Since the introduction of the Posta Decree in Hungary, we have been contacted by several e-commerce players seeking guidance on what to do next.

With the assistance of Gergely Székely (TechLegal), we will provide you with an update on the latest regulations concerning cross-border sales in Hungary and walk you through the most important details. 

Of course, interpretations may change in the future, but we will keep you informed of any further updates as well.

What does the decree say?

3/A. § (…) the possibility of using the postal service provided by the universal postal service provider is ensured by businesses with a commercial website on their website, provided that the delivery of the sold goods through postal service contract is made possible by the universal postal service provider in its general terms and conditions. (Government Decree 335/2012.)

Who is the “universal postal service provider”?

In practice, it is Magyar Posta (MPL).

When does it come into effect?

March 28.

Do the regulations apply to you?

• If you don’t have a warehouse in Hungary and you ship directly from another country, the answer is: no.
• If you have a consolidated shipping partner (like Consulting Hungary), the answer is: no.

In both of these cases, however, we recommend that you display a short message in your webshop such as the following: “Delivery through Magyar Posta is not available as we ship directly from a warehouse located outside of Hungary.” This way you can avoid any misinterpretation by the governmental bodies.

• If you have a local warehouse, the answer is: yes, you have to comply with the regulations.

What does the decree require you to do?

Display Magyar Posta (MPL) as a delivery option in your webshop.

What prices should you display?

1. No registration. If you are not registered on MPL’s website, you have to offer the universal postal fees according to the universal postal services as detailed here. Pickup at your warehouse is not possible, you have to send the parcels through dedicated post offices. COD is not available.
2. Registration (“light contracting”). If you register on MPL’s website, you have to display the following prices (gross, VAT included):

Delivered to a parcel machine, Posta Pont or post office: 990 HUF/package.

Home delivery: 

• 0-10 kg: 1990 HUF/box.
• 10-20 kg: 2990 HUF/box.
• 20-40 kg: 5990 HUF/box.

Pickup at your warehouse is provided as an extra service with an extra fee.

1. Individual contract with MPL. This option is available for every webshop, but you have to make some commitments regarding your volumes with MPL. The parcel fees are also subject to an individual deal.

How can you avoid having to individually send out packages at the post office?

If you don’t have the volumes to strike an individual deal with MPL, you can implement the following measures:

1. Additional administrative fees.
2. Increased delivery time.

What’s the best solution for foreign webshops doing cross-border sales in Hungary?

Consolidated shipping.

If you have 50 letter-size parcels a day in Hungary, you can label them, pack them in one box, send them to us, and we can hand them over to your domestic courier partners.

If you are interested in our parcel consolidation service, contact us through our contact form!

This short summary was based on the interpretation of Gergely Székely (TechLegal) with regard to the currently available information, the text of the governmental decree, and various interpretations.