Answered: Can I Use A Postal Card As A Mailing Label On Media Mail Package? And Deduct The Postage.

I'm not sure if I originally read it on these forums but I saw someone saying they were using postal cards on packages as the mailing label and subtracting the pre-printed postage on the postal card from the amount due for shipping the package.

I have a small stack of 14 cent (and some 15 cent) postal cards I would love to use in this way and my local postal clerk haven't been able to verify if I can do this or not.

Anyone know the answer to this? If so do you have a reference in the DMM or somewhere else I can point him to.

Thank you

I think the pre-printed postage is not valid for USPS as a cut-out on an envelope, and I guess the whole postal card cannot be used as "partial postage".

However:
"Mailing question, from someone on a philatelic forum:
"Can I Use A [pre-stamped] Postal Card As A Mailing Label On Media Mail Package? And Deduct The Postage."

What I (Dorin) successfully did is a different thing:
I paid part of the Priority Mail postage due with a stamp, postmarked on the same day, affixed on a postcard, then I enclosed that newly-created maxicard in a transparent pouch affixed on the big envelope.
Additional postage, and a counter printed label completed the Priority Mail rate postage due.

The recipient was able to take the maxicard out of the pouch, nice and easy.

Another thing I did was to enclose a pane of 6 Inverted Jenny stamps in a pouch, after I postmarked them on that day.

The postmarking of such pouch enclosures was done either at the post office counter, or at home with my own MPP postmarking device.

USPS was OK with my mailings, even for international mail."

DC3,

Yes you cannot cut out the postage off of postal stationary, but I have a stack of unused postal cards. The original post I'm referring to was a different post. They were using the cards as the mailing label on the package and the clerk would cancel the postage along with the rest of the postage. The post was more than 2 years ago I believe. I was pretty leary of doing it myself as I didn't put the leg work at the time to verify it was allowed. But now want to use them if I can.

I see this as the important part.

Many things are permitted or prohibited by postal regulations. But when one gets very deep into the "unusual", your mail is likely to encounter a clerk along its journey who will not fully understand the regulations. Then your mail may be delayed, returned, marked due, or who knows what.

Without searching the regulations, I do know that postal stationery cut-outs are not to be counted toward postage, thus conversely, one might read into the regulations that *entire* cards adhered to the outside of a parcel would be accetable, although highly unusual and not something needing to be covered in the regulations or encouraged.

If you have a smalll stack of postal cards, just use them as cards. I would never try to stretch the regulations on any shipment of value unless I can afford to lose it. Just my 2 cents.

I believe the OP is not asking about cut-outs ?


Peter

The cut-outs are a related comment, not what the OP asked, of course.
The purpose of a pre-stamped postal card is to be mailed ONLY as such, most postal associates might say, I'm afraid.

Instead, a regular postage stamp is not assigned to only 1 kind of mail.
Therefore, I can affix all my postage stamps directly on a Priority Mail envelope, or I can select some of those stamps to be affixed on pouch enclosures, such as maxicards or stamp panes.
All postmarked with the same date, verified by the open-minded postal associate at the counter.

They are entire unused postcards. I took a picture to clear up any confusion what I have. I have twenty 14 centers (2 of which are the National Guard Heritage ones), three 15 centers and one 13 cent postal card.

Yes you can for an intact postal card, but you must leave the card's preprinted area clear so as to display that it is not cancelled.

However, if you use an airmail card, the item would have to go airmail when we had airmail. Now the clerk may try to consider the airmail pledge on a package as Priority. But it really should be just considered at face value.

I've wondered about this myself. The most relevant bits of the DMM appear to be:

2.3.3 Validity of Postal Stationery
All stamped envelopes, stamped cards (formerly called "postal cards"), and
aerogrammes issued by the United States since 1873 are valid for postage from
any point in the United States or from any other place where U.S. domestic mail
service operates, under the same conditions as for postage stamps in 1.0.

1.2 Postage Stamps Valid for Use
All postage stamps issued by the United States since 1860, unless listed in 1.3, are valid for postage from any point in the United States or from any other place where U.S. Mail service operates. Precanceled stamps may be used to pay regular postage and fees for extra services if the mailpiece is endorsed under the standards for the class of mail and service requested. Precanceled postage may be used only by permit holders authorized under 3.0. Unless excepted by standard, the total postage affixed must equal at least the postage charge for the class of the mail and, if applicable, the fee for the extra service requested. All nondenominated postage and makeup price stamps, including official mail stamps, are valid at the original prices of issue. Exception: Semipostal stamps.

But neither of those clearly answers the question "Can I use a stamped card to pay postage on an item other than the card itself?", sadly.

Update:

I got my answer today from the post office today. I'm permitted to use them like that as long as I have the entire card and use it as a address label as long as it can be canceled by the postal clerk and the destination is in the States. (using it as an address label prevents the possibility of a less than honest employee from writing a different address on it and diverting the mail)

Of course a hiccup could occur further down the line in the postal system similar to the risk of using an imperf souvenir sheet (not realizing they are actual postage stamps) or using B rate non-denominational stamps (mistakenly being identified as bulk rate stamps)

Thanks for everyone who helped

All this to salvage 3.38 face value.
Sorry, but my time and gas are worth more than that to drive to the post office and wait in line.

Bumping this older thread:

I found a cover in the 50 cent box where someone successfully cut two UX38 post cards and used them as stamps in 1961. Not caught or pursued by the authorities, I assume.