# How does the USPS deal with excess postage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502 "2007-05-17T19:29:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/21 "2007-05-18T02:53:34Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] If some puts say two 39¢ stamps on an envelope instead of a single 41¢ stamp or a 39¢ and a 2¢ stamps will the US Postal Service still deliver it? [/QUOTE] They will try to, but the letter will go almost twice as far as it was supposed to, and somebody else will get it. So don’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/22 "2007-05-18T03:02:24Z")
Reusing uncancelled stamps is actually much easier now that the USPS has gone to self-sticking stamps instead of the ones you lick. They come right back off of most letters, even if they’ve been on there for a week. The trick is to peel the envelope away from the stamp, rather than the stamp away from the envelope. Say, I’m not in trouble now, am I? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/23 "2007-05-18T18:23:02Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] They will try to, but the letter will go almost twice as far as it was supposed to, and somebody else will get it. So don’t do it. [/QUOTE] Stamps aren’t for distance, they’re for weight. So they’ll need to pour some postal sand in the envelope to make it weight enough to be worth 82 cents. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/24 "2007-05-18T18:32:17Z")
[QUOTE=JSexton] Stamps aren’t for distance, they’re for weight. So they’ll need to pour some postal sand in the envelope to make it weight enough to be worth 82 cents. [/QUOTE] Don’t they still use the traditional white postal powder, or was that getting too confusing? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/25 "2007-05-18T18:39:04Z")
Groucho: Ms Dimple, mail this letter for me. Ms Dimple: But it doesn’t have a stamp on it. Groucho: Just drop it in the post box when no one is looking. Ms Dimple: Besides, this letter is too heavy, it’ll need an extra stamp. Groucho: Don’t be silly, that’ll just make it heavier. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/26 "2007-05-18T18:47:40Z")
Reminds me of a “Tippy Turtle” cartoon (remember _him_?) in which he builds a balsa-wood box around a helium balloon and tries to mail it. When it floats, registering negative weight, he demands payment. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/27 "2007-05-18T19:54:34Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Reminds me of a “Tippy Turtle” cartoon (remember _him_?) in which he builds a balsa-wood box around a helium balloon and tries to mail it. When it floats, registering negative weight, he demands payment. [/QUOTE] very funny. Size might kick in, though, and still cost money. I guess it would depend on how big it would really need to be and what service was being used. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/28 "2007-05-18T20:07:56Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Cite? Are you seriously saying that if I put a stamp on an envelope, then decide not to mail it, it’s illegal for me to remove the stamp and apply it to another envelope? [/QUOTE] I don’t know about _if you decide not to mail i_t, but I went down to the PO one day and had put three stamp on a fat envelope. Since there just happened to be no line, I had them weight it, and it turned out I had “overpaid” by a satmp and a few pennies. So, I said “Hey I’ll just pry this one extra stamp of” and the PO worker said 'Sorry, I can’t let you do that. Once you have turned it over, we can’t let you take stamps off." ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/29 "2007-05-18T21:32:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Size might kick in, though, and still cost money. I guess it would depend on how big it would really need to be and what service was being used. Remember, the first stamp covers _up to_ one ounce. So the range from (-infinity,1] still costs (currently) 41 cents. There are also charges based on the size of the package, as defined (for what reason, I know not) as length plus girth. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/30 "2007-05-18T21:43:56Z")
How do they handle excess postage? Simple. They sell you more stamps sooner, because you run out sooner. It’s sort of like a win-win for them. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502/31 "2007-05-19T03:22:54Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Other “warning signs” I remember off the top of my head are: protruding wires, leaky or oily package, misspelled address and/or wrong titles, lumpy envelopes, and strange smells. [/QUOTE] Also excess packaging materials. I used to work in a mail room. No bombs but plenty of hate mail for Chairman Hodsoll. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-usps-deal-with-excess-postage/404502.md?page=1)