Express mail
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In most postal systems Express mail refers to an accelerated delivery service for which the customer pays a surcharge and receives faster delivery. Express mail is a service for domestic mail and is governed by a country's own Postal authority. Since 1998 the international accelerated delivery services are governed by the EMS Cooperative.
Express Mail Service (EMS) is an international express postal service offered by postal-administration members of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) which created the EMS Cooperative in 1998 within the framework of the UPU, a specialized agency of the United Nations, to promote the harmonization and development of postal services worldwide. Currently EMS is offered by 138 of the 191 UPU member countries' postal authorities[1] and an integral part of their normal postal services. Seven additional countries have arrangements to deliver EMS items. An independent auditor measures the express delivery performance of all international EMS operators and the each member is awarded a Gold, Silver and Bronze certificate depending on their performance for all year and these countries are recorded in the EMS Cooperative's Hall of Fame.[2]
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[edit] Express mail in the USA
USPS, United States Postal Service, offers EMS but calls the service Global Express Mail[3], which is commonly confused with their service called Express Mail is a specific classification of mail for domestic accelerated postal delivery of the USPS.
[edit] History
Special Delivery, a domestic accelerated delivery service, was introduced on 3 March 1885 initially with a fee of 10c paid by a Special Delivery stamp. It has been transformed into Express Mail that was introduced in 1977 after an experimental period that started in 1971[4] though Special Delivery was not terminated finally terminated until June 8, 1997.[5]
Express Mail is a money-back guaranteed overnight to 2-day service offering, tracking, proof of delivery, and insurance up to $100. Items shipped using this service can be delivered within the 48 contiguous United States and the District of Columbia within 1 to 2 business days.
One advantage of Express Mail is that USPS will deliver 365 days a year, including Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at no additional charge to some locations. USPS competitors often charge for delivering on anything other than a business day. Unlike Priority Mail and First Class Mail, USPS does provide real-time tracking information online and by phone for Express Mail shipments.
A complaint about Express Mail is that USPS is notorious for delivering late.[6] Competitors guarantee overnight delivery by as early as 8:30AM. USPS does not guarantee the delivery time, and frequently requires more than one day to deliver.
[edit] Other express mail providers
Many transportation logistics firms offer similar accelerated services. UPS, DHL and FedEx are the most popular alternatives. Those carriers offer even faster delivery with their Early AM delivery services. Other transportation logistics providers include:
- Aramex
- eCourier
- UCS
- TNT
- Purolator
- Quick International
[edit] References
- ^ EMS membership (retrieved July 2, 2006)
- ^ EMS Hall of Fame (retrieved July 1, 2006)
- ^ USPS Global Express Mail (retrieved July 1, 2006)
- ^ History of the US Postal Service 1775-1993
- ^ 936. U.S. Postal Service--Summary
- ^ Senator Schumer: Express Mail is a great deal especially for small businesses – but the Postal Service has to give us the manpower we need to get it delivered on time
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Complaint about USPS Express Mail service Consumeraffairs.com (visited 9 July 2006)
- EMS, Express Mail Service, Cooperative website
- UPU, Universal Postal Union, EMS webpage
- USPS domestic Express Mail service
- What is EMS?
