Down Stream Access is ‘access to the Royal Mails distribution systems at an onward mail centre or any point in the postal activity chain after that’ (Post Comm www.psc.gov.uk)

This downstream access arrangement ended the Royal Mails monopoly and enables 20 other licensed postal operators to compete with Royal Mail in the bulk and volume mail industry. This is a very healthy development for the industry as its competitive nature drives prices down and service levels up. To date over a billion items have been delivered through downstream access.

How Does Down Stream Access Works

1) Post-Switch analyse the market to identify and negotiate the optimum tariff for a prospective mailing.

2) The Mailing house then sort the client data as instructed and produce the mailing to the desired sortation specifications.

3) The chosen licensed postal operator then collects, sorts and distributes the post to Royal Mail inward-bound mailing centres around the UK.

4) Royal Mail then sort the items for the postman’s walk.

5) The mail items are then delivered by the Royal Mail postman.