POST Luxembourg has announced upcoming changes to postal rates.
As of 1 February 2025, POST Luxembourg will implement a new pricing system. These changes concern both national and international letter and parcel shipments.
Postal items will be divided into six geographical zones: Luxembourg plus five international zones. The rates will remain harmonised for letters up to 50 g and up to 500 g in the Europe and World zones.
Zone 1, which includes neighbouring countries as well as the Netherlands and Portugal, will benefit from "particularly competitive" parcel rates due to the high volume of trade with these destinations. The price of sending a parcel up to 2 kg to zone 1 will drop by 50% compared to the old rates (XL parcel). At the national level, the price of sending a parcel up to 2 kg will decrease by 20% to 30% depending on the dimensions. This new rate structure is set to be "particularly beneficial" for national e-commerce players.
However, as of 1 February 2025, the postage for a standard letter will increase by 20 cents - to €1.20 - for national shipments. For shipments to Europe and the rest of the world, the rates will increase by 30 and 65 cents respectively, to €1.70 and €2.40.
In accordance with the law of 26 December 2012 on postal services, the Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR) has approved the implementation of these new rates by POST Luxembourg for the first level (up to 50 g) of postal items of the universal postal service.
The postage of this first weight level is the basic reference for the rates of postal items of letters of the higher levels. The principle of "multiplier of the reference stamp", introduced in 2015, allows the customer to affix stamps with identical face value taken from the same booklet, regardless of the postage category. As of 1 February 2025, the rates of the different categories of letter items will also be adapted according to this principle.
Non-profit organisations and foundations will continue to benefit from preferential rates. Reduced postage (ATR) for national standard mailing is equivalent to half the usual rate and will be 60 cents as of 1 February 2025.
Postage stamps with a face value lower than the new applicable rates can still be used after 1 February provided that additional postage is added. Stamps without a face value are valid for sending letters of a specific weight without time limit. POST Luxembourg also noted that each household in Luxembourg used just four stamps on average in 2023.
The last changes to postal service rates took effect on 1 September 2022. POST Luxembourg described the new pricing changes as essential to ensure the long-term viability of postal services while meeting customer needs and regulatory requirements. It noted that this was in a context of the structural decline in mail volumes and the increase in associated costs, particularly labour and transport.
(Image credit: POST Luxembourg)
