The price of the postage stamp in 2014

From 1st January 2014, for purchases of ten or more postage stamps, a postage stamp for a standardised mail item within Belgium will cost €0.70 rather than €0.67. The price per stamp is unchanged at €0.77 in 2014.

The price for standardised international mail rises from €1.03 to €1.07 (within Europe) and from €1.24 to €1.29 (rest of the world), provided five or more stamps are purchased. The prices for individual stamps for international mail rise from €1.13 to €1.17 and from €1.34 to €1.39.

The new prices apply to all mail sent at the standard rate. On 1 January bpost will also adjust its prices for the sending of large mail volumes covered by an agreement. On the whole, the average price rise for all domestic mail products for 2014 will be approximately 2.3%.

The price rise is an adjustment for inflation, but is also connected with major investments to modernise the mail and parcel organisation.

The price rise is below the maximum permitted under the Management Contract, as  bpost has achieved the quality requirements in the Management Contract in past years among other things. For instance, average on-time mail delivery was over 95% in 2012.  The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications is currently checking whether the price adjustments are in line with the applicable regulatory stipulations, such as the maximum amount permitted under the Management Contract.

As shown in the comparison below, the new prices put bpost around the average price level of European postal operators.