Express mail is an expedited
mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...
delivery service for which the customer pays a premium for faster delivery. Express mail is a service for domestic and international mail, and is in most nations governed by the country's own
postal administration
This is a list of postal entities by country. It includes:
*The governmental authority responsible for postal matters.
*The regulatory authority for the postal sector. Postal regulation may include the establishment of postal policies, postal rate ...
. Since 1999, the international express delivery services are governed by the EMS Cooperative.
Express Mail Service and the EMS Cooperative
Express Mail Service (EMS) is an international express postal service offered by postal-administration members of the
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union (UPU, french: link=no, Union postale universelle), established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874, is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to t ...
(UPU). These administrators created the EMS Cooperative in 1998, within the framework of the UPU, to promote the harmonization and development of postal services worldwide. , EMS was offered by more than 190 countries and territories worldwide.
An independent
auditor
An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting and au ...
measures the express delivery performance of all international EMS operators, and EMS Performance Awards are based on postal operators' performance, including service performance and tracking: gold, silver, or bronze certificate are awarded to EMS Cooperative members depending on their yearly performance. These EMS award winners are recorded in the EMS Cooperative's Hall of Fame.
EMS Cooperative members
Since its creation, 182 postal administrations have joined the EMS Cooperative, representing over 85% of EMS operators worldwide.
Other providers
Many transportation logistics firms offer similar accelerated services.
DHL Express ("DHL"), Federal Express ("
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
"), and
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational corporation, multinational package delivery, shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company ...
("UPS") are the most popular alternatives. However, in many countries such alternative carriers' shipments have different status for several legal purposes. For example, in Russia, shipments from abroad to individuals for private needs are exempt from
customs duties
A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and poli ...
if valued less than €1000 and sent via post or EMS, while when sent by other means the exemption applies to values below €250 only.
In some countries legal notification sent by post and EMS are deemed made on the date of dispatch, while for other couriers on the date of delivery only.
See also
*
Express mail in the United States
The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides Priority Mail Express for domestic U.S. delivery, and offers two international Express Mail services, although only one of them is part of the EMS standard. One is called Priority Mail Express Intern ...
*
Gallows letter
In postal history, a gallows letter was a letter with a "gallows" mark meaning "very quickly".
Gallows letters were official letters or dispatches used by the Privy Council of Elizabeth I of England. To express an extreme degree of urgency of de ...
*
Mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...
*
Pony Express
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...
*
Postal administration
This is a list of postal entities by country. It includes:
*The governmental authority responsible for postal matters.
*The regulatory authority for the postal sector. Postal regulation may include the establishment of postal policies, postal rate ...
*
S10 (UPU standard)
The UPU S10 standard defines a system for assigning 13-character identifiers to international postal items for the purpose of tracking and tracing them during shipping.
With increased liberalization and the possibility of multiple postal services ...
*
Surface Air Lifted Surface Air Lifted (SAL) is a postal service used to send international mail items. Thirty-nine postal authorities provide this service. It is a cost-effective international mail. At first SAL mail is processed and transported by surface in the ...
(SAL)
References
External links
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* (previously called "Express Mail")
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Express Mail
Postal systems
Philatelic terminology