# Posteo

> Source: https://fuckyc.org/services/posteo/
> Website: https://posteo.de/
> Categories: Privacy email
> KYC: optional — Mailbox is paid (€1/month) but can be funded by cash sent through the postal system; no identity is bound to the account.
> Status: active
> Jurisdiction: Germany (operator-disclosed)
> Fiat on-ramp: no
> Payment methods: cash-by-mail, bank-transfer, paypal, card
> Founded: 2009
> Open source: no
> Custodial: yes
> Last verified: 2026-01-01

## Verdict

Posteo is the gold standard for cash-by-mail email signup. The operator's policy explicitly de-links payment from account, and the price is low enough that anonymized cash is practical. German jurisdiction is the operator-side caveat.

## Strengths

- Cash-by-mail payment supported and well-documented — the operator explicitly does not bind payment to the account.
- Mailbox encryption-at-rest is available.
- Cooperative legal structure with a public transparency posture.

## Caveats

- German jurisdiction.
- End-to-end encryption is PGP-only; not in-protocol like Tuta.
- Facts need re-verification by operator (last seeded 2026-01).

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## What Posteo is

A paid German email provider supporting cash-by-mail payment.

## Threat-model fit

For users who can accept German jurisdiction and want a payment channel that doesn't bind their account to a card.

## Sources

- [Posteo about](https://posteo.de/en/site/about_us) — accessed 2026-01-01
- [Posteo transparency report](https://posteo.de/en/site/transparency_report) — accessed 2026-01-01