Posting to BFPO addresses - advice please!

snowleopard61

A family member is abroad with the armed forces. We have already given him his Christmas presents (before he left) but want to send cards. I have his BFPO address but have tried and failed to make sense of the information online about the charges for letters/cards -he told us before he went that he thought it was free for items up to 2kg, but I now think this refers to parcels rather than letters or cards.

Can anyone advise, please? I am also confused about how to actually send the cards - if not free, are they stamped with ordinary stamps, and do you post them in a post box? Sorry if this sounds really dim, but the practicalities only occurred to me when it was too late to ask!

lisawood78

I think I would ask at the post office to make sure I got it right.

bryanb

When I was in forces, letters etc were same price as inland, and posted in normal postbox.

snowleopard61

I should have done this when I queued up for ages last Saturday to post my Christmas parcels! Trouble is, I only started to realise afterwards that the BFPO is not part of Royal Mail.

snowleopard61

bryanb wrote: »

When I was in forces, letters etc were same price as inland, and posted in normal postbox.

Thank you. I'll do this.

snowleopard61

snowleopard61 wrote: »

I should have done this when I queued up for ages last Saturday to post my Christmas parcels! Trouble is, I only started to realise afterwards that the BFPO is not part of Royal Mail.

Sorry, for clarity, this was in response to Lisa's suggestion to ask at the Post Office - but I think the other poster has answered my question now.

System

The free parcels up to 2Kg was only for Op Telic & Herrick (Afghanistan & Iraq) parcels so no longer applies as both Ops are finished

tea_lover

There's a lot of info here https://www.gov.uk/british-forces-post-office-services#letters-and-parcels

CRANKY40

Op Herrick, Op Kipion and Hm ships in support are currently entitled to the free parcel service. If this includes your family member you can make your cards into a packet by putting them all in a padded envelope. Maybe chuck in some sweeties (not chocolate if the person is anywhere hot) and check the weight of the packet before you seal it to make sure it's less than 2kg.