Home Business News India Post defines document, parcel; notifies new speed service rate for bulk customers
The Department of Posts, for the first time, has notified the definition of a document comprising a letter and any printed or complimentary items without resale value, which will attract lower shipping rates, while the rest of the items will fall under the parcel category. By PTI July 27, 2026, 9:16:44 PM IST (Published)
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The Department of Posts, for the first time, has notified the definition of a document comprising a letter and any printed or complimentary items without resale value, which will attract lower shipping rates, while the rest of the items will fall under the parcel category. The department has also notified rates of 24 Speed Post and 48 Speed Post services for retail and bulk customers.
The 24 Speed Post and 48 Speed Post services promise delivery in 24 hours and 48 hours, respectively. According to the notification, banking, financial services and insurance items such as welcome kits or letters, passbooks, cheque books, bank statements, plastic cards, debit cards and credit cards will fall under the category of documents.
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The document category will also include government documents such as PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, Electoral Photo Identity Cards, passports, driving licences and items weighing up to 500 grams, such as Rakhi envelopes or packages, greeting cards or packages, except merchandise or commercial items. “All items other than the items referred to in Note 1 shall be dealt with under parcel category,” the notification said. For retail customers, there is no change in service rates, but it has additionally notified rates for bulk bookings in the letter category.
An item booked under 24 Speed Post will cost ₹38 to ₹186 apiece, based on the weight and distance of the destination, with effect from August 1 for retail customers. A contractual bulk customer will have to pay ₹38 to ₹100 for the 24-hour Speed Post service and ₹48 to ₹72 for the 48 Speed Post service. In the case of 48 Speed Post, the charges will range from ₹48 to ₹72 apiece.
The new 24 Speed Post and 48 Speed Post services promise delivery within 24 hours and 48 hours, respectively. These services are currently available only in six cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Under the 24 Speed Post service for retail customers, an item weighing less than 50 grams will cost ₹38 for local delivery and ₹94 apiece for delivery across India, excluding GST. The price slab for the letter category for items weighing 51-250 grams ranges from ₹118 to ₹154 apiece, while the third slab for items weighing 251-500 grams ranges from ₹140 to ₹186 apiece for retail customers. The 48 Speed Post service will cost ₹61 to ₹121 apiece, based on the weight and shipping destination, for retail customers.
