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 (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]
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
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.
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]
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.
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.