Postal Deed of Understanding

About the Deed

Since 1989 New Zealand Post and the government have been parties to Deeds of Understanding setting out certain minimum obligations New Zealand Post, as the national mail carrier, is required to meet.

The government uses disclosure regulations to monitor compliance with the Deed of Understanding and also the Postal Services Act 1998.

The Deed of Understanding has been updated and amended to take into account changes in service use and market conditions. The basis for the present version was agreed in 1998, with amendments in 2010, 2013, 2018, 2022 and most recently in 2025.

2024 Deed Review

In 2024, The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment consulted on proposed changes to the postal Deed of Understanding. Submissions on this consultation closed on 10 December 2024. MBIE will publish a summary of the submissions on this page in due course.

2025 changes to the Deed

Following consultation, an amended Deed was agreed upon. The changes are designed to reflect how people now use the postal service, and to strike a balance between ensuring New Zealanders have access to a mail service, while providing flexibility for New Zealand Post to operate it in a commercially sustainable way.

Changes to NZ Post minimum obligations to support commercial sustainability of mail service

New Zealand Post's main obligations under the Deed as amended in 2025 are summarised below.

Minimum delivery frequency

A minimum of 3 days per week to rural delivery points and 2 days per week to most other delivery points, including PO Boxes and Private Bags.

A small number of existing delivery points will continue to have a minimum of 1 delivery day per week.

Delivery days must be non-contiguous to ensure delivery is spread out over the week.

Minimum number of delivery points in total

At least 1,910,010.

Commitment to add new delivery points

NZ Post must add new delivery points upon request unless operationally impracticable, or if doing so would jeopardise the commercial sustainability of the postal services NZ Post provides under the Deed. NZ Post may meet this obligation via delivery to communal points, such as nests of letterboxes.

Use of communal delivery points

Communal delivery points are single points which host multiple individual mailboxes, for example entrances to apartment buildings, or multiple mailboxes at the end of long driveways.

NZ Post may convert up to 5% of existing delivery points per year to communal delivery points, provided NZ Post provides affected parties with reasonable notice as well as the opportunity to provide feedback, prior to converting any delivery point.

Retail service points

The minimum number of service points where consumers can purchase basic postal services is 500 for the first 2 years of the amended Deed reducing to a minimum of 400 service points after 4 years.

Under the Deed, NZ Post must maintain at least 240 service points with personal assistance for the first 2 years. This minimum gradually decreases over time, reaching a minimum of 120 after 4 years.

Particular considerations for rural service points

No rural service point closures will be initiated by NZ Post in the first year of the amended Deed (i.e. not before 25 September 2026).

After 25 September 2026, NZ Post must engage with affected rural communities before closing any rural service points.

Access to postal network

Obligation to provide competitors with access to the NZ Post postal network.

Charging

NZ Post shall not re-introduce the rural delivery fee.

Future review

To commence 3 years from the date of the 2025 Deed, or earlier if mail volumes fall below the trigger point of 120 million items in a year.