PostNL Seeks €80 Million for 2027, Reaffirms 2026 Financial Outlook
Key Facts
PostNL has requested €80 million in government compensation for the net costs of its universal postal service obligation in 2027, saying delays in amending the rules are putting the sustainability of mail delivery in the Netherlands under pressure. The request came alongside third-quarter results, with revenue rising to €768 million from €762 million in the same period of 2025. The company said adjusted operating profit was in line with expectations, while free cash flow improved during the quarter. PostNL maintained its 2026 financial outlook, estimating free cash flow at around zero. The results put limited revenue growth alongside a clear divergence between business units and declining mail volumes.
In the postal segment, third-quarter revenue was €291 million, compared with €289 million a year earlier, but mail volumes fell 3.6%. Since the start of 2026, volumes have declined 6.3%, excluding the impact of elections. The figures reflect a divergence between revenue and the volume of letters handled, as traditional postal activity continues to contract. PostNL said mail volumes have fallen 70% over the past twenty years. The universal service mainly covers letters customers deposit in mailboxes, the service to which the company’s obligations and regulatory costs are linked.
By contrast, e-commerce revenue rose to €478 million from €466 million in the third quarter of 2025. Volumes increased 2.4%, but that measure includes small parcels shifted from mail to e-commerce. Excluding those transferred parcels, domestic volumes were broadly stable, according to the results data. International volumes, most of which come from Asian online retailers, fell by about 32% during the quarter. The company linked the decline to new customs rules that took effect on 1 July, while the average parcel price continued to rise.
The new European import rules took effect on 1 July 2026 for e-commerce shipments from outside the European Union valued at no more than €150. The rules impose a flat European import charge of €3 for each product category. PostNL’s international shipment volumes fell after the charges took effect, at a time when cross-border parcel volumes rely heavily on Asian online retailers. The postal and e-commerce units therefore moved in opposite directions in terms of revenue and volumes. Overall revenue growth between the two quarters remained limited, despite higher e-commerce revenue.
The compensation request comes amid delays to changes in the legal framework for postal services. PostNL said a new postal bill has been awaiting consideration by the Dutch parliament since 2020. The company is seeking €80 million to cover the net costs of its universal service obligation in 2027. It estimated that continuing to provide the service under the current rules would cost it more than €148 million in total during 2025, 2026 and 2027. By contrast, the postal sector in the Netherlands recorded a result of €2 million in 2025, according to the company, highlighting the gap between the cost of fulfilling the obligation and the sector’s recorded return.
PostNL said preparations to move to mail delivery over three delivery days require at least a year. Implementation would therefore not be possible before the start of 2028, provided a political decision is made by January 2027 at the latest. This timetable links the regulatory reform process to the company’s ability to change how it delivers the service; a delayed decision pushes back the earliest implementation date. The requested compensation remains tied to the net costs of the universal service in 2027, while the bill remains before parliament. The company scheduled its 2026 full-year results for 22 February 2027.