A good local supply, which also includes the supply of postal services, is important for the city of Zurich in all quarters. The city is therefore always committed to the concerns of the districts and to the provision of postal services in all districts.
 

Contact and exchange with Swiss Post

Urban Development Zurich has been the responsible contact person at Swiss Post since 2000 and is in regular contact and exchange with it. Before any planned change to the branch network, Swiss Post informs the city development about its project and its approach. Since the opinion of the district and trade associations is important to the city, the conversation with them is sought as early as possible.
 

Defined procedure

The procedure for the closure or relocation of a post office or postal agency is precisely defined in the Postal Ordinance: Swiss Post must consult the authorities of the municipality concerned in advance and strive for an amicable solution. If this does not succeed, the municipality can call the Federal Commission PostCom. The latter checks whether Swiss Post has complied with this obligation and whether the defined accessibility requirements are complied with. She then makes a recommendation to Swiss Post. Swiss Post then makes a final decision on the closure or postponement.
 

Postal agencies for local supply

Postal legislation equates a postal agency with a self-run post office. In principle, the city considers the offer of postal services in so-called postal agencies (e.B pharmacies, grocery stores) to be quite sensible. This is usually associated with longer opening hours, which is advantageous for customers. The shops that act as postal agencies benefit from higher frequencies and thus more customers. As a result, shops in smaller neighbourhood centres in particular are supported – which makes a direct contribution to a functioning local supply . If a business decides to cooperate with Swiss Post, synergies can therefore arise for both sides.

The primary difference in the range of services offered between a post office and a postal agency is the cash deposits that are no longer possible. Compared to traditional post offices, you can make cashless deposits at postal agencies not only with the PostFinance Card, but also with other bank cards (Maestro, V PAY).
 

Basic services in accordance with the law and ordinance

The Postal Act and the Postal Ordinance define what is part of the universal service and which quantitative and qualitative requirements must be met. The basic postal service includes letters up to 1 kg, parcels up to 20 kg as well as newspapers and magazines. Express and courier mail are not part of the basic service. The Postal Ordinance also contains requirements for the accessibility of basic services. These stipulate that 90% of the entire population of Switzerland can reach a post office or postal agency within 20 minutes on foot or by public transport.

The universal service of payment services is regulated separately and is monitored by the Federal Office of Communications. The basic service does not include e.B. mailboxes or postomats. In the event of a repeal or transfer, the City of Zurich therefore has no say.