Why your postbox could be going digital - and how to use them, received from Saga, 2026 03 03

[Colin Howard]

Greetings,

I usually post in my local box or visit my local post office, might I be
forced to change?

If any of you have expeerience of these new systems, please let us know.

Royal Mail's new solar-powered digital postboxes accept parcels as well as
letters. Here's everything you need to know and why they've upset the yarn
bombers.
By Laura Silverman | Published - 25 Feb 2026

The design of our trusty red postboxes has remained largely unchanged since
Victorian times. Their cylindrical bodies, domed heads and narrow mouths are
familiar fixtures on our streets.

Now, though, many of them are being converted for the digital age. The new
boxes have a parcel drawer just below the letter slot and peaked roofs with
solar panels. Here, we explain what the upgrade means for you.

Where are the new postboxes?

Royal Mail plans to convert about 3,500 postboxes out of the 115,000 across
the country. The first new-look postboxes were installed last year in
Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The rollout will be completed this spring.

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if your local postbox is getting a
makeover: there is no postcode checker or interactive map and locations can
still change.

How do you use the new postboxes?

These boxes can accept shoebox-sized parcels as well as letters. You can
still send a letter in the same way, but you can now also deposit a small
package just below the letter slot. The drawer is powered by a solar panel
on the roof of the postbox.

Sending a parcel involves buying postage online, printing a label and
scanning a QR code on the Royal Mail app to open the drawer.

The new postboxes feature a drawer for inserting small parcels

What if you don't want to download an app or use a printer?

Royal Mail says that you can still send your parcels as before. "Our
postboxes of the future complement our existing services," says a
spokesperson. "They offer another convenient way for customers to access
Royal Mail's services, alongside home delivery and collection, our customer
service points, post office branches, lockers and Royal Mail shops."

They are meant as an additional service. Royal Mail and the Post Office have
been separate businesses for over a decade, so a new box down the road does
not automatically trigger the closure of your local post office.

Natalie Turner, deputy director for localities at the Centre for Ageing
Better, a charity working to improve life as we get older, recognises the
upgrade comes with risks. "At Ageing Better, we don't want to see innovation
stifled," she says. "But we do want organisations to be aware of the risks
of exclusion when delivering new innovations and ensure mitigation is made."

Many older people might be happy using the service. Two thirds of over-65s,
Turner notes, have a smartphone and more than half of 65-74-year-olds shop
online at least once a month.

But this doesn't account for everyone. "Some older people can be at risk of
digital exclusion," she explains. "Over-55s make up 94% of the 4.5 million
people who have never been online. The important thing is this innovation is
seen as an additional offer for Royal Mail customers and is not seen as a
replacement for post offices."

Is anyone else concerned?

While the new design still has a slot for letters, the peaked roof with
solar panels means that yarn-bombers have had to come up with new plans for
their postbox toppers. Knitted elephants or flowers might not be essential
to our way of life, but they are much-loved by communities and a source of
pleasure for crafters across the country.

"When I first saw the black plastic wrapping around my local postbox in
January, I was so disheartened and sad," says Syston Knitting Banxy (SKB),
an anonymous knitter in Leicestershire, who has made about 120 toppers. SKB's
knits have raised thousands of pounds for charity and have featured in
Coronation Street at Christmas for the past four years.

Crocheters have enjoyed decorating the tops of postboxes

When the new postbox arrived in her town, residents quietly rebelled.
Someone started a petition asking Royal Mail to reconsider, garnering 1,360
signatures, while the local MP, wrote to Royal Mail describing how the
toppers helped bind the community together. Neither approach worked.

Eventually, the town took matters into its own hands, fundraising to buy a
decommissioned cast-iron postbox of its own. It will be unveiled at the end
of February. People won't be able to use it as a postbox, but they will
still be able to admire Banxy's knits.

Some have taken a more philosophical approach. Fiona Barker, an audiologist
and picture book writer from Berkshire, has a plan if hers comes under
threat. "If and when it does happen to me, I'll yarn-bomb another piece of
street furniture," she says. She might make some birds to perch on a bench
or a locomotive for some railings near the railway station.

Others are sticking to postboxes but adapting their designs. The Barlick
Yarn Fairies in Lancashire was one of the first to come up with a new
pattern, sharing it on Facebook. "The challenge is to keep the items sewn on
upright, as there's the slope of the panel to take into consideration," they
tell Saga Magazine. "It's all about thinking outside the box."

Worried about using the new postbox for your parcels? Here's another option

If technology sends you into a spin or you just prefer analogue living, you
can still ask your postman to collect parcels from your home.

Royal Mail offers a free doorstep collection service for parcels and many
special delivery items when postage is bought in advance. Book a collection
online and the postman will pick it up during their usual round.

You can also still go into a Royal Mail customer service point or a post
office.

Written by: Laura Silverman

Colin Howard, living in Southern England.

[Leannda Ward]

This sounds great to me
Sent from my iPhone

> On 4 Mar 2026, at 07:51, Colin Howard <colinho...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Greetings,

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[mj.ba...@gmail.com]

Hello Colin

One of our local boxes went digital very recently. It was out of commission for several weeks, covered in black plastic, and then went live a couple of weeks ago. The letter slot is positioned similarly to the original postbox, so there is no real difference to how I use it.

It does, however, have the additional facilities referred to in the article.

Best wishes

Mike