The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (November 2009)

Express mail used after the Anschluss in 1938; letters from Austria to Germany required German stamps to be added, resulting in a mixed franking.

In most postal systems express mail refers to an accelerated delivery service for which the customer pays a surcharge and receives faster delivery. Express mail is a service for domestic mail and is governed by a country's own postal administration. Since 1998 the international accelerated delivery services are governed by the EMS Cooperative.

[edit] Express Mail Service

Express Mail Service (EMS) is an international express postal service offered by postal-administration members of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) which created the EMS Cooperative in 1998 within the framework of the UPU, a specialized agency of the United Nations, to promote the harmonization and development of postal services worldwide. Currently EMS is offered by 153 of the 191 UPU member countries' postal authorities^[1] and an integral part of their normal postal services. Seven additional countries have arrangements to deliver EMS items. An independent auditor measures the express delivery performance of all international EMS operators and each member is awarded a Gold, Silver, or Bronze certificate depending on their yearly performance. These countries are recorded in the EMS Cooperative's Hall of Fame.^[2]

[edit] Express Mail in the United States and Express Mail International

The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides Express Mail for domestic U.S. delivery, and offers two EMS categories of services for Express Mail International. One is simply called Express Mail International^[3] and the other service is called Global Express Guaranteed(GXG).^[4] These two USPS International Mail terms are often confused with their service called Express Mail, which is a specific classification of mail for domestic accelerated postal delivery within the U.S.

[edit] History

1944 13¢ Special Delivery stamp

Special Delivery, a domestic accelerated delivery service, was introduced on 3 March 1885 initially with a fee of 10¢ paid by a Special Delivery stamp. It has been transformed into Express Mail, which was introduced in 1977 after an experimental period that started in 1970,^[5] though Special Delivery was not terminated until June 8, 1997.^[6]

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Modern USPS Domestic Delivery Express Mail And International Express Mail Delivery

Express Mail is a money-back guaranteed overnight to 2-day service offering tracking, proof of delivery, and insurance up to $100. Items shipped using this service can be delivered within the 48 contiguous United States and the Washington, D.C. within 1 to 2 business days.

One advantage of Express Mail is that USPS will deliver 365 days a year, including Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays at no additional charge to some locations. USPS competitors often charge for delivering on anything other than a business day. Unlike Priority Mail and First Class Mail, USPS provides real-time tracking information online and by phone for Express Mail shipments.

Global Express Guaranteed(GXG) service is an international expedited delivery service provided through an alliance with FedEx Corporation. It provides reliable, high–speed, guaranteed, and time–definite service from selected Post Office facilities in the United States to a large number of international destinations. (See Countries and Cities Served Section of Publication 141, Global Express Guaranteed Service Guide, for destination service commitments.) Global Express Guaranteed delivery service is guaranteed to meet the specified service standards or the postage paid may be refunded. For almost all network destinations, liability insurance is provided for lost or damaged shipments.

Other private express carriers guarantee overnight or 2-day delivery by as early as 8:30 or 10:30 AM, however, many users have found that Express Mail is more reliable and less expensive than the private carriers' services.^[who?] Many eBay sellers, for example, use Express Mail because the service can be more convenient and cheaper than private carriers. Express Mail also conveys other benefits under specific circumstances; U.S. patent applications and related documents transmitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office via USPS Express Mail carry the postmark date as the date of patent priority, so long as each document is mailed along with a signed certificate of mailing bearing the Express Mail tracking number of the mailing label.

[edit] EMS Cooperative members

Express Mail Service (EMS) service logo

Since its creation, 164 postal administrations have joined the EMS Cooperative, representing over 74% of EMS operators worldwide. In addition, the EMS Cooperative has negotiated EMS delivery contracts on behalf of seven countries: EMS delivery agents.

* Provisional member

[edit] EMS delivery agents

[edit] Other express mail providers

Many transportation logistics firms offer similar accelerated services. UPS, DHL and FedEx are the most popular alternatives. Those carriers offer even faster delivery with their early morning delivery services.

• City-Link Express
• Aramex
• eCourier
• UCS
• TNT
• Purolator
• Quick International

[edit] See also

• Mail
• Pony express
• American Express
• Postal administration
• Click-N-Ship

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• EMS, Express Mail Service, Cooperative website
• UPU, Universal Postal Union, EMS webpage
• USPS domestic Express Mail service
• What is EMS?