| Österreichische Post AG | |
| Type: | Aktiengesellschaft |
| Foundation: | 1999 |
| Location: | Vienna, Austria |
| Key People: | Georg Pölzl (CEO) Elisabeth Stadler (chairwoman of the supervisory board) |
| Industry: | Logistics |
| Products: | Express, package and mail delivery services |
| Revenue: | €1.939 billion (2017) |
| Net Income: | €165 million (2017) |
| Assets: | €1.674 billion (2017) |
| Equity: | €698 million (2017) |
| Num Employees: | 20,500 (2017) |
Österreichische Post is the company responsible for postal service in Austria. This company was established in 1999 after its split-off from the mail corporate division of the former state-owned PTT agency Post- und Telegraphenverwaltung (de; PTV). It is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange.
The first standardised postal service was set up between Innsbruck and Mechelen, Belgium in 1490.[1] By 1563 an extensive system of mail routes existed connecting Vienna with cities in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1722 In Emperor Charles VI made the postal service a government monopoly[2] and by the mid-18th century passenger carrying mail coach service began.
During the 1800s letter boxes, money orders, cash-on-delivery services were introduced[2] and a pneumatic mail system was set up in Vienna in 1875.[1]
The first regular international airmail[3] route between Vienna, Kraków and Lviv was established on March 31, 1918, and terminated on October 15. Three definitive stamps were overprinted "FLUGPOST" for this flight and showed that a regular airmail delivery was feasible even during wartime.[4] [5] Many philatelists consider this regular post delivery with aeroplanes to be the actual start of airmail history.
Postal codes were introduced nationwide in 1966.[1]
Though not in general use until 80 years later, the first postmarks were introduced in 1787 by Georg Khumer, a postmaster in Friesach[2] identifying time and place of use, and Austria's first postage stamps were issued in 1850.[1]
Since 1986 Österreichische Post started Express mail services[1] and is an EMS Cooperative contracted delivery agent within the UPU.[6]
In April 2020, Österreichische Post launched bank99, a credit institution that offers online services as well as personal customer support at around 1,800 service points throughout Austria. Österreichische Post owns 80% of the bank's shares, while a 20% stake is held by CAPITAL BANK – GRAWE GRUPPE AG. Post offices and postal service partners serve as distribution channels, which allows bank99 to potentially provide financial services for 99% percent of the Austrian population, closing supply gaps in rural areas.[7]
Bank99 offers checking accounts for private customers, services for national and international financial transactions, and credit cards. Secure international money transfers are carried out in partnership with Ria Money transfer.[8] The company has positioned itself in opposition to direct banks, offering personal services through a network of physical locations.[9]
In 2019, Austria's data protection authority imposed a fine of 18 million euros ($20 million) on Österreichische Post for illegally using customers’ data, such as ages and addresses, to calculate a probability of which political party they might support and sell its findings.[10]