Continuous decline in letter volumes increases unit costs
The prices of Posti’s letter services paid for in cash will change on May 27. Letter services paid in cash include domestic and international letters that are paid for with stamps.
"People still want to use genuine letters and cards to greet their loved ones. However, the volumes of letters, cards and Christmas cards are constantly declining, which will increase unit costs. As a result, we will have to increase our prices," says Sami Määttä, who is in charge of consumer letter operations at Posti.
Posti’s operations are funded by service charges paid by customers, and the company does not receive any financial support from the state for operations. These increases will ensure mail delivery as a universal service, i.e. letter services paid in cash, throughout the country.
In the 2000s, the number of letters has fallen by approximately 75% because of digital communications. The number of letters sent by consumers decreased by approximately 14% last year. The declining trend in paper mail is not stopping, as the volume of paper mail will decrease as digitalization increases.
The price of a domestic card or letter weighing no more than 50 g will be EUR 2.75 (EUR +0.25) as of May 27.
The price of an international card or letter weighing no more than 20 g will be EUR 3.05 (EUR +0.30) in the Priority class and EUR 2.75 (EUR +0.25) in the Economy class.
The price of a Christmas stamp will be EUR 1.70 (EUR +0.10) in the future.
An average increase of EUR 2 per year for consumers
Finnish consumers spend, on average, less than EUR 20 per year on sending letters. For them, the price adjustments will mean an increase of approximately EUR 2 per year. Stamped mail is delivered to households on average once a month.
All domestic and international no-value indicator stamps bought before the price increase will be accepted without additional stamps after the price increase.
The new prices for all letter services can be viewed in the price list on Posti’s website at posti.fi/prices.
Stamps can be bought at about 3,000 sales points or via Posti’s online shop at posti.fi/shop.
Changes to the prices of domestic parcels online and at service points
Transport costs have increased and the number of parcels sent from one consumer to another has decreased, as second-hand goods are increasingly sold and purchased through online marketplaces. For these reasons, we will increase the prices of domestic parcels online and at our service points on May 27.
The prices of parcels will increase by approximately EUR 1 on Posti's website and in the OmaPosti app, and the prices of large parcel sizes will increase slightly more. The prices of parcels purchased from service points will increase by 40 cents. We will also update the prices of additional services. You can check the new prices in the price list at posti.fi/prices.
The change does not apply to international parcels or serial parcels. Serial parcels will continue to be a cheaper option if you send parcels regularly. It is also suitable for small businesses.