PostNL seeks state compensation for 2027, confirms 2026 outlook as Q3 revenue rise

Dutch postal group PostNL said on Monday it had applied for state compensation for 2027 after political delays to postal law reform made a planned shift to slower mail delivery unworkable, while confirming its 2026 outlook.

Chief executive Pim Berendsen said the changes to the Postal Act had been postponed again, so "the transition to standard delivery within 3 business days in 2027 is no longer feasible." He called net cost compensation in transitional years necessary.

PostNL expects 2026 free cash flow of around 0, and said free cash flow developed favourably in the third quarter.

Third-quarter revenue was €768 million, versus €762 million in Q3 2025. Normalised EBIT was in line with expectations and followed its usual seasonal pattern.

Since mid-July, the standard delivery time for all mail has been extended to within two days. Mail revenue was €291 million, compared with €289 million in the third quarter of 2025, while volumes fell 3.6%. Volumes are down 6.3% so far this year, excluding elections.

E-commerce revenue rose to €478 million from €466 million in the third quarter of 2025. Volumes increased 2.4%, including letterbox parcels transferred from mail, while domestic volumes were broadly flat excluding those parcels. 

International volumes, mainly from Asian webshops, fell almost 32% as new customs rules took effect on July 1. The average price per parcel continued to rise.

Platforms revenue fell to €173 million from €188 million in the third quarter of 2025. Volumes declined 13.1% as a steep drop in Asian webshop and European mail volumes more than offset growth of over 40% in European e-commerce.

PostNL said it is ramping up for peak season.