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| Benefiting from our Consumer Services (Pub 201) |
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Cash Receipt If you need proof of payment for postage and other services, ask the postal clerk for a cash receipt. For customer convenience, we accept credit and debit cards for retail transactions at all post offices. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit cards can be used to purchase all postal products and services except CODs, meter settings, and money orders. Contact your local post office to find out which debit cards are currently accepted in your area. The Postal Service has made it more convenient than ever to buy stamps. Whether you use one of our shop-at-home services or buy stamps where you work or shop, you have these options: At Retail Establishments - Look for the STAMPS TO GO logo at places where you shop. In cooperation with the Postal Service, many businesses offer stamps at post office prices. Ask the cashier at your local grocery or convenience store if that store is a STAMPS TO GO outlet. Stamps by Mail - You can buy stamps, stamped cards, and stamped envelopes through the mail by completing Form 3227, Stamps by Mail, available at your post office or from your letter carrier. Just fill out the order form, enclose a check or money order, and return the envelope to the carrier or drop it in a collection box. There is no service charge, and you should receive your order within 3 to 5 business days. Stamps by Phone - Stamps are as close as your telephone. Call our toll-free number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to place your order. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards are accepted. Your stamps are delivered within 3 to 5 business days. Call: 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724). No minimum order is required, but there is a service charge based on the total cost of the order. Self-Service Vending Equipment - Self-service vending equipment providing stamps and stamped products such as stamped cards and stamped envelopes is available at many locations throughout the country. The conveniently located equipment enables you to access basic postal services around the clock. Some locations include postal scales that provide rate information for mailing packages. Selected self-service vending machines can accept currency up to $20 bills and dispense a variety of products such as 100-stamp coils, Express Mail stamps, envelopes, stamp booklets, and even stamped cards - all at face value. If you experience a loss because of an equipment malfunction, you will be reimbursed upon request at the local post office or by completing a consumer service card. A wealth of information is available at your fingertips when you visit this site. You can look up ZIP+4 codes, track your Express Mail, get information on the latest postal rates, and find answers to frequently asked questions. If you are interested in stamps and stamp collecting, you will find information on stamps and stamp releases and can view images of the recent stamp issues. If you keep exploring, you can find postal news releases and learn about the history of the Postal Service. The Inspection Service has included information on consumer fraud and other crimes, and information about the history of the Inspection Service. The web site is continually changing. Visit often for new postal information. You also have an opportunity via the web to make inquiries and request additional information. Mailgram, an electronic message service offered by Western Union, provides next day Postal Service delivery for messages sent to any address in the United States. The messages are transmitted for delivery with the next business day's mail. Mailgram service is also available for Canadian addresses. You can send Mailgram messages by calling Western Union and dictating your message to the operator; or you can use your office Telex or TWX. For more information, call Western Union Telegraph Company. In Hawaii, call your local post office for information on how to send a message. In Alaska, call Alascom, Inc., for Mailgram service. You should never send cash through the mail. Postal money orders are a safe way to send money. The special color blend, Benjamin Franklin watermark, metal security thread, and double imprinting of the dollar amount are incorporated security features. You can buy domestic and international money orders at all post offices in amounts up to $700. You can purchase multiple money orders at one time in the same or different amounts. There is a $10,000 daily purchase limit, and customers who purchase more than $3,000 in money orders in a single day are required by federal law to complete Form 8105-A, Funds Transactions/Transfer Report. Military money orders can be purchased only on U.S. military ships and foreign bases. If your money order is lost or stolen, you must present your customer receipt to apply for a replacement. For a small fee, you can obtain a copy of a paid money order up to 2 years after the date that it is paid. You can apply for a passport at more than 1,200 postal facilities nationwide. When you apply for a new passport, Department of State regulations require that you present two recent 2" x 2" photographs, valid identification, and a certified copy of your birth certificate, along with the appropriate fee. The passport fee may be paid in cash, by check, or with a money order. For more information, call the Department of State information line nearest you. For more information on passports click here. Except for the purchase of money orders, you may use personal checks at most post offices to pay for postal services and products up to the amount of purchase. You must show two forms of identification, one of which must bear a photograph. Make your check payable to "U.S. Postal Service" or "Postmaster." When a mailer uses a postage meter, the postage, place of mailing, and date are imprinted at the mailer's place of business. Many mailers, including those mailing a relatively small volume of mail, have found that this convenience more than offsets the costs of maintaining an account and leasing the machine. Call your post office or your meter manufacturer for more information. Stamp collecting is a fascinating and enjoyable hobby that does not require specific skills or expensive equipment. Almost any subject of interest is shown on stamps. A good place to begin your collection is your local post office, where new and recently issued stamps and postal stationery are on sale. You can also buy philatelic products, such as stamp collecting kits, the Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps, and mint sets of commemorative and special stamps for recent years. For a free mail order catalog of philatelic products, write to:
STAMP FULFILLMENT SERVICES
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