PostNL to charge nearly €4 for next-day mail, €3.25 for urgent funeral cards

PostNL intends to deploy its parcel delivery network and couriers for letters requiring next-day delivery. The new tariff for this service will be 3.95 euros. Letterbox parcels will also see a price increase, rising by 15 cents to 4.55 euros for delivery within one day. The company also announced an additional fee for expedited condolence mail sent by bereaved families. From 12 July, the surcharge will be 3.25 euros per letter.

Those who choose not to pay can still send condolence cards through standard mail, although delivery times may be longer due to more flexible postal regulations.

Last month, RTL Z reported, based on sources, that PostNL planned to introduce a significantly higher rate for condolence postage or other priority mail. Funeral service providers told the broadcaster they were concerned, as this could add hundreds of euros in additional costs per funeral.

The cost of a standard postage stamp will stay at 1.40 euros. PostNL says stamp prices have risen considerably in recent years to help cover the costs of regular mail delivery. From July, standard mail will be delivered within two days instead of one, a change that the company says allows it to maintain the current tariff.

PostNL says it is struggling to make sufficient revenue from its mail operations and is calling on The Hague to speed up changes to postal service regulations.

Over the past 20 years, the volume of letters has dropped by 70 percent, while the delivery infrastructure still has to be maintained. The company also highlighted a 35 million euro loss last year on the Universal Postal Service, the legally required basic mail service in the Netherlands.