Stamp prices to rise as An Post blames falling letter volumes and rising costs
Ellen O'Donoghue
Stamp prices are set to increase, An Post has announced.
The organisation said that falling letter volumes and rising overheads for fixed cost networks have resulted in stamp increases globally.
A National stamp will cost €1.85 from Tuesday, February 3rd, an increase of 20 cent.
There will be a new €3.50 rate for Europe, including Britain, an increase of 85 cent, and a new Rest of World rate of €3.95 to stem "significant losses" due to a 38 per cent fall in international letters in three years.
The increases, An Post said, are to cover the cost of inflation and the impact of falling letter revenue while securing the national letters service, staffing, infrastructure, and a sustainable fleet.
The new prices are all in line with the equivalent European average, the postal service said.
It added that more European postal companies have been withdrawing from letter services due to declining values and rising costs.
More than 50 per cent of outgoing international mail is destined for Britain, Germany and France, which is why An Post said it is introducing the new Europe and Britain rate, rather than applying the higher Rest of World rate to that category.
In the UK, the equivalent European stamp costs €3.90, according to An Post.
Meter post, most bulk mail rates, and stamp booklets prices are also to increase from February 3rd, alongside rates for large envelopes, packets, over-the-counter parcels, registered post and national and international digital stamps.
However, SMEs will still be able to avail of discounts for posting parcels through the An Post Advantage Card.
The free delivery service for all letters and parcels up to 1kg posted to residents of nursing and care homes in the State will be continued.
The An Post-sponsored free Carepack service has reached over 120,000 residents since 2020, the postal service added.
There will also be stamp booklet promotions during the year, starting with new Love/Wedding stamps in early February.
All existing stamps with ‘N’ (National) and ‘W’ (Worldwide) or specific euro denominations remain valid and fully usable after February 3rd.
An Post said the price changes were calculated to cover the cost of providing a national letter service to every address, taking account wage increases for postal staff in line with national pay awards, increased operating costs and letter volumes.
Letter volumes have declined by 7 per cent in the last 12 months, and by more than 50 per cent since 2016. A similar rate of decline is forecast for 2026.
As letter volumes decrease and costs rise, prices must increase to ensure that services remain sustainable, An Post said.
Managing director of An Post Mails and Parcels, Garrett Bridgeman, said that European countries have increasingly reduced letter delivery frequency to once or twice a week, and now deliver to mailboxes outside the home, or to central collection points.
"While An Post continues to design future generation mail services to suit customers’ needs, the company is committed to retaining the option of a next-day national service to the door, by trusted, trained postal staff in a growing fleet of emission-free vehicles," Mr Bridgeman said.
An Post is to continue checking in on older and vulnerable customers, particularly those living alone in isolated rural areas during spells of bad weather.
