding Secursus lets you ship at the speed you want and insure the value you actually need. You can also compare parcel insurance solutions across other UK carriers before you send.