For many people, sending a card or letter is still a meaningful act, but the process of getting a stamp is anything but convenient. What if you’re out of stamps, the local post office is closed, or you're miles from the nearest branch? The Covid lockdown amplified these obstacles, making it even more apparent that it was time to change the experience of sending mail in Ireland.

An Post understood that its customers needed a new user experience, one that was easy to use, overcame the current obstacles and would support An Post’s people-centred vision. A stamp you could access anytime, anywhere, did not require printers or specialist paper and removed the arduous task of waiting in line.  

In fact, all you’d need is the phone in your pocket. 

For customers, the experience would be:

• Effortless to use, with minimal clicks or data entry
• Flexible, with broad coverage for different item sizes and service types
• Built to evolve with new features.

Throughout early conceptualisation, we evaluated what worked best with real end-users. This gave us valuable feedback and insights that we applied to refine both the stamp's design and experience. We created prototypes to simulate real-world usage, which allowed us to test and enhance in an iterative cycle to strengthen the app's overall quality and user experience. 

In collaboration with the An Post team, we shaped a clear product vision and defined a roadmap that balanced speed to market with long-term scalability. We then moved into delivery using an agile implementation methodology, which delivered the digital stamp solution to the market.

Today, anyone in Ireland can buy a digital stamp through the An Post app with just a few taps. Once purchased, the customer receives a 12-digit code valid for 180 days. They just write it on a card or envelope where a traditional stamp would go, pop it in a post box, and they’re done.

Behind the scenes, An Post’s letter-sorting tech recognises and validates the code, just like a physical stamp. If it's incorrect or unreadable, it's returned to the sender. Once delivered, the sender gets a notification confirming arrival, a feature customers love and one that makes this a world-first innovation.

The service works for domestic and international mail, such as postcards and letters.

Multiple payment options exist - Apple Pay, Google Pay, and credit or debit cards. In addition, having bought a digital stamp, customers have a record of their digital stamp collection plus a history of any digital stamps they’ve sent.

Since launch, the digital stamp has seen:

• A surge in repeat purchases. 
• Strong customer satisfaction, especially around convenience and delivery updates
• Positive feedback across the board, with users praising its simplicity and flexibility
• It is also contributing to the success of the An Post app, which now, with over 650k downloads, has become an essential tool for customers. 
• It boasts a stellar rating of 4.7, the highest historical rating for a Post & Parcels app, showcasing user satisfaction and trust.

Most importantly, An Post’s postal services are more accessible, inclusive, and modern, turning a centuries-old system into something fit for today’s world and ready for tomorrow.

A tomorrow that we are currently looking at through an AI lens to identify further CX enhancements.

We didn’t just digitise a stamp; we rewrote the rules for a better customer experience.