For business customers

Frequently asked questions

Receive answers to all your questions around ePost

General

How does ePost differentiate between private individuals and business customers?

Private individuals and business customers have different needs when it comes to their mail. There are therefore two separate offers. ePost for private individuals was designed as a mobile app for smartphones (subscription costs). ePost for SMEs is a pure web solution (no subscription but only prices per transaction). There is currently no mobile app for business customers.

How much does ePost cost for business customers?

Receiving digital mail from companies or authorities that are already integrated as senders in ePost is free of charge. There are also three additional paid services: the "ScanningService" (receiving), the "SmartSend" service (sending) and the eArchiv (archiving), which you can activate on top.

Is ePost the same as E-Post Office?

No, ePost is a new service that has emerged from Swiss Post's partnership with KLARA Business AG. The former E-Post Office was retired on 1 August 2021.

Who is behind ePost?

Swiss Post and KLARA Business AG, a Lucerne-based software company that has been a subsidiary of Swiss Post since October 2020.

The Digital letter

1. Basics

Why do we need Digital letter?

Existing channels such as e-mail, customer portals or chat apps are either insecure, non-binding, complicated or inconvenient to use. Digital letter are the only channel that is digital, secure AND binding – like a traditional letter, but faster, cheaper and more efficient.

How are Digital letter different from e-mail?

E-mails are openly visible, comparable to a physical postcard that anyone can read, that can easily be forged and is not legally secure. Digital letter are sent within a closed system: both senders and recipients are verified, contents are encrypted and deliveries are traceable – spam and phishing are therefore excluded.

From when will Digital and Hybrid letter be part of the universal service?

Probably from 1.1.2026. Hybrid letter are expected to become part of the universal postal service; the decision by the Federal Council is expected in December 2025.

Can companies also receive Digital letter? How does that work?
Yes. Companies use the Digital Mailbox for business customers. Digital Letters are delivered there securely, managed centrally and can, if required, be integrated automatically into existing systems. Alternatively, the physical letterbox remains in place.

2. Security and legal certainty

Does postal secrecy also apply to Digital letter?

Yes. Postal secrecy applies unchanged – whether documents are digital or physical. Contents are protected, and even Swiss Post itself has no access.

How are the authenticity and integrity of a Digital letter ensured?

The authenticity and integrity of a Digital letter are ensured by means of a regulated seal in accordance with ZertES and a qualified electronic timestamp. This provides senders and recipients with legal certainty that the document submitted by the sender is genuine and has not been altered.

What types of timestamps exist and what are they used for?
  • Acceptance time – proof of when Swiss Post accepted the letter for delivery
  • Delivery time – proof of when it was delivered to the recipient’s Digital Mailbox
  • Retrieval time – proof of when it was opened or downloaded digitally
  • Non-retrieval time – proof that the letter was not opened or downloaded digitally after 7 days
This means every delivery is documented in an audit-proof way.
Why do companies have to verify their address before they can send Digital letter?
Only registered and verified senders may send Digital letter. This ensures that no abusive communication takes place and that only relevant communications are sent.
Do Digital letter replace secure solutions such as IncaMail?
No. Digital letter complement existing secure e-mail solutions. While IncaMail is designed for e-mail-based communication, Digital letter provide a single delivery channel anchored in the postal service – both digital and physical.

3. Use and integration 

Which interfaces are available?

ePost supports common standards such as REST, MFT, SOAP and SMTP. ERP, CRM or DMS systems can therefore be connected easily. In addition, a WebApp is available that allows you to send documents quickly and easily.

Where can I find the documentation for connecting the interfaces?

You can find the technical documentation on the sub-pages of Swiss Post’s «Sending» section:
https://www.epost.ch/en-ch/business-customers/sending

How complex is integration via oneAPI compared with a classic API?

With a single API, the so-called oneAPI, you can send all of a company’s communications – whether via ePost, eBill or physical mail, etc. This reduces complexity and makes integration simpler and faster than with classic individual APIs.

Can I continue to use my existing print service provider if I want to send Hybrid letter?

Yes. Via MFT (Managed File Transfer), external print service providers can also be integrated into hybrid delivery. This allows digital and physical deliveries to be combined flexibly and existing partnerships to be maintained.
You can also send exclusively via the ePost channel, which does, however, require an API connection.

Will I receive feedback if a delivery is not possible?
Yes. You receive feedback for both digital and physical deliveries – you have full transparency regarding the status of your items.

4. Cost-effectiveness and efficiency

How do the costs of Digital letter differ from those of physical letter?

Every digital delivery is cheaper because printing, paper, enveloping and transport costs are eliminated. Physical delivery takes place when recipients are not digitally reachable via ePost.

How big is the savings potential?

A company with 100’000 items per year pays on average CHF 150’000 for postage and processes (approx. CHF 1.50 per item).

  • With just 5 percent sent digitally (5’000 items): approx. CHF 5’500 saved per year
  • With 30 percent sent digitally (30’000 items): approx. CHF 33’000 saved per year

The more people are digitally reachable in ePost, the greater the potential cost savings. ePost provides various tools and measures to help senders motivate their recipients to onboard to ePost. As a result, the digital delivery rate – and the savings – increase.

How does invoicing and payment work?

All costs – whether digital or physical – are shown transparently and invoiced monthly. Individual payment models are possible for high-volume senders.

How can I increase the digital adoption rate among my recipients?
You already benefit from ePost’s existing user base. In addition, you can actively engage your customers – for example with mailings, invoice inserts, newsletters or campaigns. Swiss Post supports you with consultancy and proven materials so that more people use ePost and choose digital delivery. Your digital share increases step by step – and so do your cost advantages.

5. Implementation and support

How are Digital letter made available in ePost for recipients?

Digital letter remain available in the Digital Mailbox until you delete them or transfer them to an archiving system. For legally compliant long-term storage, the ePost eArchiv is available:

  • Storage in accordance with Swiss legal requirements (e.g. CO, GeBüV)
  • Audit-proof, encrypted and accessible at any time
  • Ideal for documents that must be retained, such as invoices, contracts or official communications
Does the system automatically detect when a recipient changes their delivery preference?

Yes. Changes from digital to physical delivery or vice versa are taken into account automatically – without any additional effort for the sender.

What support does Swiss Post offer for the introduction?

Swiss Post supports companies with personal consultancy, training and support. From the first test item through to full integration, you receive support – step by step.

How does Swiss Post help me to increase the digital adoption rate among my recipients?

Swiss Post actively supports companies and public authorities in encouraging as many recipients as possible to switch to digital reception. Tried-and-tested tools are available for this purpose:

  • Information and marketing materials for customer communication
  • Text modules for mailings or portals
  • Templates for onboarding campaigns
  • Practical tips based on experience

This way, you increase the share of digital deliveries step by step – and with it your savings and process benefits.

Making a start with the Digital Inbox

What are the first steps for making a start with ePost?

Follow these instructions to get digital post right away. To instructions

How do I set up my company profile and the digital private letter box?

In your ePost account, we first invite you to verify your company. To do this, enter your correct company address (the one on the letterbox) in the "Company" section. Confirm the entry and you will receive an authentication code by post within 3-4 days, which you enter here to finally authenticate the company for ePost.

What happens if I change my address or profile details at a later date?
For security reasons, the digital inbox and the scanning service will be paused. Re-verification is required and can be requested again in the account. You will then receive another code by post, which will reactivate the service if successfully entered.
Who can I already receive digital post from free of charge in ePost?

Vaudoise, LuTax (the tax administration of the canton of Lucerne) and the Fédération des Entreprises Romandes are already using the digital letterbox. And new senders are being added all the time.

Anyone who wants to receive more digital mail today has the option of subscribing to the paid scanning service for business customers.  To the scanning service.

To ScanningService

Can I activate more users for the Digital Inbox?
Yes, in the "User management" of the digital inbox, you can enter other users as an "administrator", assign access rights or delete users.  Learn more
Where do I find my digital post?

Log in to the ePost web service at app.epost.ch using your login details. You will see your digital inbox there. You can search for letters and process them from there.

The ScanningService

For business customers

When is the “ScanningService” useful for business customers?

More and more companies and authorities are delivering to the digital inbox. If you already want to receive the majority of your business mail digitally in ePost, it is worth subscribing to the ScanningService. There are many reasons for this: time and cost savings, increased efficiency, access to your ePost from anywhere, environmental friendliness, to name but a few.

How do I see whether my ScanningService is active?

To ensure that your ScanningService is active, please check your subscription in the Widget Store.

In the Widget Store, all activated offers are labelled "subscribed". If this overview is not sufficient for you, you will find a selection of your activated widgets under "My widgets".

How much does the “ScanningService” cost for companies?
Here is a summary of the costs:
  • The cost of scanning is CHF 0.80 per letter/excl. VAT. 
  • The automatic forwarding of non-scannable content costs CHF 2.50 per letter/excl. VAT
  • Ordering an original letter in paper form CHF 5/ excl. VAT per letter (possible within the retention period of 25 days).

The costs are charged monthly. 

What kind of post is not scanned by the ScanningService?

All letter contents that are not made of paper but other materials, e.g. SIM cards, CDs, USB sticks, plastic cards, ID cards, badges, etc., cannot be scanned. 

Letters with a PIN code, money, tickets, personal vouchers, cheques or if the format is larger than A3 or smaller than A6 will also not be scanned. If the contents of a consignment cannot or may not be scanned (these are BU or GU consignments), it will be physically forwarded to the recipient at a charge (CHF 2.50 per letter/excl. VAT).

What happens to consignments with physical objects?

Consignments containing physical items (such as passports, credit cards, etc.) are forwarded to the recipient on the same day by A Mail at CHF 2.50 each and arrive at their domicile 1-2 days later.

SmartSend

All about SmartSend

How does the “SmartSend” service work?

With "SmartSend", you can send letters or invoices that you have created digitally at the click of a mouse. We then do the rest for you: Your letter is printed, enveloped, stamped and sent. It could hardly be more convenient. SmartSend now sends letters via various channels (ePost, physical).

What requirements must my document fulfil so I can send it using “SmartSend”?

We process PDF document types in A4 format, such as: Quotations, contracts, invoices with ISR and perforation or QR invoices, as well as payslips.

Can I have the envelope printed individually?

No, not yet. This service is under development.

Can several people in my company send their mail items with “SmartSend”?

Yes, multiple users can send on behalf of a company. SmartSend data is processed on servers in Switzerland. For data protection reasons, all customer data is irrevocably deleted no later than 12 hours after the consignments have been printed.

Security

Security and Privacy

Where will my data be stored?

All data and documents from you or your customers undergo multi-level encryption and are stored in Switzerland. Only you can read and edit your post; this also applies to KLARA employees.

How secure is ePost and the ScanningService?

ePost is bound by Swiss Post’s IT and data security standards.

  • Verifying your identity is a multi-stage process
  • Two-stage authentication is required during login
  • Your documents are encrypted in such a way that only you can see and read them
  • Communication in the ePost system is also encrypted and incoming post is checked for viruses, which makes it more secure than communicating by e-mail. In other words, you can open and process letters without a second thought.
What happens with the data that is processed with “SmartSend”?

This data is processed on servers in Switzerland and is secured by a multi-stage process. All customer data is permanently deleted at the latest 12 hours after printing the mail items.

Any other questions?

We are happy to help