Is parcelforce and royal mail the same

Parcelforce and Royal Mail are two separate companies, but they are closely related and often work together.

Royal Mail is the UK's official postal service, responsible for delivering mail and parcels to households and businesses across the country. It was established in 1516 and is one of the oldest postal services in the world.

Parcelforce, on the other hand, is a subsidiary of Royal Mail, specializing in the delivery of parcels and packages. It was founded in 1966 and is responsible for handling and delivering parcels weighing over 2kg (4.4lbs) and packages that require special handling, such as fragile or oversized items.

While Parcelforce is a separate company, it uses Royal Mail's infrastructure and network to deliver its parcels. In fact, many Parcelforce parcels are delivered by Royal Mail's postal workers, who wear Parcelforce-branded uniforms and use Parcelforce's tracking systems.

Here are some key differences between Parcelforce and Royal Mail:

1. Services: Royal Mail focuses on delivering mail and smaller parcels, while Parcelforce specializes in larger parcels and packages.
2. Weight limits: Royal Mail has a weight limit of 2kg (4.4lbs) for its standard mail services, while Parcelforce handles parcels weighing over 2kg.
3. Tracking: Parcelforce offers more advanced tracking and signature-on-delivery services than Royal Mail's standard mail services.
4. Pricing: Parcelforce tends to be more expensive than Royal Mail's standard mail services, especially for larger or heavier parcels.

In summary, while Parcelforce and Royal Mail are separate companies, they work together to deliver mail and parcels across the UK. Parcelforce specializes in larger parcels and packages, while Royal Mail focuses on delivering mail and smaller parcels.