Key points at a glance
- PostPac Priority is usually delivered on the next working day, PostPac Economy within two working days.
- Without an additional service, Swiss Post's liability under its terms and conditions is limited to CHF 500 per parcel. With "Signature", it's up to CHF 1'500; with "Assurance", up to CHF 5'000.
- As a business customer with a franking license, you print your own labels - using Swiss Post's online services or directly from your software.
- Put the tracking number on the delivery note and in the shipping confirmation you send your customers.
Economy or Priority?
For parcels within Switzerland, Swiss Post offers two basic products. Both cover parcels weighing 100 g to 30 kg, ranging in size from A6 to 100 × 60 × 60 cm; larger parcels are classed as bulky goods. Parcels are not delivered on weekends or public holidays.
| PostPac Economy | PostPac Priority | |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | usually within 2 working days | usually on the next working day |
| Suitable for | anything that isn't urgent | spare parts, urgent deliveries |
| Weight and size | 100 g to 30 kg, A6 to 100 × 60 × 60 cm | |
You'll find current prices in the Swiss Post price overview; they depend on factors such as weight and your negotiated terms.
Additional services and liability
Without an additional service, Swiss Post's liability for loss, damage or misdelivery is limited to CHF 500 under its General Terms and Conditions for business customers. If you ship anything more valuable, an additional service is worth it:
- Signature: delivery only against signature, liability up to CHF 1'500. Useful if you want proof that the parcel arrived.
- Assurance: also delivered against signature, liability up to CHF 5'000 - for expensive equipment.
- Other services such as Saturday delivery (Priority only) or "Fragile" for breakable goods.
Note for Signature and Assurance: if the recipient has given Swiss Post a delivery authorization (Zustellgenehmigung), the parcel can be delivered without a signature. The exact conditions are set out in the Swiss Post terms and conditions. Also check whether your own business or transport insurance covers shipments.
Print your own labels instead of going to the counter
With an invoicing relationship (Rechnungsbeziehung) with Swiss Post and a franking license for parcels, you print your own barcoded parcel labels. Swiss Post offers free online services for this; for companies with their own software, there are interfaces (APIs) that let the program generate the label directly. You then drop off the prepaid parcels at the counter or a branch, or hand them over at pickup - no franking on site.
Example: an online shop for bike parts
Jonas ships five to ten parcels a day from his workshop in Winterthur. Small spare parts go by Economy, urgent parts for repair shops by Priority. He sends expensive e-bike batteries with Assurance. He prints the labels on the office printer in the evening, the tracking numbers are on the delivery notes, and in the morning he takes all the parcels to the post office in one trip.
Tracking and delivery notes
Every Swiss Post parcel has a tracking number, which you and your customer can use to follow its status online on the Swiss Post website. Good practice:
- print the tracking number on the delivery note that goes in the parcel,
- send the customer a shipping confirmation with the tracking number,
- enclose the delivery note listing items and quantities - but no prices - so the recipient can check the delivery.
How it works in Easly
In Easly, the parcel label is created directly from the delivery note - no retyping of addresses:
- Label from the delivery note: choose PostPac Economy or Priority, select the weight category and add Signature, Assurance, Saturday delivery or "Fragile" if needed - Easly creates the label via the Swiss Post interface.
- Tracking number automatically on the delivery note: It appears in the PDF with a link to Swiss Post's tracking page and is available as a placeholder in your email templates.
- Tracking in Easly: If tracking is also enabled for your Swiss Post account, you see the current status right in Easly, without opening the Swiss Post website.
- Test mode: For trying things out, Easly creates a free sample label. A real, paid label is only created once you turn off test mode and confirm.
- Without a delivery note, too: You frank returns or other parcels in the "Postage" menu. If you have access to the Swiss Post pricing interface, Easly shows the price there as you enter the details; you can export all shipments to Excel.
For this, you need a Swiss Post business customer account: an invoicing relationship, a franking license and access to the interface. Easly creates labels for parcels within Switzerland; letters still go through Swiss Post as before.
Frequently asked questions
How fast is PostPac Priority?
Priority parcels are usually delivered on the next working day, Economy parcels within two working days. Swiss Post doesn't deliver parcels on weekends or public holidays, unless you book Saturday delivery with Priority.
How much does Swiss Post pay if a parcel is lost?
Without an additional service, Swiss Post's liability under its terms and conditions is limited to CHF 500. With "Signature", liability rises to CHF 1'500; with "Assurance", to CHF 5'000.
Do I need a business customer contract to print labels?
For labels with your own barcode, you need an invoicing relationship with Swiss Post and a franking license for parcels. To connect Easly, you also need access to the Swiss Post interface.
Can I use Easly without Swiss Post access?
Yes. Shipping with Swiss Post is optional. If you frank parcels some other way, you can enter tracking numbers on the delivery note by hand.
Information as of: see above. The product information and General Terms and Conditions of Swiss Post for business customers are authoritative; services and liability limits may change. This article is not a substitute for advice from Swiss Post or your insurer.