What should I do if Royal Mail International Standard no longer allows Etsy goods?

Hi! For stickers and greeting cards going from the UK to the US, Royal Mail International Standard is still the normal “budget” option for low-value goods (sent as a Letter or Large Letter if they fit the size/thickness), and the big January 5, 2026 change is mainly that the “Signed / Tracked & Signed” style services are now documents-only, while goods should go on the “Tracked” products if you want tracking.

Here’s how I’d handle it in practice:

1) Pick the right Royal Mail service (what to use now)

• Cheapest (no tracking): International Standard (Large Letter) is usually the right fit for stickers/cards as long as your pack qualifies as a Letter/Large Letter by size and thickness.
  • “Letter” is very thin (often the reason people get blocked/flagged). If you’re putting stickers in a sleeve, backing card, or “do not bend” packaging, you’ll often end up as Large Letter.
• Tracked option (more expensive): International Tracked (Large Letter) for goods when you need tracking/protection (higher-value orders, problem destinations, busy seasons, etc.).
• Avoid for goods: International Signed / International Tracked & Signed / Tracked & Signed (wording varies by platform) if it’s telling you “documents only.” Post‑Jan 5, 2026 those are effectively not for sale-of-goods items.

2) Why you’re seeing “documents only” warnings
A lot of marketplaces/postage tools are tightening up how they label formats because international mail is being separated more strictly between documents/personal correspondence vs goods (non-personal correspondence). If your label-buying flow only lets “documents” for a Letter-type service, don’t force it—use a goods-appropriate option (International Standard for goods if available, or International Tracked for goods).

3) What to change in your Etsy shipping profiles
If Etsy (or the label provider you use) is making this confusing, the cleanest setup is:

• Create 2 international shipping options for the same listings:
  1. Standard international = your untracked option (price it as International Standard Large Letter).
  2. Shipping upgrade = tracked option (price it as International Tracked Large Letter).

On Etsy, you don’t have to name Royal Mail services perfectly—buyers mainly see the delivery estimate and cost—so you can label them something like:

• “Standard International (untracked)”
• “Tracked International (recommended)”

4) Don’t miss the customs piece
If you’re sending anything that’s a physical item (stickers, prints, etc.), it’s goods, so you generally need the correct customs declaration on the package. If a tool is trying to treat it as “documents” to avoid customs, that’s a red flag—better to switch to the correct goods service/format.

If you tell me how you’re buying postage (Etsy Labels vs Click & Drop vs Post Office counter vs a shipping app) and a typical packed size/thickness (especially thickness), I can suggest the exact “Letter vs Large Letter” approach and how to price the two Etsy shipping options so you don’t get caught by the new documents/goods rules.