Postal services form the cornerstone of our company’s operations. We make sure that letter and parcel services, which are considered a universal service, are available to everyone throughout Finland, five days a week.

What does the obligation to provide universal services mean?

What services does Posti offer to consumers?

Posti offers services for sending, receiving, special occasions and e-transactions.

Consumers can send letters, postcards and parcels at post offices or drop letters bearing a stamp in a letterbox. In sparsely populated areas, letters to be sent can be left for the mail carrier or in one's own mailbox, provided it is equipped with a collection sign.

Postal items can be received in one's own mailbox, mail slot or electronic NetPosti service. Parcels and other items requiring the Addressee's signature can be collected at the post office, or a home delivery service can be ordered for them.

Posti offers a wide range of products for greetings and special occasions, from postcards to gifts. Using a mobile phone or a computer, the sender can also select a postcard which will be delivered as a traditional card.

Posti also offers services to people who are moving or on holiday. For more information on these services, visit Posti's website.

What do Finns think of Posti’s performance?

According to a survey commissioned by Itella in 2007, a total of 81 per cent of consumer customers gave a high score to Posti’s services as a whole. Approximately one in five respondents rated Posti’s performance as moderate or poor. Development issues included a more clear pricing system for parcel services, mail delivery times and quality of delivery. On a scale of 1 to 5, Posti was given an average rating of 3.19.

Quality criteria for postal services have been laid down in legislation.

Quality requirements for universal service and actuals in 2007

Mail delivery

What is an ordinary letter's journey like from sender to addressee?

The journey of letters from sender to addressee is based on detailed schedules, involving a large number of processing stages.

Postal items can be posted by popping them into one of the 8,000 letterboxes or any post offices located around the country.
Items are then collected and transported to post centres or terminals for initial sorting.
During the night, articulated lorries or aeroplanes transport letters between post centres.
Next, items are further sorted at the destination area's post centre or terminal, from where they are transported to delivery offices responsible for pre-delivery sorting.
Finally, items are delivered to their addressees during the next working day.

Where in Finland are deliveries sorted?

The majority of mail is sorted by machine. Finland's eight post centres are located in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Seinäjoki, Lappeenranta, Kuopio and Oulu. Itella's logistics centre for handling the majority of sent parcels is located in Vantaa.

See contact information of Post Centres

How do newspapers reach their subscribers?

A publishing house may ensure the delivery of its newspapers by using its own delivery company or by purchasing the service from Itella. A significant part of Finnish newspapers are delivered to their subscribers' homes seven days a week during early-morning delivery, occurring during the night and morning. In sparsely populated areas, newspapers are often delivered as part of the basic delivery during the daytime, together with letters. The delivery of newspapers is not regulated under legislation, but the related service levels are defined by the publishing houses.

How is it possible that an individual postal item can travel hundreds of kilometres from the sender to the addressee although they live in the same town?

Posti transports and delivers some 12 million items on a daily basis. Processing such huge volumes requires machine sorting, which is centralised in eight post centres located around the country. For this reason, each postal item travels through at least one sorting centre on its route from sender to addressee.

Why are letter boxes grouped?

When letterboxes are located in a group of several boxes, mail delivery is smoother and the mail carrier's work is made easier. Grouping enables easier delivery when a vehicle is used.

A vehicle designed for mail deliveries promotes occupational health and safety and well-being at work. As a result of the correct positioning and grouping of letterboxes, driving the vehicle is safe and disturbs other traffic as little as possible when the vehicle does not have to cross roads, reverse out of driveways and crossroads or stop at letterboxes as often.

Harmonious groups of letterboxes create a tidy and uniform town and landscape. A correctly located letterbox or group of letterboxes does not form an obstacle to snow ploughing or other road maintenance.

By locating and grouping letterboxes in the correct way, Finland Post aims to manage the costs of labour-intensive mail delivery. The management of delivery costs is also necessary in order to maintain a five-day delivery network in the future.

Location of letterboxes and groups of letterboxes

How does Posti serve residents in sparsely populated areas in particular?

In sparsely populated areas, where the local postal outlet is at a distance of over five kilometres, mail carriers will, on request, deliver parcels and other items requiring the Addressee's signature when conducting the basic delivery, free of charge. This service can be agreed by calling the Posti Customer Service at 0200 71000 (local call/mobile call charge), available from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This service is not available in the areas of Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen.

In sparsely populated areas, ordinary letters bearing a stamp can be posted by leaving them with the mail carrier for transporting. Some localities also allow residents to use a collection sign placed on their own mailbox, allowing the residents to send postal items directly from their own mailboxes. The mail carrier will collect such items when next delivering mail to the customer. A collection sign enabling the use of this service has been distributed to people living in areas where the distance to the nearest Posti letterbox is exceptionally long.

Throughout the year, mail carriers sell stamps in sparsely populated areas.

How does Posti ensure mail delivery for aged or physically disabled people?

For aged or physically disabled people, delivery of mail is always arranged on a case-by-case basis.

Mail delivery errors

Will a postal item reach its addressee if its address information is incomplete or erroneous?

Yes, it probably will but its delivery may be delayed. Smooth mail delivery is based on complete and legible address information displayed on postal items. Mail undergoes a number of sorting and processing stages before actual delivery. Any slight error in the postal code during the mechanical sorting process may misdirect mail, which may cause a one or two-day delay in delivery.

Items which cannot be sorted mechanically will be sorted by hand. If there is uncertainty about the addressee, mail is returned to the sender, and if there is uncertainty about the sender, mail is forwarded to Posti's Jyväskylä Investigation Service. The Investigation Service makes use of Posti's comprehensive address register in an attempt to track down addressee or sender information. If this does not work out either, mail is forwarded to FICORA's undeliverable postal items unit, which is authorised to open letters and parcels in order to find out to whom the mail belongs. Incomplete, outdated or illegible address information often leads to delivery delays.

What should I do if mail has been delivered to the wrong address?

Despite highly automated mail processing, people are still involved, which is why misdeliveries are possible, albeit uncommon. In the case of misdelivered postal items, Posti would be grateful if the recipient would mark the item with 'väärin jaettu' (misdelivered) and return it to the nearest yellow letterbox, postal outlet or to the mail carrier. If you have any questions, you can call Posti's Customer Service at 0200 71000.

How often do errors occur in mail delivery?

Delivery of mail requires rapidity and accuracy, and it is work carried out by people. Mail delivery and sorting is conducted daily by some 17,000 people, to enable the delivery of 12 million items every working day. Considering the large scale of our operations, mistakes cannot be avoided completely. It is possible that, on occasions, postal items are delivered to the wrong addressee, delivered late or fail to reach their addressees.

An ordinary letter is transported, processed and delivered without individual tracking and the Addressee's signature. Annually, customers make approximately 18,000 missing item inquiries, of which some 11,000 concern ordinary letters. Approximately half of these inquiries can be solved. The unsolved cases, however, do not always involve items which were lost while they were in the possession and under the responsibility of Posti. Often the missing cases were caused by a factor independent of Posti. For instance, if the item's address information is incomplete or erroneous, delivery of the item may be impossible. In addition, a certain number of items disappear due to vandalism or crimes targeted at letterboxes or mailboxes.

Addresses, moving and contact information

What kind of services does Posti offer for holidaymakers or people moving house?

In order to have your mail delivered to the correct address from the correct date, you should submit the change-of-address notification or notice of delivery interruption well in advance. On the Internet and by telephone, you can also submit a notification for family members moving at the same time. More information on moving is available on www.posti.fi/changeaddress/index.html.

Posti will automatically inform a number of companies and organisations of changed contact information. A listing of these companies and organisations is available on the Posti website.

Holidaymakers can choose either a fixed-term change of address, or delivery interruption. A fixed-term change of address redirects your mail to your holiday address. If you wish to redirect newspapers, too, you should contact the newspaper publisher. During delivery interruption, incoming mail will be retained for the designated period, and will be available for collection at your local post office.

How can I submit a change of address or a notification of move or interrupt mail delivery?

The quickest and most inexpensive way of filing a change of address is via the Internet at www.changeaddress.fi. The change-of-address telephone service (0203 456 456) is available 24/7. The notification can also be filed on a form at all post offices.

What does 'Posti contact information services' mean?

By using these services, consumers can direct their mail delivery, submit a change of address, redirect mail to the summer cottage or interrupt mail delivery for the duration of a holiday trip. A change of address can also be reported to the Local Register Office through the same service. In addition to your home address, other contact information can be updated with the service, such as a telephone number, e-mail address, and addresses to your workplace or summer cottage.

The service is available on the Internet at yhteystietosi.posti.fi (Please note: no 'www.' in the address.)

Postcards

What does the future of the traditional postcard look like?

The postcard has held its ground throughout the 2000s and, in particular, cards are sent seasonally, e.g. at Christmastime, or for other special reasons. A study commissioned by Itella in 2007 indicated that a paper card is seen as valuable in itself, and fifty per cent of consumers intend to keep sending paper cards only, while over one third plan to post both paper cards and cards sent electronically. Only two per cent intend to use electronically sent cards only. Postcards bring joy to recipients and most people also keep the cards they receive.

What kind of electronic options does Posti offer for sending greetings?

Cards can be sent via the Internet, in the form of ePostcards, and by using the Mobile postcard application downloadable for mobile phones. In these cases, the addressee receives a genuine paper postcard by mail.

Stamps

Where do stamp topics come from?

In Finland, anyone can suggest a topic for a stamp. All you need to do is to compose a free-form proposal in writing, via the Internet if you like: www.posti.fi/postimerkki. On this website you can submit your suggestion and provide reasons for why this topic should be perpetuated on a stamp. Each proposal will be reviewed. Publishing decisions are made by the Stamp Committee nominated by Itella Corporation, comprising both Itella representatives and outsiders. Some 50 proposals have been received on an annual basis

What is a Customised Stamp?

The customised stamp is a self-adhesive 1st class no value indicator stamp based on a photograph chosen by the customer. Customised stamps are available in sheets of 20 stamps or booklets of 8 stamps. The minimum order volume is three booklets. Customised stamps can be ordered by registering with the web service at www.posti.fi/omakuvapostimerkki (service in Finnish).

Are old FIM-denominated stamps still valid?

Yes they are. All FIM-dominated stamps issued since 1963 will remain valid until the end of 2011. FIM- and euro-denominated stamps can be used simultaneously. You should always check the postage value of FIM-denominated stamps in euros on the website posti.fi.

Post offices and outlets

Why postal services are sometimes transferred and offered in companies?

The renewal of the post office and outlet network was initiated due to changes in customers' needs and consumer behaviour. Internet and the phone have also become popular channels with regard to postal errands. Increased competition in parcel services, on the other hand, is affecting the number of items handed out from post offices. Together, these factors have generated a need to enhance Posti's service operations.

Through co-operation with independent entrepreneurs, we can guarantee a nationwide network which is as comprehensive as possible. This also allows the presence of postal services in locations where maintaining a post office run by Posti is not financially possible.

Are the services offered in post offices and postal outlets managed by independent entrepreneurs different?

No. Postal outlets located in connection with enterprises offer all of the same postal services as in Posti's own outlets.

Why do the ranges of offering vary by post office?

The product ranges in Posti's own outlets support the basic task of a post office: receiving and handing out items. For instance, packaging materials and gift items suitable for mailing fit in well with such a range, while sweets boost other sales.

Posti's outlets operating in connection with other service companies indeed vary, but their basic offerings also include products and services related to mailing and packaging.

Is Posti still involved in advance voting for elections in Finland?

Advance voting for presidential, parliamentary or local elections has taken place in postal outlets since 1970. While advance voting locations in the entire country were previously defined by the Ministry of Justice, as of 2002, municipalities have been responsible for arranging advance voting. On a case-by-case basis, Itella and municipalities negotiate over which postal outlet will serve as the advance voting facility. Agency shops run by retailers cannot serve as advance voting venues.

Posti's phone and web services

What are the opening hours of Posti's Call Centre? In what languages can customers obtain service?

Posti Customer Service for consumers is open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For service in English or Finnish, call 0200 71000 (local call/mobile call charge). For service in Swedish, call 0200 27100 (local call/mobile call charge).

How much does it cost to phone the Call Centre?

A customer calling our Customer Service will pay a local call charge or mobile call charge to the customer's telephone operator company. The time subject to charge will begin immediately after Posti replies to it, meaning that the queuing time for the Customer Service is charged, too. No supplementary fees will be charged from the caller.

Why is it not possible to phone a certain post office directly?

Telephone communications have been centralised in Posti's Customer Service, open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 to 2 p.m. This frees up the employees working at the post offices to concentrate on serving customer who arrive at the post office. Customer Service is able to use the same information systems as the post offices, so, for instance, information concerning an arriving parcel will be visible at Customer Service. If necessary, a call will be forwarded to the post office concerned.

In what other ways can Posti be contacted?

In addition to calling, customers may submit questions or feedback on our website.

You can also send e-mail, to asiakaspalvelu@posti.fi. In addition, feedback forms on paper are available at each post office.

Posti in figures

To how many addresses does Posti deliver mail?

Posti's daytime delivery reaches all 2.5 million Finnish households and 240,000 companies and other organisations, five days a week.

How many postal items does Posti deliver per day and year?

Every working day, Posti delivers almost 12 million items letters, magazines, newspapers and direct mail. Every year, some 3 billion items are processed.

How many kilometres do mail carriers and vehicles travel in a day and in a year?

The mail carriers’ daily delivery routes total 250,000 kilometres. Itella’s fleet of over 5,000 vehicles for delivery and transport covers over 170 million kilometres annually, corresponding to travelling 11 times round the globe every weekday.

How many yellow letterboxes does Posti have in Finland?

People can post their mail in 8,000 yellow letterboxes and in all post offices across the country.

How many post offices are there in Finland?

Posti has one of the most comprehensive service networks in Finland, with at least one post office in each mainland municipality. Approximately 1,130 post offices are located around the country, most of them in connection with service companies. The post offices located in the Åland Islands are under the responsibility of Posten på Åland, an independent postal company.

Post Office Search

How many calls are made to Call Centre?

The Call Centre answers around 2 million telephone calls and 90,000 e-mail queries per year.

How much money do households use for postal expenses?

Annually, a Finnish household uses an average of 28 euros for postal expenses.

How many postcards are sent annually?

The annual number of postcards sent in Finland totals some 70 million, Christmas greetings accounting for well over 50 million, Valentine's Day greetings around 5 million and Easter greetings some 1.5 million.

How many Christmas cards are sent annually?

Finns post over 50 million Christmas greetings every year. Christmas cards have held their ground despite the increasing penetration rate of electronic communication.

How many changes of address are submitted on an annual basis?

Every year, more than 850,000 households and around 25,000 companies file changes of address of various types (permanent or fixed-term, mail delivery interruption). Some 80,000 households redirect their mail to a summer address, or agree on a delivery interruption.

What are social bookmarks?

Media

About Postal services in Finland

General information on postal services

How does Itella ensure the management of postal services?