Letters and parcels - Amendment to the Postal Act passed - mailing takes longer
Those waiting for mail will need more patience next year than ever before. After the Bundestag, the Bundesrat also approved the reform of the outdated Postlaw, which was last fundamentally amended in 1997. At that time, it was particularly important that letters arrived especially quickly. Therefore, there was a long-standing requirement that 80% of today's mailings were at the recipient's doorstep by the next working day, and 95% by the second working day.
However, everyday communication has completely changed. People rely on emails and chats instead of letters. Since most letters are no longer an urgent matter, the pressure has decreased: The 80% delivery standard for the first working day after mailing is being eliminated, and the 95% standard is being moved from the second to the third working day. The new requirement is that 99% of today's mailings must be delivered four working days later.
Because the pressure is decreasing, the Bonn conglomerate is able to lower its costs. It has already discontinued domestic mail delivery by airplane due to the legislative reform and saved money while improving its CO2 balance.
Mail delivery will not "suddenly" slow down
So does this mean that consumers will face long waiting times starting in January? No, says Post CEO Tobias Meyer. The delivery time for mail - that is, the duration until it reaches the recipient - will not change suddenly at the beginning of 2025, but rather there will be a gradual transition. This transition will take one to two years. This means that mail will still be delivered relatively quickly in some regions in 2026.
Meyer emphasized that these are minimum requirements and that the actual value could be higher. "It doesn't benefit us to sit on a pile of mail and wait until the time is right." Since we have fewer letters in the digital age, we can sort them more quickly.
Priority mail on the brink
Who still needs to send mail quickly in the digital age can currently send a so-called priority mail - it should arrive the next working day and costs an additional 1.10 Euro. This mail service is on the decline. This is also due to the fact that most standard mail is delivered quite quickly these days, and the time advantage of priority mail is small. However, starting in 2025, this advantage could be greater and demand could increase. However, starting in January, value-added tax must be paid for this mail class, which was not the case before.
Meyer said this makes it "significantly more expensive," and added, "We will have to decide whether we will continue to offer it." In the future, there could only be the registered mail, for which a faster delivery is provided. A registered mail costs 2.35 Euro and is 40 cents more expensive than a priority standard mail.
The Bonn authority receives a fine sword
In the context of the reform, the function of the Bundesnetzagentur is strengthened, it can impose fines and thus increase the pressure on the Post. "The new Postlaw gives the Bundesnetzagentur the necessary instruments," said Behördenchef Klaus Müller. "We will use these instruments and continue to ensure a future-proof postal service and fair competition."
In the past two years, the Bonn authority has received unusually many complaints from citizens about German Post. The Netzagentur was ultimately only able to reprimand and sternly look towards the nearby Post Tower - it didn't have a sharp sword. This is changing a little now.
Complaint level still high
The complaint level is still high: According to the Netzagentur's figures, around 17,000 complaints about the post industry were recorded between January and May 2024, which is 4,000 more than in the previous year. Most critical statements referred to market leader Deutsche Post. However, some of the anger is supposedly misdirected against them. In fact, errors sometimes come from other companies.
More mailboxes for letters and packages
The legislative reform also allows for the installation of vending machines instead of post offices. However, strict limits are set for this - the vending machines can only be credited towards the still valid post office network where the Post cannot find a retailer who sets up a post counter in their shop. This could be the case in some villages where the last supermarket or kiosk has closed.
Next postage increase comes in early 2025
A standard letter currently costs 85 cents, it is likely to be more expensive from January - a new postage rate will apply from 2025. The Netzagentur has already begun calculations for its determination, in which it will set a margin for price adjustments. A decision on the postage rates for different shipment types may come in the fall.
The legislative reform also has something to do with this, as the authority will base its calculations on the new regulations. However, a standard letter should not cost more than one euro, as the traffic light coalition has announced.
The Federal Network Agency, under the strengthened role in the reform of the Postal Act, now has the power to impose fines, increasing the pressure on German Post AG to ensure a future-proof postal service and fair competition.
German Post CEO Tobias Meyer assures consumers that the delivery time for mail will not change suddenly in January 2025, but rather there will be a gradual transition over one to two years.
Contrary to the declining use of priority mail, German Post is contemplating discontinuing the service due to the addition of value-added tax starting in 2025, making it significantly more expensive.
The Bundestag and Bundesrat have approved the reform of the outdated Postal Act, last amended in 1997, which aimed to ensure quick delivery of mail, but with the advent of digital communication, the 80% and 95% delivery standards have been revised to 99% within four working days.
The legislative reform also allows for the installation of vending machines in areas without a nearby retailer setting up a post counter. However, the vending machines can only be counted towards the existing post office network.
The next postage increase for a standard letter is expected in early 2025, with the new rates likely to exceed the current 85 cents, based on the Netzagentur's calculations for the reformed Postal Act regulations.
