OREANDA-NEWS. October 23, 2014. The Federal Network Agency has approved the proposed adjustments to Deutsche Post mail prices, effective January 1, 2015, as submitted for approval .

This will see the postage charge for a standard domestic letter (up to 20 grams) increase by 2 cents to EUR 0.62. Also effective January 1, 2015, the price for a Kompaktbrief (up to 50 grams) will be reduced by five cents to EUR 0.85.

Domestic delivery rates for other national letter formats, including Grobrief, Maxibrief and postcards, will remain unchanged, as will the rates for special domestic mail services. Additional rate changes will include an increase of five cents for the international delivery of standard letters and postcards, from EUR 0.75 to EUR 0.80, as well as price adjustments for certain special services.

Through the proposed rate adjustments, Deutsche Post is looking to offset among other things the steep rise in personnel costs. The company is also investing several hundreds of millions of euros in logistics and infrastructure to ensure its long-term ability to deliver an outstanding quality of service to its customers, even by international standards. This said, as in past years, the postal rate for a standard domestic letter will remain below the European average letter price.

Old stamps can still be used in 2015 with supplemental stamps

The rate increases are being announced early so that customers have sufficient time to prepare accordingly and use up their existing stamps before the rate change takes effect. Customers who still have old stamps after the rate increase takes effect can buy supplemental 2-cent stamps in Deutsche Post's postal outlets or online. As such old stamps can still be used in 2015, customers need not exchange their old stamps for new ones. Stamps at the new postage rates will go on sale on December 4 in Deutsche Post's postal outlets and online shop. Customers also have the option of printing individual stamps at any time, and with any desired postage amount, using one of Deutsche Post’s 2,900 automated stamp machines available across Germany.