Editing Mail (section)

{{short description|System for transporting documents and other small packages}}
{{redirect-several|Mail|Postal service|Snail Mail}}
[[File:HK Postman Collect Letters.JPG|thumb|upright=1.5|A [[postman]] collecting mail for delivery]]

The '''mail''' or '''post''' is a system for physically transporting [[postcard]]s, [[letter (message)|letters]], and [[parcel (package)|parcels]].<ref>In Australia, Canada, and the U.S., the term "mail" is commonly used for the postal system and for the letters, postcards, and parcels it carries; in New Zealand, "post" is more common for the postal system and "mail" for the material delivered; in the UK, "post" prevails in both senses. However, the British, American, Australian, and Canadian national postal services are called, respectively, the "[[Royal Mail]]", the "[[United States Postal Service]]", "[[Australia Post]]", and "[[Canada Post]]"; in addition, such fixed phrases as "[[post office]]" or "[[Advertising mail|junk mail]]" are found throughout the English-speaking world.</ref> A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal systems have generally been established as a [[government monopoly]], with a fee on the article prepaid. Proof of payment is usually in the form of an adhesive [[postage stamp]], but a [[postage meter]] is also used for bulk mailing.

Postal authorities often have functions aside from transporting letters. In some countries, a [[Postal Telegraph and Telephone|postal, telegraph and telephone]] (PTT) service oversees the postal system, in addition to telephone and telegraph systems. Some countries' postal systems allow for [[savings account]]s and handle applications for [[passport]]s.

The [[Universal Postal Union]] (UPU), established in 1874, includes 192 member countries and sets the rules for international mail exchanges as a [[List of specialized agencies of the United Nations|Specialized Agency]] of the [[United Nations]].