Austrian Post AG is raising postal rates for letters. The current “Eco Letter” rate, which delivers within two to three days, will become the standard product. Starting in May, the price for the smallest letter format will increase from €0.95 to €1, and next-business-day delivery will cost an additional 30 cents for all formats. The partially state-owned postal service referred to this change as a simplification of its product structure.
The publicly traded company is responding to a revision of the Postal Market Act. “Over 80% of all letters are already sent with a delivery time of two to three business days. With this simplification, we are adjusting our product range to the Postal Market Act and the changing needs of our customers,” said Post CEO Walter Oblin in the release.
Depending on the size of the shipment, the postage for a standard letter will increase by 5 to 15 cents, while faster shipping will cost 10 to 20 cents more. The standard “letter” product can still be stamped and dropped in the yellow mailbox as usual, while additional services like faster delivery or registered mail can be booked at the counter or at a shipping station.
