Unternehmensprofil

Prices submitted by Deutsche Post were approved
New prices: standard letter 55 cents, postcard 45 cents
Consumer-oriented “rounded-off” prices

The regulator has approved the prices submitted by Deutsche Post for mail services. The new rates providing for price reductions for the most important mail products will take effect on 1 January 2003. Whenever possible, the price determination process took the need for consumer-oriented “roundedoff” prices into account. The changes will include the following:

The price of a standard letter will be reduced by 1 cent (1.8 percent) to 55 cents (previously 56 cents). The “Kompaktbrief” (letter of standard letter size, but of higher thickness and weight) will cost 1.00 euro (previously 1.12 euros – down 10.7 percent), flats (“Grossbrief” items) will cost 1.44 euros (previously 1.53 euros – down 5.9 percent) and “Maxibrief” items (flat-sized items of higher thickness and weight) 2.20 euros (previously 2.25 euros – down 2.2 percent). The price of a postcard will drop by around 12 percent to 45 cents (previously 51 cents).

The price adjustments for special services will include the following: registered items to be delivered to the addressee’s letter box (“Einschreiben Einwurf”) will cost 1.60 euros (previously 1.53 euros), while the price of registered items to be handed over to the addressee (“Einschreiben”) will remain unchanged at 2.05 euros. The prices for delivery to the addressee in person and for advice of delivery will be raised to 1.80 euros (previously 1.79 euros).

The prices of the direct mail products “Infopost Standard, Infopost Kompakt, Infopost Gross” and “Infopost Maxi” will not change which is especially important for planning in trade and industry. The price of the “Infobrief Standard” product will be adjusted from 41 to 45 cents.

Changes will also be made to international mail prices. For example standard letters to destinations in Europe (“Standard Europabrief”) will in future cost 55 cents, as well as the domestic letter (previously 56 cents). At 45 cents, postcards for destinations in Europe (“Postkarte Europa”) will cost the same as a domestic postcard.

As in other EU countries, address services such as redirection and storage will no longer be free of charge. For example, from 1 January 2003 services such as redirection for a period of six months will cost private customers 14.80 euros and for a period of 12 months 24.80 euros.

In order to make the appropriate stamps available early on, definitive stamps with denominations for the most common products (postcard, “Standardbrief”, “Kompaktbrief” and “Grossbrief”) will be issued on time. For consumer-friendly implementation of the price changes, supplementary values will also be available so that the stamps with the current values can still be used together with a supplementary stamp. For example, a 44 cent stamp will be available which, together with the current 56 cent stamp, can be used to frank a “Kompaktbrief”.

Before the new prices are implemented, the service information leaflet will be available for customers at Deutsche Post retail outlets. An overview of the price changes for the most important products is attached.