When Royal Mail was privatised in 2013, thousands of members of the public bought shares for the first time. Many of these small holdings have since been forgotten, lost in house moves, or left uncashed.
If you think you or a relative might still own shares in Royal Mail (now formally known as International Distributions Services plc), here is how to find them.
Who is the Registrar? Royal Mail’s share register is managed by Equiniti. This means Equiniti is responsible for:
- Updating your address.
- Issuing dividend payments.
- Replacing lost share certificates.
Did the Name Change? Yes. In 2022, the parent company changed its name to International Distributions Services plc (IDS). If you are searching for “Royal Mail Group” on old paperwork, you might miss recent correspondence because it is branded as IDS.
How to Check Your Holding
- Find the certificate: Look for a piece of paper with the Royal Mail or IDS logo. It will have an 11-digit “Shareholder Reference Number” (SRN).
- Check the Portal: Go to the Equiniti Shareview website and use your SRN to create an account.
- Call Equiniti: If you cannot find the certificate, call their dedicated Royal Mail helpline on 0371 384 2656.
The Danger of “Dormancy” If you haven’t cashed a dividend cheque in over 12 months, Equiniti may have marked your account as dormant to prevent fraud. This stops all future payments. You must actively contact them to “wake up” the account and reclaim back-dated money.
Don’t Want to Wait on Hold? If you don’t have the SRN or the time to navigate the name changes, use Divica. We can identify the correct registrar details and generate the formal enquiry letters needed to unfreeze the asset.