Sending funeral cards to be much more expensive from July; PostNL aiming for €3.25 each

Sending out funeral cards will become much more expensive from July, when PostNL extends its delivery time from within 24 hours to within 48 hours. Funeral cards can still be delivered within a day, but PostNL will charge a higher rate. Multiple sources told RTL Nieuws that the postal company is aiming for a price of €3.25 a piece.

From July, “priority mail” like funeral cards will be delivered by PostNL’s parcel delivery service, not the regular mailman. This will ensure delivery within 24 hours, but with the higher price tag. Sending a funeral card currently costs €1.40.

The increase could cause additional difficulties for families in an already difficult period, funeral service provider Monuta told RTL. According to the company, loved ones usually send between 50 and 120 funeral cards.

“It has a direct impact on people who are at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives,” Monuta told the broadcaster. “Especially during a period of mourning, you do not want to confront surviving relatives with unexpected or difficult-to-bear extra costs. In some situations, such an increase can lead to difficult trade-offs.”

To offset declining revenue and mail volumes, the government allowed PostNL to extend its delivery times to 48 hours from July and 72 hours from the summer of 2027. According to RTL, the intention was that bereavement mail, like funeral cards, would still be delivered within a day.

PostNL told the broadcaster that the price increase is “unavoidable.” According to the company, it found a way to continue to deliver funeral cards with priority by sending them with parcel delivery drivers. “That leads to higher costs and a higher rate. We understand that no one likes paying more, but this adjustment is unavoidable in order to continue providing this service.”

Parliamentarians are annoyed by how PostNL is handling the situation. “To immediately abuse that agreement and slap an exorbitant rate on it is not fair,” said CDA parliamentarian Judith Bühler. She called €3.25 per funeral card “ridiculous.”

Coalition partner VVD is also not pleased. “The loss of a loved one is heartbreaking. Precisely then, you must be able to count on mail being delivered quickly and carefully, and on prices remaining within reasonable limits,” the party told RTL. “However, we are seeing a trend here. At PostNL’s request, politicians are giving them more leeway, and immediately, a catch emerges. That is why the VVD has been advocating for restructuring the postal market for quite some time. Structural solutions are needed, and quickly.”

Opposition party PRO (previously GL-PvdA) is even harsher. “This price increase is unnecessary and callous,” said MP Tom van der Lee, especially given that it comes just after PostNL received more financial breathing room with more flexible delivery rules. “When you send funeral cards, you have a hundred other things on your mind. The price of stamps shouldn’t be added to that as well.”