Below you can read about the various ways in which we use your personal data.
We do our work
PostNL provides a full range of services, including:
- Delivering parcels and mail
- Storage Service
- Digital Stamps
- Forwarding Service
- Next-of-kin Service
- Online Shipping Tool
- Relocation Service
We require your name and address for many of these services.
We will notify you when your parcel is on the way
If you have ordered an item for home delivery, we will keep you updated by sending you an email containing the status of your order. Alternatively, we may do this by sending you push messages through the PostNL-app, or you can track your status using our Track & Trace feature.
We make sure the PostNL-app works properly
The PostNL-app enables you to track your parcel or, for example, to see which mail items are on the way to you.We make sure the PostNL website works properly
We use your personal data to analyse how you use the website. We use our customer data to ensure the site operates as effectively as possible.Sometimes we share your data with authorities
In some cases, we are compelled to provide personal data to various authorities, including the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM), law enforcement authorities, and investigation services. We always check the competencies of these authorities before sharing this data.We improve our services
We can improve our services by analysing and aggregating information derived from personal data. In analysing this information, we use anonymous data as much as possible which we cannot link to any individuals. Examples of items we create and improve through this analysis includes:
- We improve pages and forms on our website.
- We resolve the root causes of complaints.
- We develop new products, such as the Stamp Code, which you can use to send cards if you have run out of stamps.
- We produce reports for other organisations. These reports never contain any names and addresses, as this information relates to large groups of users (e.g. the number of parcels delivered in a specific postcode area).
We provide you with interesting information on our website and the PostNL-app
We are pleased to share with you information on our website and the PostNL-app which is interesting to you, and we analyse your interests by carefully checking the following:
- When, and how often, do you visit the website?
- What pages do you view?
- What search terms do you enter?
If you give your consent, we will create a profile of you and store cookies on your phone, tablet or computer.
We also create different groups of users which are highly similar to each other – a process known as profiling. Business customers, for example, are interested in other products than consumers. This enables us to determine, for example, which products suit your needs and interests, or what questions you might like to ask us.
If you hold a PostNL account and have given your consent, we will create a customer profile for you and combine the information from your profile with other information relating to you which we may have in our possession, e.g. how many parcels you send on an annual basis. We will then create a customer profile, so as to be able to tailor our website and e-mails to your needs and interests, while our employees can use your customer profile to provide you with superior assistance and support.
In addition, we can, with your permission, use encrypted keys to display relevant advertisements to you on websites outside PostNL.
We prevent fraud
As part of our ongoing efforts to control and prevent fraud, we also use personal data if we believe someone is misusing our service. For example, we check video images if we suspect that an employee has engaged in fraud.We read job applicants' CVs
If you apply for a job with us, you send us your CV. We will keep this document and use it as reference during (an) interview(s). Read more about what we do with your personal data.We use our employees' personal data
We use the personal data of employees and former employees for various purposes, including to pay their salaries. The law provides for what types of employee personal data we are authorised or required to have on file.