Swiss Post Carrier Info & Tips
Swiss Post is the Swiss state postal service. It provides correspondence (small packages) and goods delivery services of throughout the country and abroad. The network of international shipments covers more than 200 countries of the world.
The range of services also includes couriers, express delivery, stamp issuance, as well as electronic solutions for mail delivery and customer service. The Swiss Post has become one of the innovators in this area of activity.
SwissPost provides services both for individuals and large businesses. One of them is the SFC (SendFromChina) Warehouse Fulfillment Service. This company works with China mailing in the country via sorting center in Dietzenbach (Germany). When making such shipments in China, Swiss Post track numbers are used.
Swiss Post is owned by the state. The headquarters is located in Bern. The company employs more than 60 thousand people. The Swiss Post includes subsidiaries:
- Post CH Ltd;
- PostFinance Co., Ltd.;
- PostBus Ltd.
History
The history of mail in Switzerland began a lot of time ago. But the story of the Swiss Post begins in 1675, when Bern city councilor Beat Fischer established the first post office in the city. The first 150 years of its existence, the Swiss post underwent changes: it was either split between the cantons, then united as a single post office of the country, and even suffered from an invasion from the French invaders in 1798. Since 1848, the organization began to belong to the Department of Post and Railways. Postal activities were carried out by the bureau, divided into three classes. Post offices began to open even in small settlements.
In general, the decisive round of development of the Swiss Post took place in the 19th century, and the official documentary date of the company's founding is January 1, 1849. In that century, an increasing influx of tourists forced an increase in the number of branches. Almost all the hotels where travelers stayed had post offices. At that time, the organization also managed the most excellent companies that transport passengers.
The first stamps were printed in 1850, and already in the 1850-60s the company became one of the leaders in the speed of delivery among the world's mails. Then the company entered into an agreement and became the first major customer of the newly created Swiss railway. In 1869, the Swiss Post made Switzerland the fourth country in the world to use postcards.
In 1874, on October 9, the Universal Postal Union was created and began work in Bern. Switzerland was one of the initiators of its creation. The executive body of the international organization has become a special bureau.
The twentieth century even more confidently confirmed the plan of the Swiss Post to be the leader in innovation of its kind. Mail delivery motorization began at the start of the century, air mail was started before the First World War, and the first ATMs appeared in the late 1970s.
Each step of the company's history is a step of innovations that make a person’s life more convenient. Currently, the Swiss Post is rightfully recognized as one of the leaders of the continent.
Services
Swiss Post working structure contains a number of basic (postal) and additional services for individuals and companies The company identifies five main categories of services:
- Sending Letters;
- Sending Parcels;
- Receiving Mail;
- Locations;
- Business Solutions.
Next, we describe the areas of activity in each category of these services separately.
Sending Letters / Sending Parcels
Here are collected all the services that are related to the task of delivering a paper letter, documents or parcels of any kind to the client.
- Domestic letters: delivery of letters throughout Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, Switzerland tracking.
- International letters: delivery of letters outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which includes standard (cost-effective) and express delivery services, as well as urgent delivery of important documents.
- Express and Courier: the fastest delivery methods involving couriers; category includes products such as By later today (SameDay afternoon), Today by 9 p.m. (SameDay evening), As quickly as possible by courier and Tomorrow before 9 a.m. (Express "Moon").
- Registered mail: letters with a proof of delivery, the ability to track online and priority delivery (for international letters).
- Bulk mailing of letters (for large volumes): commercial mailing of letters, cards, flyers for recipients.
- Unaddressed mailing: newsletter, including international addresses and 3D advertising.
Receiving mail
Services for those who receive mail regularly.
- Manage receipt of mail: managing the issuance of mail, when the recipient is not able to receive letters and parcels on hand regularly. The client can order sending to neighbors, adjust the time and place of delivery online for each parcel, set the desired delivery time to the main address.
- Receipt locations: delivery to doors (including bulky packages), delivery to points of delivery (2600 points throughout the country), personal mailboxes, etc.
- Change of address: redirection of letters and parcels to a new address, informing senders of a change of address.
- Redirect or retain mail: storage in warehouses or forwarding letters and parcels to a temporary address during the absence of the client
- Incoming business mail: a range of services that make receiving letters and parcels more convenient for businesses.
Locations
All local mail support services belong to this category.
- Payment Transactions: financial sector services for a wide range of customers: money transfers, payments, cash withdrawals and so on.
- Stamps and philately: standard and collection stamps, stamp sets, order stamps with customer prints and so on.
- Shopping: online shopping at the Swiss Post official store (postshop.ch), including stamps, gift cards, stationery, mobile phones, and more.
- Insurance: individual insurance solutions in cooperation with Die Mobiliar partners, which are provided at Swiss Post offices.
- Extract from the criminal records and debt collection register: the option of ordering an official extract from the criminal record register and debt collection directly at the nearest Swiss Post branch.
- Copy of ID document: issuance of a certified copy of the client’s identity card.
- Rental deposit guarantee (without bank deposit from SwissCaution).
Business solutions
The company works closely with business clients and provides them with an extensive network of specialized services. The catalog of business services includes five main areas:
- Promotions and daily mail;
- Goods dispatch and logistics;
- Digitalization and identification;
- Industries;
- You & Swiss Post.
Let us briefly consider the main areas of services in each category.
Promotions and daily mail
- Franking options: WebStamp, Franking machine, Swiss Post Franking, PP Franking.
- Domestic bulk mailings: commercial lists for businesses.
- Direct Marketing: issue of replay cards and referral cards.
- Address management: checking and updating location databases before sending newsletters.
- Incoming Mail: range of services for business client correspondence.
Goods dispatch and logistics
- Digital Commerce: API interface that simplifies the online ordering process for your customers.
- Exports, imports, and customs clearance: commercial cargo delivery to more than 200 countries of the world, including express delivery and a full range of customs services.
- Small consignment and transport: vehicle ordering and assistance in the safe delivery of valuable, fragile or dangerous goods.
- Swiss Post logistics and warehousing: outsourcing of warehouse infrastructure at Swiss Post facilities, including staff.
- Delivery times: delivery of packages to your customers at a given time, including weekends.
Digitalization and identification
- E-Health: a range of services for safe and fast data transfer for the healthcare sector.
- E-mail encryption: encryption of confidential letters and e-mails.
- E-voting: 100% safe and convenient voting system using computer or mobile devices.
- Identification: solutions for quick identification of personalities in the implementation of business processes
- Document solutions: safe and transparent storage and sending of letters and invoices in electronic form.
- Outsourcing: management of various business processes of the company without its participation.
Industries
Consulting and modernization of processes for businesses in certain areas of activity:
- SME;
- Retail and commerce;
- Healthcare;
- Public authorities;
- Banking;
- Print media.
You And Swiss Post
- Become a business customer.
- Price benefits, discounts and rebates.
- Ordering materials.
- Individual solutions.
Examples of tracking numbers
Swiss Post Registered International Postal Items (IGOs) are assigned an international tracking number in UPU (Universal Postal Union) format (S10 standard).
Swiss Post tracking number examples are as follows:
- Up to 2 kg (small packets): Rx123456785CH;
- From 2 to 30 kg (package): Cx123456785CH.
R / C are the indicators of the types of the shipments, “x” position should contain Latin letter from A to Z to make Swiss Post tracking tool more unique, “123456785” is a digital code for uniqueness, and CH is a country origin (CH is Schweiz or Switzerland).
It should be borne in mind that it is impossible to determine the country of the recipient by the IGO track number. This feature is not provided in principle in the structure of the track number.
Time of deliverance
The average delivery time for international shipments is about 2 weeks, or 3-4 in some cases. Domestic shipment will be delivered faster.
Conclusion
Swiss Post is characterized by a long tradition of quality delivery of letters and parcels. This is one of the most advanced state-owned postal companies on the planet, which for centuries has been implementing the latest solutions for fast and efficient delivery. The range of services provided today is the best proof of this.
