Renewing child passport: Royal Mail or DX courier?

We've got an embassy appt this week for 2 kids. A Q about getting everything returned to us. Using DX courier vs Royal Mail:

DX courier service: It looks like it's about £10. On their website, it says you have to download and fill in an online form, to register before your embassy visit. (And then no info re what to do with it!) Other people say on this forum that they just go to the DX window at the embassy and deal with it all there. What's the current protocol?

Royal mail: It looks like it's £7.99. But can I just print the special delivery label from online? Can I use my own envelope? As I don't have time to go to Royal mail.

We have to process 2 passports. Is one special delivery envelope /payment for up to 500g sufficient?

Thanks

We've got an embassy appt this week for 2 kids. A Q about getting everything returned to us. Using DX courier vs Royal Mail:

DX courier service: It looks like it's about £10. On their website, it says you have to download and fill in an online form, to register before your embassy visit. (And then no info re what to do with it!) Other people say on this forum that they just go to the DX window at the embassy and deal with it all there. What's the current protocol?

Royal mail: It looks like it's £7.99. But can I just print the special delivery label from online? Can I use my own envelope? As I don't have time to go to Royal mail.

We have to process 2 passports. Is one special delivery envelope /payment for up to 500g sufficient?

Thanks

Sorry, I can't remember which of the two methods worked best, but I did want to tell you that there's a royal mail branch just next to the embassy that opens at something like 5am, maybe just for people like you.  My daughter found it by googling and I didn't believe it until she actually went there before her very early embassy visit. 

We just did a passport in January for my son and we used the DX courier and I also used them for my first son's passport, too. I used DX because you get text alerts as to when they are planning on delivering the passport and it's only a few quid more than Royal Mail. I've never had an issue with DX, so I will likely continue to use them for any future children/passport renewals.

You don't need to fill out anything online. You can just do it at the embassy at the DX window. I think I printed off the form in advance so that I could fill it out at home, but aside from that, it's easy peasy.

Thanks so much!

Two more Qs.
-Just noticed the website says "no laptop computers", only tablets. Is this really true?
https://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/london/

-If we get an Uber, where it drops us in front of embassy, is the South Pavilion Consular Services entrance on Ponton Rd easy to find?
thanks!

Thanks so much!

Two more Qs.
-Just noticed the website says "no laptop computers", only tablets. Is this really true?
https://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/london/

-If we get an Uber, where it drops us in front of embassy, is the South Pavilion Consular Services entrance on Ponton Rd easy to find?
thanks!

  I'd say yes, most likely true about the laptop.  I'm almost certain they have some kind of lockers to store any stuff you can't bring in. 

You shouldn't have any trouble finding the entrance, just don't join the first line you see which could be the one that's not for Americans.  Another transport option is to take the tube or train to Vauxhaul and it's a pleasant walk from there.    Keep an eye out for the crazy swimming pool with a water bridge between two buildings.