Quick answer
Unexpected small-fee texts claiming to be from Royal Mail and asking you to pay before a parcel is released are almost always fraudulent. If you receive a text asking for £1.99 or similar to release a delivery, it is a scam. Do not pay — report it to 7726 (free on most networks).
The fake Royal Mail delivery text is one of the most widely reported scams in the UK. The message is simple and convincing: your parcel couldn't be delivered because of unpaid postage, and you need to pay a small fee — usually between £1.99 and £2.99 — to release it. The fee is small enough that many people pay without thinking twice.
But the fee is not the real target. The payment page is designed to harvest your full card details — card number, expiry date, CVV, and billing address. Those details are then used to make fraudulent purchases or sold on. The small initial charge is just the hook.
What the fake text looks like
The giveaway here is the domain: royalmail-redelivery-fee.com. Royal Mail's official website is royalmail.com. Any link that isn't on the official royalmail.com domain is not from Royal Mail.
The payment page that follows is often designed to look identical to the real Royal Mail site. It asks for your card details, your name, your address, and sometimes even your bank login credentials. Once submitted, that information goes directly to the fraudsters.
The key fact: Royal Mail doesn't do this
This is the most important thing to know. Royal Mail does not send text messages with payment links for unpaid postage. If a genuine parcel has unpaid postage, Royal Mail leaves a physical card at your door explaining what happened. You then have the option to collect the parcel from a local delivery office or arrange redelivery — without any payment link sent by text.
Genuine Royal Mail tracking and redelivery is handled at royalmail.com. If you receive a text claiming to be from Royal Mail with a link that isn't royalmail.com, it is not from Royal Mail.
Warning signs to look for
- The link is not on royalmail.com — it may use variations like royal-mail.com, royalmail-delivery.co.uk, or similar
- The text mentions a small fee of £1.99, £2.99, or similar
- You are asked to pay within a short deadline — 24 or 48 hours
- You are not expecting a parcel, or cannot identify the sender
- The text has no tracking number, or the tracking number does not appear on the real Royal Mail website
- The payment page asks for your full card details including CVV
- The same message appears to have been sent to multiple contacts at the same time
How to check if a delivery notice is real
If you think you might genuinely be expecting a parcel, go directly to royalmail.com by typing it into your browser. Use the tracking page there with any tracking number you have. If there's a genuine delivery issue, it will show there.
Do not use any link from a text message. Do not call any number in a text message. Go to the official website only.
What to do if you receive one of these texts
- Do not click the link in the text
- If you want to check for a real parcel, go directly to royalmail.com and use your tracking number
- Forward the text to 7726 (free from most UK networks) to report it to your mobile provider
- Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040
- If you have already paid: contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card — do not use numbers from the text
- If you entered card details: ask your bank to cancel the card and issue a new one
Received a delivery message you're not sure about?
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Check a message freeFrequently asked questions
Does Royal Mail send texts asking for payment?
No. Royal Mail does not send texts with payment links. If a parcel has a genuine postage issue, you receive a physical card at your address. All redelivery and tracking is handled through royalmail.com directly, not through text message links.
The fee is only £1.99 — surely it's not worth faking?
The small fee is deliberate. It reduces suspicion and encourages people to pay without thinking. The real aim is to capture your full card details, which are used to make larger fraudulent transactions or sold on to other criminals.
I already paid. What should I do?
Contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card and report it as a fraudulent transaction. Ask them to cancel your card if you entered the full card number. Report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
How do I report the text?
Forward it to 7726 — this is a free reporting service operated by UK mobile providers. You can also report it to Action Fraud and to the NCSC at report.ncsc.gov.uk.