Six questions about digital letters

1. How do digital letters work?

Swiss Post provides a secure infrastructure for customers to send and receive letters digitally. Private customers use the Post-App, while business customers can send and receive letters directly via their business software. The digital letter is very easy to use: the sender writes the letter on their computer or smartphone, uploads it to the Post-App and enters the recipient’s postal address. The letter is then sent digitally or printed, sealed in an envelope and sent physically – depending on the recipient’s wishes. The letter in digital form is delivered immediately. If the recipient opts for the paper version, the letter will be delivered the next day (A Mail) or after two to three days (B Mail).

2. Who receives digital letters?

In the Post-App, private customers can register free of charge under “My digital post” to receive letters sent digitally. If a customer wishes to continue to receive physical mail from certain senders, they can deactivate these senders from digital receipt. If a customer also wishes to receive mail sent physically in digital form, they can subscribe to a scanning service. This costs CHF 9.90 per month.

3. How much does a digital letter cost?

Receiving a digital letter is free of charge, regardless of the delivery type chosen by the recipient.

Sending a digital letter in a fully digital version costs 40 centimes: delivery takes place immediately. If physical delivery is required, printing and paper costs are incurred in addition to postage. B Mail costs CHF 1.45 and A Mail costs CHF 1.65 (size C5 envelope).

4. What happens to the data?

The digital letter is processed and stored in Switzerland – on a secure, certified infrastructure. The platform meets the requirements of the Postal Services Ordinance. PostCom monitors compliance with these requirements. Digital letters are transmitted in encrypted form. After delivery, the content can only be read by the respective recipient. Swiss Post cannot view the content and does not disclose any data to third parties. The recipient determines the retention period themselves: they can save the digital letter in their Post-App or store it locally without a deadline.

5. What distinguishes a digital letter from an e-mail?

The digital letter has various security features that distinguish it from an e-mail. The customer sends the letter to a postal address. In contrast to an e-mail, the sender and recipient are both verified, i.e. the people who live at the postal address provided, making it impossible to carry out anonymous attempts at fraud, such as “phishing”. A regulated electronic seal guarantees that the digital letter has arrived unaltered in its original form. The qualified time stamp documents the time of acceptance.

6. Is there such a thing as digital registered mail?

With digital letters, you have the option of activating confirmation of collection. This way the sender knows whether the recipient has opened the digital letter. If the recipient does not open the consignment after seven days, the sender receives notification containing “no collection confirmation”. Physical registered mail has the same function: the sender can prove that the letter has been accepted or not accepted by the recipient. However, the high evidential value of registered mail is not regulated by law but recorded in court rulings. There is currently no such judicial assessment of the digital letter with confirmation of collection (as yet).