Press releases
Mailing deadlines for letters and parcels
For Swiss Post, the run-up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year. It handles millions of parcels and letters every day. To ensure that they arrive by Christmas Eve, Swiss Post would like to draw your attention to the recommended mailing dates. Inpayments and payment orders are also subject to deadlines if the amounts are to be credited and debited to the accounts in question before the end of the year. Switzerland’s 80 biggest post offices will remain open for postal business until 4 p.m. on 24 and 31 December.
Rich Content Section
Swiss Post handles record amounts of mail during the Christmas period. On peak days, over one million parcels pass through its sorting centres and delivery staff distribute up to 20 million letters, newspapers and promotional mailings each day. To ensure that Christmas mail arrives in time for the holiday period, Swiss Post advises its customers to observe the following deadlines:
| Letters | Parcels | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | A Mail / PostPac Priority1 | 22.12.2014 | 23.12.2014 |
| B Mail / PostPac Economy | 19.12.2014 | 22.12.2014 | |
| Swiss-Courier "Standard", "Rapid" and "Turbo"2 | 24.12.2014 | 24.12.2014 | |
| Swiss-Courier "Lightning"3 | 23.12.2014 | 23.12.2014 | |
| Swiss-Express "Moon"4/5 | 23.12.2014 | 23.12.2014 | |
| Europe | URGENT | 22.12.2014 | 19.12.2014 |
| Other countries | URGENT | 19.12.2014 | 18.12.2014 |
1 Please note the respective cut-off times.
2 Swiss-Courier "Standard", "Rapid" and "Turbo" accepted up until 11 a.m. on 24 and 31.12.2014.
3 Swiss-Courier "Lightning" is not available on 24 and 31.12.2014.
4 Mail your items by the evening deadline; delivery by 11 a.m. (instead of 9 a.m.) on 20, 24 and 31.12.2014.
5 Mail your items by the evening deadline on 30.12.2014; delivery by 11 a.m. (instead of 9 a.m.) on 31.12.2014.
Inpayments made on time
The following deadlines apply to payments which must be debited from a customer’s account and credited to the recipient’s account by the end of 2014:
| Inpayments at post office counters | 27.12.2014 |
|---|---|
| Written payment orders | Received by PostFinance by 25.12.2014 |
| E-finance payments | Approved until 30.12.2014, 23.59 |
| Inpayments to retirement savings account 3a |
|
Extended opening hours over the holiday period
Swiss Post is extending its post office opening hours over the holiday period. On 24 and 31 December, the counters at Switzerland’s 80 biggest post offices will remain open until 4 p.m. The detailed opening hours can be found at the entrance to every post office and online at www.swisspost.ch/locations.
Swiss Post launches automatic SMS notification for parcels
This year, Swiss Post has launched real-time information on incoming parcels just in time for Christmas. Since 8 December 2014, when a consignment arrives at a parcel centre, customers have been able to choose to receive either an SMS or an e-mail advising them of the planned delivery day and parcel details. The "My consignments" service is free of charge and can be ordered via the Swiss Post portal.
Ensuring a trouble-free service
To ensure your mail is processed smoothly, please address and package your items correctly. Swiss Post would like to remind its customers that the address should be placed at the bottom right-hand corner of the parcel and that bright, single-colour packaging materials are particularly well suited to automatic processing. It is also important that parcels are only sealed using adhesive tape, not with string. Swiss Post offers PostPacs as a robust alternative to your own packaging. It recommends that letters containing valuable or fragile items be sent by "Registered" post and parcels be sent using the "Signature" value-added service. Swiss Post has also introduced a range of festive stamps and a wide selection of stationery - all in time for Christmas.