Postage Paid International Envelope

[TomsFocus]

Does anyone know how I can send a return envelope, with postage paid, to the USA?

A bit of Googling has led me to international reply coupons...however they are no longer available in the UK!

An I missing something obvious here? 

 

[StephenFord]

Interesting quandary! I thought for sure you must be able to buy some USA stamps in the UK, but could only find the following:

"Go to any stamp collectors' shop and ask the philatelist for some uncirculated US stamps. The store may even have some "trading stock" that they'll sell at less than face value".

Let us know if you find a way round this problem, I'm just being nosy LOL

[unofix]

Well you could use the US postal system prepay print your own envelope. They will even let you try it free for 4 weeks and give you $5 as a trial.

So print yourself $5 worth of envelopes and cancel your account in less than 4 weeks and all should be good.

https://www.stamps.com/welcome/post-office-stamps/?source=si10546871&subsource=92974004&LID=92974004&gclid=CjwKCAjwoMSWBhAdEiwAVJ2ndqv-aCtBCdfAgiAxmhb-jMXlB2KOGFy4W5svE6et0Aw8-Bp4FRtYkhoCTpQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[TomsFocus]

15 minutes ago, unofix said:

Well you could use the US postal system prepay print your own envelope. They will even let you try it free for 4 weeks and give you $5 as a trial.

So pint yourself $5 worth of envelopes and cancel your account in less than 4 weeks and all should be good.

https://www.stamps.com/welcome/post-office-stamps/?source=si10546871&subsource=92974004&LID=92974004&gclid=CjwKCAjwoMSWBhAdEiwAVJ2ndqv-aCtBCdfAgiAxmhb-jMXlB2KOGFy4W5svE6et0Aw8-Bp4FRtYkhoCTpQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks Unofix, looks like that could be the answer! 

[TomsFocus]

Just tried to register, but they won't allow it without a physical US address.  Looks like I'll need an alternative solution. 🤔

 

I have seen the 'Global Forever' stamps, which can be easily bought on eBay. 

• Send 1 oz letters or postcards around the world with one Global Forever^® stamp, which currently costs $1.40 and never expires, even if the postage price goes up.

They only allow weight up to 1oz (30g)...and I'm not sure how much that is in paper/card?  My scales aren't accurate enough to test such small amounts unfortunately.  Google suggests a sheet of A4 is only 5g but that seems very light!?

First-Class Mail International | USPS

2022USA #5680 Global Forever Rate - African Daisy - Block of 4 Mint sase postage | eBay

 

 

[StephenFord]

17 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

My scales aren't accurate enough to test such small amounts unfortunately.  Google suggests a sheet of A4 is only 5g but that seems very light!?

Well, blow me down LOL A sheet of A4 paper is actually 5g, as suggested!

[TomsFocus]

6 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Well, blow me down LOL A sheet of A4 paper is actually 5g, as suggested!

Thanks Stephen...  So perhaps that is a viable option!  If I buy the sheet of 4 linked above, that only works out as £1.80 per stamp.  Which seems good value to ship something across the Atlantic!

[StephenFord]

11 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Thanks Stephen...  So perhaps that is a viable option!  If I buy the sheet of 4 linked above, that only works out as £1.80 per stamp.  Which seems good value to ship something across the Atlantic!

That's my stock answer to people who complain the price of a UK 2nd class stamp. I hand them 68p, and tell them, well, you deliver this letter to London for me then... LOL

[TomsFocus]

Bit further forward on this, now the return seems to be manageable with the use of the global stamps (ordered this evening).

I've found out that a C5 (A5) card backed envelope weighs roughly 30g alone...so that's not a viable option.  Hoping an extra folded sheet of A4 inside might provide some protection without so much weight.

For the outgoing item, I'm hoping I can fit it in a normal C5 envelope to meet the requirements for a 'standard letter'.  No rush so intend to use cheapest service possible.  I have had a chuckle at the delivery estimate though...you can pay an extra quid for a 35 day faster service...or an extra five quid to save one further day, at best!

[TomsFocus]

On 7/16/2022 at 10:01 AM, StephenFord said:

Well, blow me down LOL A sheet of A4 paper is actually 5g, as suggested!

Don't suppose you can remember where you bought the drug dealer scales?  Are they max 200g or 500g?

I should probably invest in a set (after guessing postage on a few items recently lol!) but not sure which to chose.  Can see a few types on eBay under a fiver...

[StephenFord]

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

I should probably invest in a set (after guessing postage on a few items recently lol!) but not sure which to chose.  Can see a few types on ebay under a fiver...

As you know Tom, I'm cheap! I have just tried the scales, they go up to 500g, (actually, may be higher but I had a 500g container to hand). After that weight, I have digital 'kitchen' scales bought from Lidl at £8 that go to a few Kg LOL The 'drug dealer' ones were a Chinese eBay purchase some years back, and honestly, can't remember the exact price but I would have paid no more than £5.  For the price, they are extremely accurate and reliable, and they are still on the original battery!

[TomsFocus]

2 hours ago, StephenFord said:

As you know Tom, I'm cheap! I have just tried the scales, they go up to 500g, (actually, may be higher but I had a 500g container to hand). After that weight, I have digital 'kitchen' scales bought from Lidl at £8 that go to a few Kg LOL The 'drug dealer' ones were a Chinese Ebay purchase some years back, and honestly, can't remember the exact price but I would have paid no more than £5.  For the price, they are extremely accurate and reliable, and they are still on the original battery!

Thanks Stephen.  Ordered this one.  Seems to be two main chassis's, this clear lid one and a black lid one.  Black lid one uses a coin battery though, I've always got AA/AAA in stock.  Then there are several choices of max weight, 200g, 500g or 1kg...  500g should do me I think.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114427798165?

I do have an old set of manual kitchen scales...but I'm not sure they're accurate to 100g let alone 1g! 

 

[StephenFord]

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

Thanks Stephen.  Ordered this one.  Seems to be two main chassis's, this clear lid one and a black lid one.  Black lid one uses a coin battery though, I've always got AA/AAA in stock.  Then there are several choices of max weight, 200g, 500g or 1kg...  500g should do me I think.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114427798165?

I do have an old set of manual kitchen scales...but I'm not sure they're accurate to 100g let alone 1g! 

 

That looks perfect, just like mine. The weighting plate is quite small, suitable for tiny items, but you can get round that by placing some kind of support on it, pressing the TARE button, and placing larger items on it. Though I'm sad to report that you'll find, it will be 'made in China' LOL

[TomsFocus]

16 hours ago, StephenFord said:

Though I'm sad to report that you'll find, it will be 'made in China' LOL

Lol, I could tell by the fact there are hundreds of eBay listings for the same item.    As long as it's not plugged into the mains, the safety risk should be fairly small.  

[TomsFocus]

Stamps received, scales received, should be all good to go...

Ordered outgoing US postage online.  Just a normal letter, under 100g, no 'value'.

Along with the address label, there's also a Customs Declaration (CN22).  Does that have to be visible on the envelope?  I didn't expect one for a letter.

[TomsFocus]

I couldn't find an answer to the customs question.  So have posted one with a visible declaration, and the other with a declaration inside, just in case.

On that note though...is there a way to print the label directly onto the envelope?  

I printed onto a normal piece of paper and then taped that to the envelope, which looks a bit messy and I'd rather not use plastic tape where possible.  (Hoping to buy some paper tape like amazon use once my current roll expires.)

I've got an Epson all-in-one printer, and either use Open Office Writer (poor mans Word) or print from PDF.  I also have the Epson iPrint app on my phone (unsure how Apple have allowed that name!) which can also be used to print RM labels. 

[StephenFord]

10 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

On that note though...is there a way to print the label directly onto the envelope?  

I printed onto a normal piece of paper and then taped that to the envelope, which looks a bit messy and I'd rather not use plastic tape where possible.  (Hoping to buy some paper tape like Amazon use once my current roll expires.)

I've got an Epson all-in-one printer, and either use Open Office Writer (poor mans Word) or print from PDF.  I also have the Epson iPrint app on my phone (unsure how Apple have allowed that name!) which can also be used to print RM labels. 

I nearly always print the label then stick it to envelope using 3M magic tape - it's great as it's matt and can be written on if needs be, looks much better than standard shiny sellotape!

I have also printed directly onto an envelope using a decade old Epson DX8400 and no other software apart from, 'word'. I just get the label aligned on a word document, and send the envelope through the printer. It won't work on mine though if the envelope is too thick LOL

[TomsFocus]

5 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I have also printed directly onto an envelope using a decade old Epson DX8400 and no other software apart from, 'word'. I just get the label aligned on a word document, and send the envelope through the printer. It won't work on mine though if the envelope is too thick LOL

Hmm, I did wonder if it could really be that simple.  Writer doesn't have quite as much functionality as Word but I'll have to try it next time.

[TomsFocus]

Bit of an update...  The printer will just print a C5 envelope as if it was A5 paper.

I've just done it from my phone, using the Royal Mail app, which in turn opened the Epson iPrint app.  

However...I can't see any way to align it, or choose an envelope specifically.  Luckily the label and customs declaration are designed to be A5 so height is fine...but that means they're slightly off centre on the horizontal axis.

[TomsFocus]

**Update to Wednesdays update!! 

Somehow, an international envelope has been posted to my own address.   I can only assume a computer address reader (I'm sure that has a proper name  ) picked up my address from the customs declaration...but if that's the case, what's the point of the barcode and QR code above the recipients address?  

So for anyone else, DON'T print an international envelope directly from the RM site.  And I'm guessing the customs declaration doesn't need to be visible on mail after all?

[TomsFocus]

Well, can finally update this!

At least one of the envelopes got there and has now come back.  Took about a week to get there on 'economy international' and about 3 weeks to return on a global stamp.

[TomsFocus]

Another one received from the US this week.  Surprisingly only took 10 working days to get from LA back to Suffolk on a global forever stamp.     

 

I've also tried sending one to Canada now.  Canadian stamps are slightly more complicated.  They do have 'international' stamps, but not at a forever rate, so these stamps will only be useable up until the postage price rises.  They can be ordered directly from Canada Post to the UK with free shipping over $25 (CAD).  Oddly, I couldn't find any of these at all for sale on eBay, unlike USA global stamps which are readily available on there.