Postal Payment Services (PPS)

The postal network, through its worldwide coverage and the combination of electronic, financial and physical dimensions, ensures that all citizens of the world have access to efficient, reliable, secure and affordable electronic payment services. 

The postal network comprises more than 663,000 physical contact points offering remittances, the postal payments services (PPS) a traditionally more affordable formal financial services channel compared to banks, money transfer operators and others.

It does this in the form of an international treaty, known as the Postal Payment Services Agreement (PPSA) and its Regulations. The PPSA and its Regulations define the following products:

− Cash to Cash (including urgent)
− Account to Cash
− Cash to Account
− Account to Account
− Cash on Delivery.

PPS business development and activities are managed by the Postal Payment Services User Group.

Worldwide Electronic Postal Payment Network

It is the UPU's mission to help build a worldwide electronic postal payment network (WEPPN). It does this through its Postal Technology Centre's International Financial System (IFS) software suite. This suite of software tools allows postal operators to offer electronic postal payment services, providing state-of-the-art guarantees to secure payments between designated operators and protecting the interests of consumers, senders and beneficiaries alike. 

The WEPPN is complemented with the UPU trademark “PostTransfer”, the automated clearing and settlement system (PPS*Clearing) and a set of additional tools for business and quality support.

Members of the WEPPN

Postal Technology Centre

Promotional "explainer" videos

PosTransfer explanatory video for designated operators / institutions – "What is PosTransfer all about"

PosTransfer promotional video for customers / clients – "Send money home"




PosTransfer Trademark

This revitalized postal service is now registered worldwide, and is based on real-time technology and high-quality standards, thanks an interconnection platform linking operators to UPU's International Financial System - a software application designed for the real-time exchange of international electronic postal money orders.

Once deployed by the operator, the technology behind the PosTransfer brand enables a highly innovative money transfer service to all its customers, as well as a favourable pricing mechanism. Furthermore, its adoption includes the creation of multilateral agreements with other operators using the trademark, which speeds up the process of increasing the brand's geographical coverage.

Adopting the PosTransfer trademark also means the Posts will have to comply with agreed quality of service standards, requiring them to deliver money orders within a guaranteed period of time – an important factor from the clients' perspective.

The PosTransfer implementation process envisages advertising campaigns linked to the brand that offer compelling information to customers about functional aspects of the service, such as prices and delivery times. Recently the Postransfer Group has finalized the work on elaboration of the set of PosTransfer promotional tools, i.e.: slogans, flyers, posters, roll-up displays, merchandising materials, PosTransfer animated logo and other online ads.

Currently a significant group of countries is in the final stage of adopting the PosTransfer trademark in practice, based on a regional approach. The pioneers are countries from Eastern Europe, Africa as well as the Middle East, and - soon to follow - francophone countries.

The deployment of the PosTransfer trademark is meant to increase the profile of designated operators in the competitive market of electronic money transfers, associating electronic postal payment services with a trustworthy, cost-effective and efficient service.

PosTransfer Newsletter

PosTransfer License Agreement

  • Trademark license agreement
    16.06.2020
    This standardized agreement was prepared for the licensing of the UPU collective trademark, comprising the governing principles defined in accordance with the relevant legal requirements.
    English French

PosTransfer promotional materials

To download a file, please right-click on the link and choose "save link as" or "save target as".

Designated Operators signatories of PosTransfer license

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Postal Payment Services key documents

  • Postal Payment Services Agreement
    16.06.2020

    Postal Payment Services Agreement

    Decisions of the 2016 - Istanbul Congress.

    English French
  • Postal Payment Services Regulations
    16.06.2020

    Postal Payment Services Regulations

    Final Protocol.

    English French
  • Quality of Service Standards
    16.06.2020
    The Postal Operations Council, the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union and the PosTransfer Group have developed the quality of service standards for electronic postal payment orders, which are applicable to the entire worldwide electronic postal payment network (WEPPN). It includes the minimum requirements and measurements.
    English French Arabic Spanish Portuguese Russian
  • Multilateral Agreement
    16.06.2020
    The Multilateral Agreement for Electronic Postal Payment Services governs the exchange of electronic postal payment services between its signatory parties (no need to negotiate bilateral agreements) and enables the execution of electronic postal payment orders in accordance with the Postal Payment Services Agreement and its Regulations. The document also provides guidelines for other bilateral agreements.
    English French Arabic Spanish Portuguese Russian
  • Operational Guide
    16.06.2020
    The document serves as a guide to support designated operators in creating and initializing Postal Payment Services (PPS), being also a reference document to help designated operators (DOs) improve/professionalize their PPS operations.
    English French Arabic

Meeting documents

To view the documents database please visit this link.

Signatories to the Postal Payment Services Agreement

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