Deutsche Post’s parcel subsidiary DHL has announced that it will increase the cost of sending parcels in Germany from July 1. The international company has said the move was necessitated by rising costs across the board. 

DHL to increase cost of sending a parcel from Germany

From July 1, 2022, DHL will increase prices for both national and international parcel shipments, as it battles with higher costs. The cost of sending small and medium parcels within Germany will increase moderately, and international shipments will get more expensive across the board. 

Another change is that the company will no longer give discounted prices to those who pay for their Germany-bound parcel shipments via the internet. By abolishing price differences for postage bought online and in shop branches, the company wants to reduce complexity and make its pricing structure clearer for customers, Deutsche Post said. 

In future, sending a Päckchen S package will cost 3,99 euros in-store and online, instead of 3,79 euros. The M package will cost 4,79 euros rather than 4,50 or 4,39 euros. The two kilogram package, which is only available online, will cost 5,49 euros, rather than 4,99 euros. 

The five kilogram package, which Deutsche Post said is most frequently used by customers, will be priced midway between the previous in-store price (7,49 euros) and online price (5,99 euros) at 6,99 euros. The 10 kilogram and 31,5 kilogram parcels will stick at the previous online price. 

International package rates increase sharply

When it comes to international shipments, the price increases are a little steeper, with Deutsche Post blaming an increase in airfares and the prices charged by its delivery partners abroad. EU-bound packages will cost around 1 - 2 euros more to send, while prices for packages destined for further afield will rise even more. The cost of sending heavy packages to the US will increase by a whopping 104 euros. International parcels still have discounted online rates. 

DHL explained that rising prices had left them with no other option but to pass some of the increase onto customers. “Significantly higher costs for transport, delivery and salaries as well as general cost increases make price increases in national and cross-border parcel shipping unavoidable,” the company said in a statement.