Postage stamp which corner

It seems reasonable enough that the United States Postal Service requests we place postage stamps on the upper-right corner of envelopes and other materials.

Still, we wonder: Why not the lower right? Or upside-down? The postage value of each forever stamp is the current First-Class Mail single-piece 1-ounce letter price.

Foreign or mutilated money is not acceptable. The USPS may require payment of the exact amount of the purchase.

Checks are acceptable subject to USPS check-acceptance policy and the assessment of charges to the customer for an uncollectible check returned by the bank. Checks must be drawn on a U. The customer must use a money order or certified check if the amount due is sent by mail. Precanceled stamps may not be purchased with a credit card. The nonaddress side of mail may have seals or stickers, if they do not imitate postage stamps and do not have words, numerals, or other markings indicating a value.

Fee is in addition to the postage value preprinted on the envelope. See Notice —Price List. Plain stamped envelopes are available at all Post Offices. Customers may mail Form , with the full payment by credit card, check drawn on U.

S bank or money order for the envelopes ordered, to Stamp Fulfillment Services see All printing on personalized envelopes is subject to these specifications:. The ZIP Code must be correct for the address on the line immediately preceding the city and state. The postmaster determines whether the address is adequate to ensure return of undeliverable mail.

The following endorsements and instructions printed in at least 8-point type may be included as part of the return address:. Personalized stamped envelopes may be ordered with the following premium options:. A customer may reject personalized envelope orders for defective manufacture or mistakes in printing, denomination, size, etc. Fee is in addition to the postage value preprinted on the card.

All printing of personalized stamped cards is subject to these conditions:. Stamp Fulfillment Services provides the fulfillment of stamp orders placed by customers via mail, phone, fax, or online to the Stamp Fulfillment Services organization.

Stamp Fulfillment Services charges handling fees associated with fulfilling stamp orders. The fees vary depending on the dollar amount of the order. All prices and fees are listed on Notice —Price List.

Precanceling is the cancellation of adhesive postage, stamped envelopes, or stamped cards before mailing. Precanceling may be done by an authorized mailer under 3. Except as provided in 3. Precanceled postage stamps may not be used on matter mailed in boxes, tubes, and similar containers, or in other containers designed to be reusable for mailing purposes under Unless excepted by standard, a precanceled stamp mailing must be accompanied by documentation subject to the standards for documentation for each class of mail if the mailing contains nonidentical-weight pieces or pieces without the full postage at the applicable price.

The value of precanceled stamps affixed to each piece in a mailing must be either the exact amount due or the exact monetary value of the USPS precanceled stamp appropriate to the price category of the mailpiece. Unless permitted by other standards or Business Acceptance Solutions authorization, the same monetary value of stamp s must be affixed to every piece in the mailing.

Refunds for overpayment must meet the standards in 9. Mail bearing precanceled postage must be presented to the Post Office where the permit is held, at the times and places designated by the postmaster. Mail bearing precanceled postage must not be deposited in street collection boxes.

Precanceled mail may be combined in a mailing with mail paid with other means only if authorized by the USPS. Except for mailpieces otherwise requiring a return address under All other mailpieces bearing precanceled stamps must have a complete domestic return address.

Mailpieces bearing precanceled stamps and any return addresses outside the Post Office of mailing must meet one of the following standards:. Whether the mailer or the USPS precanceled the stamps, each mailpiece with precanceled postage must bear markings and endorsements required for the price claimed or services requested. A mailer who wants to use USPS-precanceled stamps and stamped envelopes must complete Form and file it at the Post Office where mailings are to be deposited.

Customers must provide with the completed PS Form acceptable primary and secondary forms of identification as specified under If an applicant has a completed Form on file for other services, precanceled authorization is annotated on the existing application.

There is no fee for this permit. The permit holder has 10 days to file a written statement showing why the permit should not be revoked. The manager, customer service support district , issues the decision on such appeals. USPS precanceled stamps are preprinted with a price category as the precancellation method.

The following also applies:. A mailer meeting the standards in 3. Mailers authorized under 3. A mailer must request authorization to preprint price markings on precanceled stamps or to use a precancel postmark on adhesive stamps, stamped cards, and stamped envelopes.

The applicant must submit a specimen mailpiece showing the preprinting method or proposed precancel postmark. If more than one preprinted marking is prepared or more than one format is used, a specimen for each must be submitted. The application and format samples must be submitted to the postmaster of the office where the precanceled mailings are to be deposited for approval by the district Business Mail Entry manager.

If the application and samples are approved, the applicant receives written notice of approval from the postmaster and a unique permit number assigned by the postmaster.

Mailer precancellation is authorized only for the specimen mailpieces submitted and approved. After that, a specimen must be submitted and approved for each new precancel postmark format or preprinted marking to be used.

See A permit may be revoked for operating any unlawful scheme or enterprise, for buying or acquiring stamps for other than mailing, or for failing to comply with the required format standards. Within 10 days of receipt of the revocation notice, the permit holder may file a written appeal with the PCSC.

The PCSC issues the final agency decision. The precancel postmark may include the words or authorized abbreviations of the price marking required for the price claimed. Alternatively, if authorized under 3. Such preprinted markings must be in uppercase letters of at least 6-point type, printed in black indelible ink on the stamp where optimum contrast is possible. A preprinted price marking applied by the mailer, by itself or with a precancel postmark, must not obscure other printing on the stamp that is part of the USPS design e.

Black ink must be used for cancellation. It must provide enough indelibility and contrast to prevent reuse of the stamps. The precancel permit number must not be obscured by the cancellation.

A mailer must use one of the Format A designs in Exhibit 3. Format B may be used only by a mailer previously authorized to do so and who has the necessary die.

The only permissible alternative or modification to any format is the addition of a price marking permitted by 3. Exhibit 3. Subject to USPS policy in A stamp collector may mail matter bearing precanceled postage if the collector has a permit to use precanceled postage at the Post Office where the mail is presented. Creating philatelic oddities or precanceling issues or denominations that would not otherwise see legitimate mail use is not permitted.

Mail orders must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. These stamps are acceptable on mail during the month shown and through the 10th of the following month. Postage evidencing systems print indicia such as information-based indicia IBI or intelligent mail indicia IMI , to indicate postage payment. Customers print indicia directly on a mailpiece or on a label that is affixed to a mailpiece.

Customers must place indicia in the upper-right corner of the mailpiece or label, according to 4. When used to apply postage to commercial mailings, the postage evidencing system indicia must bear the numerical value of postage.

Product categories include postage meters and PC Postage products. The primary characteristics of postage meters and PC Postage products are described below.

COM E. Customers must enter into an agreement with the USPS for authorization to use postage evidencing systems. By entering into the agreement, the customer accepts responsibility for control and use of the system and agrees to abide by all rules and regulations governing its use. The following conditions apply to these agreements. Only authorized customers may possess or use postage evidencing systems. Customers must surrender postage evidencing systems to the provider or its agent as follows:.

The director, Commercial Payment see The customer authorized to use a postage evidencing system may be denied use when the customer:. If authorization to use a Postage Evidencing System is denied, the customer must surrender the systems, upon request, to the service provider, or USPS authorized agent.

The numerical value of postage displayed in dollars and cents on each mailpiece must be equal to or greater than the amount due for the applicable price and any extra service fees, or another amount permitted by mailing standards. Authorized USPS payment options vary by provider and product category. Postage indicia must be legible readable by mail processing equipment and meet the reflectance measurements in Illegible or unreadable unscannable indicia are not acceptable as payment of postage.

The postage amount must be shown in dollars and cents e. Customers must print or apply indicia in the upper-right corner of the envelope or, if postage is printed on an address label, the upper-right corner of that label.

Indicia are comprised of human-readable information. Information-based indicia IBI and intelligent mail indicia IMI also contain machine-readable information that identifies the postage evidencing system, postage payment information, and mail service requested. There are particular data sets associated with different types of indicia, depending on the product and the type of mailing.

Indicia may include postal markings related to the class of mail and presort level and an ancillary service endorsement. Refund procedures for unused printed postage, postage purchased but not printed, and postage lost due to postage evidencing system failure varies by product category.

See 9. Mailpieces with a postage discrepancy are those for which the total postage and fees affixed are not equal to the postage required for the applicable price and any extra services fees as determined by current, at the time of mailing, Postal Service prices.

Postage discrepancies include no postage paid, or the use of counterfeited, replicated, duplicated, falsified, otherwise modified postage or postage with zero value. For mailpieces with shortpaid or unpaid postage found in the mailstream, both manual and automated processes are used to detect and verify the discrepancy.

Comparisons of the piece characteristics captured within the mail processing network will be matched against the characteristics affirmed by the customer to identify where a potential postage discrepancy exists. For mailpieces with a detected postage discrepancy when postage is due, corrective measures may include one of the following:. If an adjustment for the entire postage discrepancy amount is not possible, the customer will be notified by the PES provider to provide funds to resolve the discrepancy within 14 calendar days, or 10 business days if by electronic means, from the date of the notification.

Customers must substantiate that the postage affixed was valid and sufficient for the postage and applicable fees owed. An electronic notification will be sent to the customer of the decision to uphold or deny the dispute along with a brief rationale. The USPS reserves the authority to make the final decision on all disputes. Mailers may print a date correction or additional postage indicium directly on the mailpiece or on a USPS-approved label under the following conditions.

Mailers may use indicia generated by any postage evidencing system to prepay reply postage as provided under The mailing date in meter indicia must meet the format standards in this section.

The year must be represented by all four digits or by the last two digits. Mailers may print the indicia directly onto mailpieces or onto separate labels or tape affixed to mailpieces.

The mailing date format used in the indicia is also subject to the following conditions. The date or period when mailers may deposit or present metered mail for mailing is controlled by the mailing date in the indicia under the following conditions.

Mailers must deposit or enter mailpieces with metered or PC Postage indicia according to the following conditions:. Title 39, Code of Federal Regulations , part , contains information concerning authorization to produce and distribute postage evidencing systems. Additional information may be obtained from the director, Commercial Payment see A mailer may be authorized to mail material without affixing postage when payment is made at the time of mailing from a permit imprint advance deposit account established with USPS.

This method is not available for Periodicals. A picture permit imprint indicia 5. Permit imprint mailings must contain at least pieces or 50 pounds of mail, except:. Each mailpiece sent under this payment method must bear a permit imprint indicia showing that postage is paid. Permit imprint indicia may be printed directly on mailpieces, on labels including address labels permanently affixed to mailpieces, or on mailpiece wrappers, envelopes, and other containers.

Except where the enclosure is prohibited by other standards, matter bearing a permit imprint indicia may be mailed as an enclosure when postage for the enclosure or the host matter is not paid with the enclosed permit imprint, and the enclosed permit imprint indicia is not visible when the matter is mailed. Mail Anywhere allows a qualified mailer to maintain a single permit for a postage payment method for mailings at any Business Mail Acceptance site under Payment must be made for each mailing, either in cash or through an advance deposit account, before the mailing can be released for processing.

Funds to pay postage must be deposited as directed by the USPS. If the funds paid or on deposit are less than that necessary to pay for a mailing, the difference must be paid or deposited before the mailing or other permit imprint mailings can be accepted. Credit for postage is not allowed. Postage may not be paid partly in money and partly by postage stamps unless permitted by standard.

All pieces in a permit imprint mailing must be faced positioned with all addresses in the same direction, unless counterstacked under the applicable standards and meet the preparation standards for the price claimed. Mail claimed at a postage price that varies by zone must be separated by zone when mailed, unless otherwise authorized by the USPS.

All pieces in a permit imprint mailing must be of identical weight unless otherwise authorized by the USPS. Mailpieces paid with permit imprint may be combined in the same mailing with pieces paid with other methods only if authorized by the USPS. Permit imprint mailings with postage paid by advance deposit account must be presented to the USPS for weighing, unless otherwise authorized by the director, Business Acceptance Solutions.

Mail must be deposited and accepted at the Post Office that issued the permit, at a time and place designated by the postmaster, except as otherwise provided for plant-verified drop shipments. The USPS may immediately suspend the authorization to use a permit imprint if the permit holder or its agent refuses or fails to provide information in a timely manner as specified in A permit may be revoked for use in operating any unlawful scheme or enterprise, if no mailings or payment of postage occurred during any consecutive 2-year period, for refusal to provide information about permit imprint use or mailings, and for noncompliance with any standard applicable to permit imprints.

The permit holder may submit a written appeal to the postmaster within 10 days of receipt of the revocation notice. Embossed or unembossed permit imprint indicia may be made by printing press, hand stamp, lithography, mimeograph, multigraph, address plate, or similar device.

They may not be typewritten or hand-drawn. The content and format of a permit imprint indicia must meet the standards below. No other formats may be used. A different color may be used to highlight the background of an indicia. Permit imprint indicia must read in the same direction as the delivery address on the mailpiece.

The indicia may not be placed below the address or encroach on reserved space e. The indicia can be placed in one of these four positions:. Mailpieces bearing unofficial markings that reference directly or indirectly expedited attention, handling or delivery e. The indicia may show the mailing date, amount of postage paid, or the number of ounces for which postage is paid. How to Renovate. Shopping Guides. United States. Type keyword s to search.

Today's Top Stories. The advantage of coming into our branches is that you can buy the stamps you need from our self-service kiosks. Simply choose the type you want and the amount and the machine will print them for you. There are a few fast-track services on offer. Then there are the signed-for services, which have 1st class and 2nd class options. These are comparable to normal 1st and 2nd class services but have the advantage of requiring recipient signature when delivered, meaning you have certainty that your item has arrived.

For more details about pricing, take a look at our pricing guide. Skip to main content. Trending searches Where is my nearest branch? Other services. Step 1: Check you can post Some items are prohibited. Step 2: Choose an envelope When mailing a letter, postage cost depends on the size and shape of the mail piece.

Step 3: Address your Mail Think of it as ordering the info smallest to largest, followed by postcode.