Postage rates to increase on 27th February in line with Global Postal Trends
5 February 2025
- National stamp will be €1.65 from Thursday 27th February, an increase of 25c
- New stamp price is below European benchmark of €1.88
- Postal prices are increasing globally due to decline in letter volumes & fixed cost networks
- Increase covers cost inflation and impact of falling letter revenue while securing the national letter service – staffing, infrastructure, fleet
- Rates for meter, bulk mail, digital stamps and some other services will also increase
- No increase to domestic large envelopes, packets or Registered Post rates
- Nursing and Care Homes will continue to receive post for free
- Stamp discounts to continue for SMEs
The price changes will cover the cost of providing a world class national letter service to every address taking account of wage increases for postal staff in line with national pay award, increased operating costs and letter volumes which have declined over 8% in the last 12 months, 40% since 2017 and 50% in the last decade.
An Post is an entirely self-funded commercial business owned by the people of Ireland and providing a world class public service. The national Letter service runs on a fixed network which enables next-day delivery anywhere in the State for a uniform price. The cost of the network is driven by the number of homes in the State (which is increasing) while revenue is determined by the volume of letters and price. As the volume decreases the price has to increase. In Denmark for example, where the volume of letters has declined by 85% since 2008 the price of a stamp is €5.23.
SMEs can avail of a €1.55 national stamp rate through the An Post Advantage Card - a discount of 6%. The International letter stamp price will increase from €2.20 to €2.65. In the UK, the equivalent international stamp costs €3.34. Rates for large envelopes, packets and parcels to international destinations will also rise while the innovative national Digital stamp will increase from €2 to €2.22.
PWC has assessed independently that the new pricing is consistent with the regulatory obligations and principles of cost-orientation, affordability and non-discrimination.
By the end of 2025, half of all letters will be delivered by An Post electric vehicles or using alternative fuel to reduce emissions and air pollution in cities and local communities throughout Ireland. Investment to date, all from An Post’s own resources, means that all deliveries and collections within Irish cities are already emission-free.
Conscious of the impact on older customers An Post staff will continue to check in on elderly customers, particularly those living alone in isolated rural areas and will work with Irish charity Alone to support communications services. An Post will also extend to the end of 2025 the free delivery service for all letter and parcels up to 1kg posted to residents of Nursing and Care homes in the State. The Carepack service, for example, has reached over 100,000 residents since 2020.
An Post remains committed to providing a top quality, sustainable postal service to the door for all customers. Increasingly, European countries have reduced letter delivery frequency to once or twice a week and now deliver to mail boxes 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.
David McRedmond, CEO of An Post said: “An Post’s priority is to provide a world-class service for the people and businesses of Ireland. To do this we need to be aligned with global postal trends that see large price increases to compensate for falling volumes due to e-substitution. We’ve worked hard to get the economics right on price for postage by introducing smarter work practices and reducing costs to keep our prices below the European benchmark average, and below the UK. An Post remains entirely self-financed (having repaid a Government loan in full in 2024). While we manage the decline in postal, An Post is also investing heavily in the parcel and eCommerce business which is growing rapidly."
Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Letters and Parcels commented: “An Post’s quality of service is amongst the highest in Europe. We’re alleviating the impact on SMEs and personal customers by providing discounts and regular price promotions through the year at post offices and online. I’m also pleased to confirm that An Post’s Community Focus supports including free postage up to 1kg to all nursing and care homes will continue throughout 2025."
“We’re pleased to retain the current pricing for our Registered Mail Service. With the continued expansion of our electric delivery fleet, we will protect our customers and support Irish businesses, bringing air pollution levels down, helping Ireland to reach its emission goals while ensuring safe, decent work and working conditions for all our people”, he added.
All existing stamps with ‘N’ (National) and ‘W’ (Worldwide) or specific euro denominations remain valid and fully useable after 27th February 2025.
Download the guide to postal rates
Download the postal rates wall chart
Download the Bulk Meter discount rates
Download the Bulk Ceadunas discount rates
