Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus

Many phishing messages made to look like they are from Posti are being sent right now. The messages are written in good Finnish and they use the Posti logo. A typical phishing message states that a parcel is on its way to you but has not been delivered because its weight exceeds the maximum weight. The message asks the customer to pay the unpaid postage. These messages are a form of phishing, and you should not click the links in the message.

The details of all parcels being delivered to you can always be found in the OmaPosti app, where you can easily and reliably track your parcels. OmaPosti is a free app that can be downloaded from app stores.

At the moment, the transport of letter items and freight in Finland is not affected by the coronavirus, i.e. items are currently being delivered as normal. The authorities have not set any specific restrictions on item deliveries.

The unexpectedly high volume of parcels handled by the Vantaa logistics center may result in a delivery delay of one day for a small number of parcels. Due to the unexpectedly high volume of parcels in the capital region, some of the parcels will have to be redirected to a pickup point other than the nearest pickup point, for example. The recipient will be notified of this via SMS in the notification of arrival. The unusual redirection measures are aimed at ensuring the smooth delivery and quick pickup of parcels.

Due to limited air transport capacity or a lack of flights, some deliveries from countries outside of Europe might be delayed. The majority of deliveries within Europe are still transported by land as ground transport, which means the delivery times are longer than before the pandemic. Once Posti has received the item, it will be processed and delivered according to the normal schedule.

Flight route cancellations may restrict the delivery of items mailed abroad from Finland. The delivery times and dates are subject to country-specific restrictions. It is also good to keep in mind that it may be difficult to track the items or deliver them by the promised delivery date. In some cases, the item may be delayed because its delivery has been paused to wait for onward transport. In case of business deliveries, please check the opening hours of the recipient to see if they are able to receive items. You can check the country-specific information on our website, where you can also find up-to-date information about foreign deliveries.

Schedules for Christmas mail were planned on the basis of the most accurate information we had at the time; however, due to these exceptional circumstances, there may have been sudden changes to our connections and limitations placed on our transport capacity. Despite our best intentions, some items may have been delayed. On the other hand, some items were delivered quicker than expected. Right now, it looks like items sent to the United States and the United Kingdom will be significantly delayed.

We automatically return international parcels to their senders if there are no transportation connections available to the destination country at the moment or in the near future due to the coronavirus situation. You can check the exceptional situation information concerning postal services here.

We will send you a notice of arrival of the returned parcel. You can apply for compensation for the postage fees of the shipment by filling in the compensation application. Please attach the receipt or another voucher to the application.

Due to the current exceptional situation, the number of parcel, meal and grocery home deliveries has rapidly increased, and we have significantly increased our transport capacity accordingly. However, meal and grocery deliveries take precedence, so some parcel deliveries may experience slight delays, especially in the major cities. In any case, all items will be delivered. You will be contacted to arrange a new delivery time. Due to the coronavirus, we have adjusted our operating model pertaining to home deliveries:

• Contrary to the normal way of working, the item will not be handed to the recipient. Instead, Posti’s driver will ring the doorbell and leave the item in front of the door. The driver will wait a few steps away until the recipient has received the item.

• The driver no longer requests the recipient to sign for the item. Instead, the driver will enter the delivery in Posti’s system.

• If an item that is delivered to the recipient’s home includes a cash-on-delivery fee, the item is directed to a Posti service point for pickup.

• Traditional letter mail and newspapers will be delivered normally.

We maintain an up-to-date contingency plan at posti.fi/korona. You can find the notice in Swedish at posti.fi/coronaviruset and in English at posti.fi/corona.

You can check the opening hours of Posti’s outlets here

As the opening hours of some of Posti’s partners which provide Posti’s services may be unusual, we would recommend checking them on the partner’s website.

Some parcel lockers are located on premises that are completely closed. For example, the lockers situated on the premises of universities. This site provides you with up-to-date information about the closed outlets. Naturally, we no longer direct parcels to these locations during their closure.

Due to the current exceptional situation, the number of parcel, meal and grocery home deliveries has rapidly increased, and we have significantly increased our transport capacity accordingly. However, meal and grocery deliveries take precedence, so some parcel deliveries may experience slight delays, especially in the major cities. In any case, all items will be delivered. The delivery will take place at the latest on the next business day, Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Due to the unexpectedly high volume of parcels and the extended storage times, some of the parcels will have to be redirected to a pickup point other than the nearest pickup point. The recipient will be notified of this via an SMS message in the notification of arrival. As we hope that the recipients will pick up their items at the location stated in the notification, we are unfortunately unable to transfer the item to another pickup point. This enables us to ensure the smooth delivery and quick pickup of parcels for everyone in the best way possible.

All work is carried out according to these instructions so that our personnel will not spread the virus or be infected themselves. According to the current information from THL, the role of surfaces is not significant for the spread of the virus. The risk of contagion via surfaces mainly applies to hospitals, where there are many sick patients or patients with symptoms. When picking up an item from a locker or service point, it is good to keep a safe distance to others and maintain good hand hygiene. We do not recommend that members of risk groups use the lockers, any more than other public spaces.

We currently adhere to the normal policies. If the item is at a Posti Parcel Point, you can ask another person to pick it up on your behalf by providing them with the locker code in the notice of arrival that you received.

If the item is at a Posti store or a partner’s store, another person may pick up the item on your behalf by giving the item ID in the notice of arrival and showing a picture ID or driver’s license.

A power of attorney and ID are required to pick up a registered letter, a letter with advice of delivery or an insured item on behalf of someone else. You can find the power of attorney form here.

Posti’s personnel will sign for an item on behalf of the customer. The identity of the person picking up the item is verified. The personnel will sign for the item in the following format: “Posti + salesperson’s first name and last name.” The advice of delivery is signed by personnel in the same way.

No, you don’t. You can inform the salesperson of the shelf ID on the notice of arrival so that the salesperson can locate the item on their device. You can hold your ID or driver’s license in your hand so that the salesperson is able to read the bar code. It is required for picking up items that need to be signed for.

During the pandemic, we strive to implement all our services according to our promise. Unfortunately, the pandemic may result in force majeure situations, as a result of which delays are not subject to compensation.

Hand sanitizers normally contain alcoholic products. As a flammable liquid, alcohol is classified as a dangerous good when transported. For this reason, it is not permitted to send hand sanitizer in a normal parcel.

If you represent a company that has an agreement in place with Posti, you can send hand sanitizer via Posti’s Smartship as an Express Parcel, Home Parcel, Express Freight or freight. As the additional service, select either LQ (a small quantity of dangerous goods, inner package max. 500 ml) or VAK (a large quantity of dangerous goods), depending on the amount of hand sanitizer you are sending in one parcel.

If you are not a contract customer yet, contact our customer service in contract-related matters.

The Home Parcel is currently the most in-demand option, and we have enough capacity to cover all deliveries. If necessary, we are also able to rapidly increase our home delivery capacity. We have prepared for this in advance with an additional transport fleet and personnel.

According to the current information from THL, the role of surfaces is not significant for the spread of the virus. Therefore, our lockers that are largely open are equally available to persons without a physical impairment.

We are taking measures to prepare for the increasing demand for online grocery deliveries and doing everything we can to provide tailored delivery and pickup services for retail operators.

In everything we do, we aim to prepare carefully and prevent the spread of the virus. That is why we do not currently deliver items that are normally paid upon receipt, as this would require the use of a payment terminal. Invoiced orders by contract customers can be stored (excluding cash on delivery items).

Our employees entering the households of customers are instructed to work in a responsible and professional manner with due consideration for safety:

• Using a face mask and gloves

• Disinfecting your hands before entering and after exiting a residence

• Maintaining a 2-meter safety distance

Yes, you can temporarily suspend or cancel a Pickup and Delivery Service subject to a charge here.

Contrary to the normal way of working, the item will not be handed to the recipient. Instead, Posti’s driver will ring the doorbell and leave the item in front of the door. The driver will wait a few steps away until the recipient has received the item. The driver no longer requests the recipient to sign for the item. Instead, the driver will enter the delivery in Posti’s system.

If an item that is delivered to the recipient’s home includes a cash-on-delivery fee, the item is directed to a Posti service point for pickup.

Traditional letter mail and newspapers will be delivered normally.

The instructions by Posti’s Domestic Services are in line with the recommendations of the authorities, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as well as THL. The most important instruction regarding home care and personal assistance is taking care of good hand hygiene. Protective gloves should be worn in home care, just like in normal situations. A face mask can also be worn on a case-by-case basis. Nurses and helpers should stay at home if they are feeling ill.

Together with municipalities, we have discussed the situation and identified the customers who should be visited under any circumstances. Posti’s home service includes nurses, practical nurses and assisting caregivers with a high professional readiness to act in crisis situations. The customers’ condition is monitored, and in case of sickness, we will act in compliance with the municipal instructions.

Posti’s general instructions now also instruct the Home Service preparations. We also adhere to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s special instructions.

If the item cannot be delivered, it will return initially to Posti’s terminal or pickup point, depending on the item. If we are unable to deliver the item by the service-specific deadline, the item will be returned to the sender.

You can pick up a parcel with a notice of arrival or the item ID. You must always prove your identity when picking up an item. Picking up a valuable mail item (Registered Letter or Parcel, Letter with Advice of Delivery, Post Insured Item) sent to a company requires a power of attorney from the company. The person picking up the item must provide proof of the authorization to represent the recipient company. Companies can prove the procuration with an extract from the trade register not older than three (3) months.

The person holding the procuration of the company can authorize someone else to pick up the item. The authorization can be given for each item specifically with a power of attorney that is valid only once or as a fixed-period authorization covering all mail items.

You can find more information regarding the use of a power of attorney here.

You can find the necessary instructions and links for changing a company’s address conveniently online.

Sending freight as an additional service, such as cash on delivery, is not currently possible during the state of emergency because we are unable to safely hand over items to recipients without using a payment terminal. If Posti receives a cash on delivery freight item, it will be returned to the sender. The same applies to cash on delivery Express Freight items.

For the time being, our freight traffic continues as before. However, the situation in Finland is rapidly changing all the time as the coronavirus epidemic spreads. In addition to a drop in the number of items sent, we are preparing for an increase in the number of absences due to sickness and the related effects. Based on our customer surveys, the number of freight items may decrease in the coming weeks by tens of percent.

The task issued by the Finnish Government for the entire transport sector is to ensure the smooth delivery of items that are critical for the security of supply in Finland. With freight volumes dropping, we will have to plan routes and schedules again, especially in low-volume sparsely populated areas. Some of these routes may have to be cancelled for now. There may also be changes in pickup and delivery routes. Contact your local contact person for more information.

It is of the utmost importance for us that our freight customers also comply with the general safety guidelines issued by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare as well as Posti’s other safety guidelines.

We would also like to remind you that our drivers do not currently accept the recipient’s signature on a mobile device or waybills. Items are signed for by the driver. We also try to avoid other forms of customer contact during item handovers.

We would ask our customers who are sending freight to ensure that items can be delivered to their intended recipients in accordance with the normal procedure. If we are unable to deliver an item to the intended recipient due to the state of emergency, we will be forced to return the item to the sender. However, we always attempt to contact the recipient to arrange delivery. Storing items in our terminals is not possible due to the potential risk of damage and the general lack of space.

We continuously manage our freight operations, reacting quickly to changing situations. Please contact our customer service with queries regarding the daily operations of our freight services. We maintain an up-to-date notification and contingency plan on Posti’s website. You can always find the latest updates at posti.fi/korona. The latest updates are always at the top of the page, with other important links and the Q&A section at the bottom of the page.