Registered mail without a stamp – a revolutionary change is coming soon
The Polish Post is counting down the days to a groundbreaking change, one the company has been preparing for for many months. In just over two months, a new method of confirming payment for registered letter shipments, both domestically and internationally, will come into effect. On May 1, 2021, the traditional postage stamp will be replaced by a special postage mark in the form of a new sticker with the letter R.
To meet the expectations of customers, Poczta Polska has extended the original deadline for introducing the change from February 1 to May 1, 2021, in order to enable the use of previously purchased stamps.
Changes to the "Regulations for the Provision of Universal Postal Services" are intended to standardize and unify fees for registered letter items, thereby simplifying the mailing process. For Poczta Polska customers, the elimination of the need to affix stamps to registered letter items will primarily mean shorter processing times at post offices. All registered letter items can be mailed in the same manner as parcels or valuables, i.e., without a postage stamp. The customer simply needs to complete the mailing confirmation and hand the item over to a Postal Service employee for dispatch. Confirmation of payment for the shipment will be affixed by a Poczta Polska employee on a dedicated R label, which will be expanded with a dedicated field for this purpose.
From May 1, 2021, postage stamps can still be used to pay for letter shipments, but only for unregistered mail and for collecting purposes.
Confirmation of payment for registered mail in domestic and international circulation by affixing a postage mark in the form of an e-stamp remains unchanged. However, for registered mail paid with an e-stamp, it will not be possible to make an additional payment in the form of postage stamps. If the payment for a given item is incomplete (lower than the price list), the customer should purchase the appropriate e-stamp or pay for the registered mail in cash at the counter. The e-stamp is valid for 365 days, and customers can use unused e-stamps at another time (within the e-stamp's validity period).