# India Post Redraws the Rules: PAN, Aadhaar and Rakhi Packets Now Count as 'Documents', New Speed Post Rates Kick In August 1 > The postal department has for the first time spelled out what qualifies as a document and what will be treated as a parcel, and has also announced fresh rates for its 24 and 48 hour Speed Post services. **Type:** article · **Category:** Business · **Published:** 2026-07-28 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/business/aba-paina-adhara-aura-rakhi-ke-paiketa-honge-dastaveja-speed-post-ki-nai-daren-1-agasta-se-lagu-11262 · **Language:** English **Tags:** India Post, Speed Post, Postal Department, New Rates, Document Category, Parcel Charges, PAN Aadhaar Card From posting a simple letter to getting a bank card or PAN card delivered, it is now clearer what will stay cheap to send by post and what will cost more. India Post has, for the first time, defined exactly which items count as a 'document'. This category covers letters, printed material and complimentary items that carry no resale value. Such items will attract lower charges, while everything else falls under the parcel category and will be billed at a higher rate. Alongside this, the department has notified new rates for both retail and bulk customers under its 24 Speed Post and 48 Speed Post services. Under the 24 Speed Post service, an item is delivered within 24 hours, while the 48 Speed Post service delivers within 48 hours. ## What Falls Under the Document Category According to the notification, several products tied to the banking, financial services and insurance space will now be treated as documents. These include welcome kits, letters, passbooks, cheque books, bank-related details, plastic cards, and debit and credit cards. Government papers such as the PAN card, Aadhaar card, voter card, passport and driving licence will also sit in this category. On top of that, non-commercial packets weighing up to 500 grams, like Rakhi envelopes or packets and greeting cards, will be counted as documents too. Everything apart from these items will be sent under the parcel category. ## Rates for Retail Customers There is a bit of relief for retail customers, as their existing rates have not been changed. However, new rates have been fixed for bulk booking within the document category. From August 1, under 24 Speed Post, retail customers will pay between 38 rupees and 186 rupees per packet depending on weight and distance. For packets weighing under 50 grams, the local postage fee will be 38 rupees and 94 rupees for delivery across the country (GST extra). Similarly, the charge is set at 118 to 154 rupees for packets between 51 and 250 grams, and 140 to 186 rupees per packet for the 251 to 500 gram range. ## New Fees for Bulk Customers For bulk customers, the fee for the 24 hour Speed Post service will range from 38 to 100 rupees, while the 48 hour service will cost between 48 and 72 rupees. According to the department, under the 48 Speed Post service retail customers will have to pay 61 to 121 rupees per packet based on weight and distance. One important point is that the 24 Speed Post and 48 Speed Post services are currently available in only six cities, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. This means customers in other cities will not get the benefit of these faster services for now. ## What this means for you - **Across India:** Items like PAN cards, Aadhaar, cheque books and non-commercial packets up to 500 grams such as Rakhi can now be sent under the cheaper document category, while other goods will cost more at parcel rates. - **In the six metros:** Only people in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad can currently use the faster 24 and 48 hour Speed Post services. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Which items has the postal department placed in the document category? Letters, printed material, welcome kits, passbooks, cheque books, plastic cards, debit and credit cards, PAN card, Aadhaar, voter card, passport, driving licence, and non-commercial packets up to 500 grams such as Rakhi and greeting cards. ### 2. When do the new rates take effect? The new rates for retail customers under 24 Speed Post come into effect from August 1. ### 3. What is the difference between 24 Speed Post and 48 Speed Post? Under 24 Speed Post an item is delivered within 24 hours, while the 48 Speed Post service delivers within 48 hours. ### 4. How much will retail customers pay under 24 Speed Post? Between 38 and 186 rupees per packet based on weight and distance. For packets under 50 grams the local fee is 38 rupees and 94 rupees across the country (GST extra). ### 5. What fees have been set for bulk customers? The 24 hour service will cost 38 to 100 rupees, while the 48 hour service will range between 48 and 72 rupees. ### 6. In which cities is this faster Speed Post service available? For now the service is available only in six cities, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._