Overview
- Deutsche Post announced on Tuesday that new format rules take effect 1 January 2027 and will more sharply separate documents from goods to improve machine sortation.
- Under the changes any item thicker than 3 centimetres can no longer be sent as a letter and must go as a DHL Päckchen, DHL Paket or Warensendung.
- The Großbrief gains room and weight allowance to 3 cm and 1,000 g while the Maxibrief becomes flatter with a 3 cm height limit, larger surface area and up to 2 kg weight, and the national Maxibrief with extra fee is removed.
- Sellers who now send books, folded clothing or small boxes as Maxibrief are likely to face higher bills because parcel options are usually costlier than the old Maxibrief.
- Deutsche Post has not published new prices yet and the Bundesnetzagentur must approve any postage changes; DHL is running limited pilot tests of marketplace shipping labels with tracking but broad rollout is unconfirmed.