Express mail

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 in most countries governed by a country's own postal administration. Since 1998 the international accelerated delivery services are governed by the EMS Cooperative.

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Express Mail Service and the EMS Cooperative

Express Mail Service (EMS) is an international express postal service offered by postal-administration members of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). These administrators created the EMS Cooperative in 1998 within the framework of the UPU to promote the harmonization and development of postal services worldwide. As of July 2006, EMS is offered by 154 of the 191 UPU member countries' postal authorities[1] as 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. EMS Performance Awards are based on postal operator's performance, including service performance and tracking. Gold, Silver, or Bronze certificate are awarded to EMS Cooperative members depending on their yearly performance. These EMS award winners are recorded in the EMS Cooperative's Hall of Fame.[2]

EMS Cooperative members

Since its creation, 169 postal administrations have joined the EMS Cooperative, representing over 82% of EMS operators worldwide[3].

EMS member Operator name
 Afghanistan Afghan Post - Expresspost (EMS)
 Albania Albanian Post sh.a - EMS Service
 Algeria Algerie Post - E.M.S Service champion-poste
 Angola Correios de Angola - EMS
 Anguilla Anguilla Postal Service - EMS
 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda Post
 Argentina Correo Argentino - EMS
 Armenia Haypost - EMS Armenia
 Aruba Post Aruba - EMS
 Australia Australia Post – Express Courier International
 Austria* Oesterreichische Post AG
 Azerbaijan EMS Azerexpresspost
 Bahamas Bahamas Postal Service - EMS
 Bangladesh Bangladesh Post - EMS
 Barbados Barbados Post
 Belarus RUE "Belpochta" - EMS Belarus
 Belgium Taxipost s.a.
 Belize Belize Postal Service
 Benin Benin Post
 Bermuda International Data Express – Bermuda
 Bhutan Bhutan Post Express Mail Service
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Public Enterprise BH Post
 Botswana Botswana Post – EMS
 Brazil Correios do Brasil
 Brunei Darussalam Brunei Darussalam Postal Services
 Bulgaria EMS / BULPOST
 Burkina Faso Sonopost - Burkina Faso
 Burundi EMS Burundi
 Cameroon EMS Course Cameroun - EMS
 Canada Xpresspost – Canada Post
 Cape Verde Poste Du Cap Vert
 Cayman Islands Cayman Islands Postal Service
 Central African Republic Central African EMS
 Chad EMS-Tchad
 Chile Correos Chile - EMS
 China, People's Republic China Postal Express&Logistics Corporation
 Colombia EMS International
 Comoros Societé Nationale des Postes et des Services Financiers
 Republic of the Congo Congo EMS
 Costa Rica Correos de Costa Rica
 Croatia Croatian Post – EMS
 Cuba Correos de Cuba
 Cyprus EMS/Datapost Cyprus Post
 Czech Republic Czech Post State Enterprise
 Democratic Republic of the Congo EMS Congo CD
 Denmark* Post Danmark
 Djibouti La Poste de Djibouti
 Dominica Dominica Post
 Dominican Republic INPOSDOM – Instituto Postal Dominicano - EMS
 Ecuador Ecuador EMS
 Egypt Egypt Post - Express Mail (EMS)
 El Salvador EMS El Salvador Post
 Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea Post
 Eritrea EMS – Eritrean Postal Service
 Estonia Estonian Post Ltd - Express Mail Service
 Ethiopia EMS – Ethiopian Postal Service
 Fiji Post Fiji Ltd.
 Finland Itella Corporation
 France La Poste - Chronopost
 Gabon EMS Delta+
 Gambia EMS Gambia
 Georgia Georgian International EMS
 Germany* Deutsche Post
 Ghana Ghana Post
 Gibraltar . Royal Gibraltar Post Office
 Greece Tachymetaphores ELTA S.A.
 Grenada Grenada Postal Corporation
 Guinea Guinea Post
 Guyana Guyana Postal Corporation
 Hong Kong Hongkong Post - Speedpost
 Hungary Magyar Posta Zrt.
 India India Post - EMS Speed Post
 Indonesia PT Pos Indonesia (Ltd) - EMS
 Iran Pishtaz Post
 Iraq Iraq Post
 Ireland An Post
 Israel Israel Postal Company Ltd. - EMS
 Italy Post Italiane - EMS
 Jamaica Jamaica Post - International Express Mail (EMS)
 Japan Japan Post
 Jordan Jordan Post Company - EMS
 Kazakhstan EMS Kazpost
 Kenya Postal Corporation of Kenya
 Korea, South Korea Post EMS
 Kuwait Kuwait Post
 Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Post
 Laos Lao Express
 Latvia Latvia Post - Express
 Lesotho Lesotho Post
 Libya Libyan Jamahiriya Post
 Lithuania Lithuania Post
 Macao Macao Post
 Macedonia Express Mail Service - Macedonia Post
 Madagascar EMS Mailaka
 Malawi EMS Malawi
 Malaysia EMS - Poslaju Malaysia
 Maldives Maldives Post
 Mali EMS/Mali
 Malta Malta Post EMS
 Mauritania MAURIPOST – Société Mauritanienne des Postes
 Mauritius Mauritius Post Ltd.
 Mexico Mexico EMS
 Moldova EMS Moldova
 Mongolia Mongol Postt
 Montenegro Posta Crne Gore
 Morocco EMS Chronopost International Maroc
 Mozambique EMS Mozambique
 Myanmar Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications
 Namibia Namibia Post Limited
 Netherlands* PostNL B.V.
 Netherlands Antilles Post Netherlands Antilles - Expresspost
 New Zealand New Zealand Post Limited
 Nicaragua Correos de Nicaragua
 Niger EMS Chronopost Niger
 Nigeria NIPOST/ EMS Nigeria
 Norway* Posten Norge AS
 Pakistan Pakistan Express Post
 Panama Correos de Panamá
 Papua New Guinea Post PNG
 Paraguay Correo Nacional Paraguayo - EMS
 Peru Serpost - Express Mail Serice
 Philippines Phil Post - international Express Mail Service
 Poland Polish Post SA
 Portugal CTT Expresso
 Romania Posta Rapida (division of C.N. Posta Romana S.A.)
 Russian Federation EMS Russian Post – Subsidiary of FSUE Russian Post
 Saint Kitts and Nevis Express Mail Service
 Saint Lucia Saint Lucia Postal Service - EMS
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Post
 Samoa Samoapost Company Limited
 Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome and Principe Post
 Saudi Arabia Saudi Post
 Senegal EMS Senegal
 Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Postal Service
 Singapore Singapore Post Limited
 Slovakia Slposta
 Slovenia Pošta Slovenije, d.o.o.
 Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Post
 South Africa EMS South Africa
 Spain Postal Expres Internacional (EMS)
 Sri Lanka EMS Speed Post – Sri Lanka
 Sudan Poste Rapide EMS
 Sweden Posten AB
 Switzerland* Swiss Post International
 Syria Syrian Post
 Tanzania E.M.S. Tanzania
 Thailand Thailand Post EMS
 Togo EMS Togo
 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPOSA)
 Tunisia Rapid-Poste Tunisia
 Turkey Turkish Post
 Uganda Uganda Post
 Ukraine EMS Ukraine
 United Arab Emirates Emirates Post - Mumtaz Post EMS
 United Kingdom Parcelforce
 United States of America United States Postal Service/EMS
 Uruguay Correo Uruguayo
 Uzbekistan EMS Falcon
 Vanuatu Vanuatu Post - EMS
 Venezuela Venezuela EMS
 Vietnam Vietnam Express Mail Service Company
 Yemen Yemen Post EMS
 Zambia EMS Zambia
 Zimbabwe EMS Zimpost

* Provisional member

Express Mail in the United States and Express Mail International

The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides Express Mail for domestic U.S. delivery, and offers two EMS categories of services for Express Mail International. One is simply called Express Mail International[4] and the other service is called Global Express Guaranteed(GXG).[5] These two USPS International Mail terms are often confused with their service called Express Mail, which is a specific classification of mail for domestic accelerated postal delivery within the U.S.

History

Special Delivery, a domestic accelerated delivery service, was introduced on 3 March 1885 initially with a fee of 10¢ paid by a Special Delivery stamp. It has been transformed into Express Mail, which was introduced in 1977 after an experimental period that started in 1970,[6] though Special Delivery was not terminated until June 8, 1997.[7]

Modern USPS Domestic Delivery Express Mail And International Express Mail Delivery

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 Washington, D.C. within 1 to 2 business days. Packages sent to Canada, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii frequently require up to 2 additional business days.

One advantage of Express Mail is that USPS will deliver 365 days a year, including Saturdays, Sundays, and federal 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 provides real-time tracking information online and by phone for Express Mail shipments.

Global Express Guaranteed(GXG) service is an international expedited delivery service provided through an alliance with FedEx Corporation. It provides reliable, high–speed, guaranteed, and time–definite service from selected Post Office facilities in the United States to a large number of international destinations. (See Countries and Cities Served Section of Publication 141, Global Express Guaranteed Service Guide, for destination service commitments.) Global Express Guaranteed delivery service is guaranteed to meet the specified service standards or the postage paid may be refunded. For almost all network destinations, liability insurance is provided for lost or damaged shipments.

Other private express carriers guarantee overnight or 2-day delivery by as early as 8:30 or 10:30 AM. Express Mail also conveys other benefits under specific circumstances; U.S. patent applications and related documents transmitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office via USPS Express Mail carry the postmark date as the date of patent priority, so long as each document is mailed along with a signed certificate of mailing bearing the Express Mail tracking number of the mailing label.

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 morning delivery services.

See also

References

  1. ^ [1] (retrieved March 1, 2010)
  2. ^ EMS Hall of Fame (retrieved March 1, 2010)
  3. ^ Members of the EMS Cooperative (retrieved December 16, 2011)
  4. ^ Express Mail International International Mail Manual – Issue 35 (retrieved April 10, 2008)
  5. ^ USPS Global Express Guaranteed International Mail Manual – Issue 35 (retrieved April 10, 2008)
  6. ^ "Significant Dates in Postal History". Postal History. USPS. http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub100/pub100_076.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-01. 
  7. ^ "U.S. Postal Service – Summary statistics – USA Census numbers". allcountries.org. http://www.allcountries.org/uscensus/936_u_s_postal_service_summary.html. Retrieved 2010-10-01. 

External links