Deutsche Post's New Delivery System: Why Some Days Bring No Letters to Your Mailbox

Deutsche Post has implemented a new delivery system that allows for slower mail service, a move enabled by a postal law reform that took effect in 2025. The company is utilizing new legal flexibility that permits a nearly two-day slowdown in average letter delivery times. Previously, 80% of letters had to arrive the next business day (E+1), a standard the company met. Now, the requirement is for 95% to arrive by the third business day (E+3) and 99% by the fourth (E+4). Deutsche Post reports it met these new targets in 2024, with 97.4% arriving by E+3 and 99.0% by E+4.

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0.1 to 0.2 percent of letters have an incorrect address, they run back to address checking to avoid random delivery – with the consequence that these letters arrive delayed, which is not a mistake by Deutsche Post.

This shift is partly attributed to the declining importance of rapid letter delivery in the digital age, where urgent communication typically occurs via email or messaging apps. The company has introduced an "A-B steering" approach, where letters are bundled for specific delivery days. This means that some households may not receive mail on certain days, as letters are held back for a "strong day" of delivery. However, Mondays remain an exception, with all mail being delivered as usual.

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If you add further special cases like unlabelled mailboxes, problems with property access and the like, for which we can do nothing, then you are relatively quickly at one percent.

Deutsche Post CEO Tobias Meyer highlighted challenges that can cause delays, including incorrect addresses, which account for 0.1% to 0.2% of mail and require re-routing for address verification. He also cited issues like unlabelled mailboxes, property access problems, and external factors such as bridge closures or severe winter weather. Meyer emphasized that the company adheres to labor regulations, unlike some competitors who rely on subcontractors, which can also impact delivery times during adverse conditions.

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There are strong days and weak days at the Post.