Computer Vended Stamps (2012)

Canada Post introduced new "computer vended stamps", available from select "kiosks".



This is what I have learned from a very trusted source (he has used the machine and passed along the stamps to me that are illustrated above)...

The first day of issue is/was Dec 12, 2012. Canada Post has prepared OFDCs which will be sold through the NPC but mint stamps will not be offered.

Toronto is one of the locations with 3 kiosks. The kiosks are located at Station B (on Adelaide St. W. near Spadina Ave.), TD Centre Post Office (on the Concourse Level below Bay St) and the Adelaide Post Office (on Adelaide St. E. near Victoria St.).

The stamps were printed in rolls of 5000 without the bar code and denomination.

Approximately every 18 stamps, one- or two- black 'guidelines' will appear on the self-adhesive stamp (not illustrated here).

German based, the machine offers 3 preset lettermail denominations: domestic, U.S., international. The customer may purchase one stamp but the minimum denomination is the domestic rate. Payment by credit or debit card.

Stamps are dispensed 'singly' (i.e. there are no multiples). You can purchase the domestic, US, International in quantities (i.e. 25 at a time, but they are still dispensed singly).

You can also get domestic oversize up to 500grams (I believe) after weighing and measuring a single piece of mail. Thus, if you wante to mail 10 oversize items you need to do 10 different transactions.

After 3 transactions you must pay. Thus, if you are mailing 10 oversize, it will take you quite awhile (i.e. weigh and measure and item times 3, pay, then repeat until your 10 items have been done).

There are or will be 8 locations: Toronto (the 3 corporate post offices mentioned above), London (1 corporate post office) and Vancouver (2 corporate post offices, one with 2 kiosks, and 2 franchises – a total of 5 kiosks).

The three kiosks in Toronto are operational as well as the one in London. Which kiosk is operational in Vancouver is unknown but all kiosks should be operational by the end of January.

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The USA (and other countries) have been doing this for quite sometime.

For (at least) the USA, Scott Publishing has assigned numbers for the basic designs in a back-of-the-book section, with CVS-numbers.

Just note for the US, the Scott Catalog has identified these with CVP numbers (CVP = Computer Vended Postage).

Darn. Thanks for the correction on the number prefix.

I was going from my (very poor) memory and should have looked it up first!

Thanks for sharing.

I have to say that this is so annoying. In a country that spans nearly 10 million square kilometres (second largest country by land mass) they set up only a handful of machines.

Those denominations won't last long either because Canada Post is scheduled to have a rate increase some time next week (I think). Since the denomination is not pre-printed then that will make the above stamps extremely rare because not that many people will be able to access it in time.

If there is a SCF member with access to one of these machines I'm sure many members (myself included) would love to get copies. Any takers?

I will try to find out where the Vancouver sites will be. I assume one will be the main PO in Vancouver.

Vancouver 'kiosks':

* Vancouver Main PO at 349 West Georgia St (2 machines)
* Bentall Centre at 595 Burrard St
* London Drugs at 710 Granville St
* London Drugs at 525 West Broadway

The first two are corporate outlets.

Since I'm in Montréal, I would also like to know if a member would be able to get me some of those stamps.

I'd like to buy one of each also.

Thanks Studystamps. The postal rate increase is January 14, 2013. I am out in Langley but will try to get into Vancouver before then. The next question is if the kiosks are only available during regular post office ours or are outside the offices. I will try to call and find out.

BeeSee:

The Vancouver kiosks may not be available until the end of the month ... call first!

My understanding is that the kiosk's are inside the post office doors, and are in a locked area when the post office is closed (at least those in Toronto are like that). Not sure how that works at London Drugs though(?).

This means they are meant for the daily "overflow", not for buying stamps after hours.

The ones in Toronto have a person giving demos/helping out (from what I am told ... I am several hours away from the nearest one, by plane ... darn).

Just for kicks, I plotted a course to the Adelaide St. W, Toronto location. Hmmm. 488 miles. 8+ hours. Probably no gonna do that. :-(

ok folks...I made the stupidly long drive to downtown Toronto. I battled traffic and paid overpriced parking to bring you a photo of the dispensing machine!



Haha just kidding...here is the news you really want. I bought ten extra sets of these stamps to distribute to you guys. You can have it for absolutely FREE BUT I have a single caveat. You can only request these stamps if you do not live within an hour's drive of any of these machines so people in the London, Vancouver and Toronto area are ruled out. So please message me your address and I will send them out.

Additional info about the stamps - of all the sets, none of the barcodes are the same (as far as I can see). It's like a snowflake!

E-Mail sent. You are 'da man as they say. Thanks very much.

Are those small clear bags with a bluenose that I see in front of the machine

Thanks for this. I sent my e-mail. Next thing we have to check for the new tariff next week.