We have been confronted with higher postal rates for years in a row. These rate increases are caused by an opposite movement: on the one hand we want to keep the entire postal system afloat and functioning, on the other hand the total mail volume is still declining every year. What are the rates from January 1, 2019?
Stamps: payment for the PostNL postal service
Sending mail is of course not free, you have to pay for it. We do this by affixing a stamp, in accordance with the weight and size of your shipment, and any additional services. The heavier and the more extras, such as registration and insurance, the more you have to pay: you then stick more and/or more expensive stamps.
There’s a lot involved
It sounds so simple to the user. You get a letter, stick a stamp on it and put it in a PostNL letterbox. The next day (usually) your letter will be on the addressee’s doorstep. Yet a lot has to happen before that happens. Think about:
- The letter goes into the mailbox. There must be enough mailboxes so that everyone can find a mailbox within a reasonable distance. That requires purchase and maintenance.
- The post must then be collected from each letterbox. This is done with a PostNL vehicle. Costs are incurred for both the car and the driver.
- The mail is taken to shipping hubs (EKP) to be sorted by destination. This is done (almost) fully automatically by sorting machines. Costs are incurred for the purchase, maintenance and operation of these machines and for the necessary additional work. Costs are also incurred for the building itself. Construction, maintenance, heating, security.
- The mail is transported to destinations. Costs are incurred for transport (cars to all kinds of destinations, drivers).
- The mail is further sorted at its destination. The mail is classified into ‘postal districts’ based on the postal code. Of course, here too you have to pay for the building, machines and staff.
- The mail is delivered by deliverers. The staff must be paid, but also the bicycle, scooter or car used.
All in all, a lot of costs, all of which have to be covered by the proceeds from the stamps.
There is less mail
However, income from stamps is decreasing every year and more and more ‘mail’ is being processed digitally via email, social media, text messages and chat messages. Digitally, things are a lot faster and cheaper. The total mail volume continues to decline by about ten percent every year. While other companies with less income are cutting back on services, the postal law is an obstacle for the postal service. The Postal Act stipulates that everyone must have a mailbox nearby, that mail is delivered five days a week and that a letter must also arrive on the next delivery day if it is placed in the letterbox on time.
Economize
Of course, cuts have already been made. For example, the number of letterboxes has been reduced where possible, postal services are done digitally as much as possible, post offices have made way for postal agencies, and staff cuts have been made where possible. While there were initially six delivery days, there are now only five. The stretch is pretty much gone. To keep the entire postal infrastructure afloat, something will have to be done on the income side. There is only one way to do this: the rates rise.
International developments
In other countries too, the mail volume continues to decline annually and the infrastructure must remain intact there too. This means that postal rates are actually rising everywhere, so this effect is not limited to our country. So there is no point in posting your mail in a letterbox just across the border. It would even cost you more, because you would then have to pay the foreign rate for postal destinations in the Netherlands.
Benefit
Fortunately, there is a small advantage. Because stamps are no longer provided with an amount, but only have a value indication of 1 or 2, you can also continue to use your stamps from previous years (which you purchased cheaper) in the following year.
Rates 2019
In the tables below you can see which rates apply in 2019.
In the Netherlands
|
Weight |
postal rate |
digital |
franking machine |
necessary stamps |
registered shipping |
|
0-20 grams |
0.87 |
0.83 |
0.81 |
A stamp with value indication 1 |
8.45 *) |
|
20-50 grams |
1.74 |
1.66 |
1.62 |
One stamp with value indication 2, or two with value indication 1 |
8.45 *) |
|
50-100 grams |
2.61 |
2.49 |
2.43 |
A combination of stamps that together produce the value indication 3 |
8.45 *) |
|
100-350 grams |
3.48 |
3.32 |
3.24 |
A combination of stamps that together produce the value indication 4 |
8.45 *) |
|
350 grams – 2 kg |
4.35 |
4.15 |
4.05 |
A combination of stamps that together produce the value indication 5 |
8.45 *) |
|
letterbox parcel up to 2 kg |
4.35 |
3.90 |
– |
A combination of stamps that together produce the value indication 5 |
8.45 *) |
*) If you pay online, you pay €8
Shipping of packages within the Netherlands
- Package up to 10 kg, delivered to home address: 6.95. Online postage: 6.50
- Package up to 10 kg, delivered to PostNL location: 5.95. (can only be franked online)
- Package up to 10 kg, registered: 8.60. Online postage: 8.15
- Package up to 30 kg, delivered to home address: 13.25. Online postage: 12.71
- Package up to 30 kg. delivered to PostNL location: 12.04 (can only be franked online)
- Package up to 30 kg, registered: 14.90. Online postage: 14.36
Letters and cards abroad
|
Weight |
postal rate |
digital |
necessary stamps |
registered shipping |
|
0-20 grams |
1.45 |
A stamp with value indication 1 international |
11.95 *) |
|
|
20-50 grams |
2.90 |
Two with value indication 1 international |
11.95 *) |
|
|
50-100 grams |
4.35 |
Three stamps with value indication 1 international |
11.95 *) |
|
|
100-350 grams |
8.70 |
Six stamps with value indication 1 international |
11.95 *) |
*) Prices noted are for region EUR1. For region EUR2 this is 13.95. For the World region this is 16.95
Shipping of packages abroad, region EUR 1
In principle, unless otherwise stated, including Track & Trace.
- Package up to 2 kg, without Track & Trace: 9.80.
- Package up to 2 kg: €13. Registered from 15.50
- Package up to 5 kg: 19.50. Registered from €22
- Package up to 10 kg: €25. Registered from 27.50
- Package up to 20 kg: 34. Registered from 36.50
- Package up to 30 kg: 45. Registered from 47.50
Tr ack & Trace for packages heavier than 20 kg is not possible for all countries.
Shipping of parcels abroad, region EUR 2
In principle, unless otherwise stated, including Track & Trace.
- Package up to 2 kg, without Track & Trace: 12.60.
- Package up to 2 kg: 18.50. Registered from €21
- Package up to 5 kg: €25. Registered from 27.50
- Package up to 10 kg: €31. Registered from 33.50
- Package up to 20 kg: €40. Registered from €42.50
- Package up to 30 kg: 55. Registered from 57.50
Track & Trace for packages heavier than 20 kg is not possible for all countries.
Shipping of packages abroad, World region
In principle, unless otherwise stated, including Track & Trace.
- Package up to 2 kg, without Track & Trace: 18.20.
- Package up to 2 kg: 24.30. Registered from 26.80
- Package up to 5 kg: 34.30. Registered from 36.80
- Package up to 10 kg: 58.30. Registered from 60.80
- Package up to 20 kg: 105.30. Registered from 107.80
Track & Trace for packages heavier than 20 kg is not possible for all countries.