Universal postal services are for everyone
The right to basic postal services is ensured by the provision of universal services defined in the Postal Act. Traficom monitors the implementation of these services. Universal postal services include postal services that are considered essential, such as delivery of letters and parcels. Traficom obliges at least one postal undertaking to provide universal services if it is necessary to guarantee these services.
Postal services falling within the scope of a so-called universal service must be available to all consumers and companies.
Under the Postal Act (415/2011 (External link)), universal services include the following postal services:
- items of correspondence weighing no more than 2 kilograms that are paid for in cash;
- postal packages weighing no more than 10 kilograms that are paid for in cash;
- registration and insurance services for the above-mentioned letters and parcels;
- postal items arriving in the country weighing no more than 20 kilograms.
All postal items of consumers and businesses are not covered by the Postal Act, and therefore are not included in the universal services. The Postal Act does not apply to the provision of services concerning:
- newspapers and periodicals;
- unaddressed items (such as unaddressed direct marketing);
- items of correspondence where the operation is on a small scale, of minor importance economically and of such an extent that it is not of material importance for the availability of a universal service;
- courier delivery of items of correspondence;
- postal packages outside the scope of a universal service;
- postal operations required by or related to the operations of an entrepreneur.
Postal services falling within the scope of a universal service
Postal services falling within the scope of universal services must be of good quality and available to all. The quality requirements for universal services include:
- the delivery of items of correspondence falling within the scope of a universal service mainly on five weekdays each week;
- requirements for the speed of delivering items of correspondence;
- requirements for the location of service points.
Exceptions to the five-day delivery frequency are allowed, for example, if a household is located in difficult terrain in an archipelago. The number of households subject to the deviation may not exceed 300. The five-day delivery frequency does not apply to letters sent by businesses that are not paid with stamps or other forms of cash payment.
A postal undertaking is also responsible for the confidentiality of the postal items and any damage.
Pricing in universal services
Everyone has the right to have access to postal services that are affordable and provided under reasonable and equal terms.
Under the Postal Act, Posti Ltd. must set affordable, open and non-discriminatory prices for the postal services falling within the scope of universal services.This applies to the services which Posti Ltd. must provide as obliged by Traficom. The obligations related to pricing mainly apply to letters and parcels sent from Finland that are paid with stamps, in cash or by card.
Quality requirements for universal services
Postal services falling within the scope of universal services must be of good quality and available to all. The quality requirements for universal services include:
- the delivery of items of correspondence falling within the scope of a universal service mainly on five weekdays each week;
- requirements for the speed of delivering items of correspondence;
- requirements for the location of service points.
Exceptions to the five-day delivery frequency are allowed if a household is situated in difficult terrain in an archipelago or wilderness area. The number of households subject to the deviation may not exceed 1000. The five-day delivery frequency does not apply to letters sent by businesses that are not paid with stamps or other forms of cash payment.
Traficom publishes information concerning the implementation of universal postal services annually in .
A postal undertaking is also responsible for the confidentiality of the postal items and any damage.
Speed of letter delivery
Of domestic items of correspondence falling within the scope of a universal service, at least
- 50% must arrive on the fourth working day following the day they were posted
- 97% must arrive no later than on the fifht working day following the day they were posted.
Traficom monitors the delivery speed based on independent studies provided by Posti Ltd.
Location and quality of postal service points
Posti Ltd. is obliged to maintain service points at which services falling within the scope of universal services are available. There must be at least one service point in each municipality.
The service points must be located so that the users of the universal service can visit a service point within a reasonable distance of their permanent residence. The distance is considered reasonable if it corresponds to usual distances to other services.
Traficom assesses regularly whether Posti Ltd.'s service point network fulfils the requirements laid down in the Postal Act and decree on service points.
Government Decree on the Location of Postal Service Points (in Finnish) (External link)
Right to use one's own language
Everyone has the right to use postal services in their native language, in Finnish or in Swedish, in a similar manner as when dealing with authorities. In bilingual municipalities, Swedish-speaking customers must have access to postal services in their mother tongue. The needs of the Sámi-speaking population must also be catered for.
Traficom has designated Posti Ltd. as a universal service provider
Traficom designates a postal undertaking to provide postal services falling within the scope of universal services, if necessary.
The availability of universal services has been guaranteed by market conditions only in part and therefore Traficom has designated Posti Ltd. as a universal service provider. Traficom has obliged Posti Ltd. to provide postal services concerning items of correspondence falling within the scope of universal services and postal services concerning parcels sent from Finland to other countries throughout Finland, except Åland. Posti Ltd. is currently the only postal undertaking in Finland which Traficom has obliged to provide universal services.
The regulation on universal postal services is based on the European Union legislation. Åland has its own postal legislation.
Postal Directive (External link)
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