The inevitable replacement of ‘snail mail’ by free, instant online communication has seen postal operators around the world struggling to maintain relevance. However, in Denmark at least, the post office is not giving up without a fight, with hopes that digitizing their stamp system and enabling mobile payment will modernize the service. Launching this Friday, users of the new service will text the word “PORTO” to 1900, receiving a confirmation text in reply along with a string of numbers and letters. These numbers and letters can then be written on the envelope as way of payment, rather than using a stamp, according to a report on Deutsche Welle. The service is currently only available for domestic mail inside Denmark and for letters up to 50g, with the codes remaining active for 7 days. The text stamps will cost the same as a normal domestic first class stamp at DKK 8, plus the cost of sending the text, according to the BBC. This charge will then be drawn from the user’s phone bill. The BBC also quote Henrik Larson, head of private customers at Post Denmark, saying that the service will not lead to the removal of the traditional stamp service: “We will, of course, still keep the Danish stamp tradition alive as the stamp adds qualities to a letter”. A similar service is already in place in Germany, and there rumors of a potential introduction of the service in Sweden as well. Could you be using mobile payments to speed up and modernize your services? (Related: Personalised stamps (or Licking the back of your own face) — Wishing you a merry personalised Christmas — Mobile payment app verifies identity with a photo.) Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

30th March 2011

Email: skrivpost@post.dk

Website: www.postdanmark.dk