# Postage Due- what do I go. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804 "2013-04-16T01:07:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/1 "2013-04-16T01:07:47Z")
I bought something from eBay and it arrived via USPS with an envelope attached to it that says “Postage Due: 17 cents” without further instructions. Dumb question- what do I do. Put coins in and leave it on the mailbox tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/2 "2013-04-16T01:16:15Z")
Yep. That’s happened to me a couple of times. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/3 "2013-04-16T01:57:19Z")
yep, the carrier is expected to bring that money in. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/4 "2013-04-16T01:59:29Z")
What if you don’t have correct change…? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/5 "2013-04-16T04:43:06Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What if you don’t have correct change..? You’ll have to work out some other arrangement with the postal carrier… ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/6 "2013-04-16T09:22:03Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What if you don’t have correct change..? So leave 2 dimes. Or even a whole quarter. Your postal carrier probably deserves a few cents tip. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/7 "2013-04-16T14:02:13Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > So leave 2 dimes. Or even a whole quarter. Your postal carrier probably deserves a few cents tip. US Postal employees are not allowed to accept gratuities for obvious reasons. Provide them the correct postage due and you will be good to go. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/8 "2013-04-16T14:15:59Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > So leave 2 dimes. Or even a whole quarter. Your postal carrier probably deserves a few cents tip. > [@dolphinboy](#): > > US Postal employees are not allowed to accept gratuities for obvious reasons. Provide them the correct postage due and you will be good to go. I am not a letter carrier, but my father is a retired carrier. Your carrier will probably leave change if you leave a quarter. If you don’t pay, they won’t send the postage due police after you, but keep in mind the carrier could have just left a postage due notice, then you would have had to go to the post office to get your stuff. And yes, he (or she) has already covered you out of her (or his) own pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/9 "2013-04-16T16:52:24Z")
[Pay](https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNavIds=catBuyStamps%3asubcatS_S_OtherPostage&categoryNav=false&navAction=push&navCount=0&productId=S_180440&categoryId=subcatS_S_OtherPostage) [them](https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?categoryNav=false&navAction=jump&navCount=5&productId=S_784304&categoryId=subcatS_S_OtherPostage) [in](https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?categoryNav=false&navAction=jump&navCount=7&productId=S2004_110440&categoryId=subcatS_S_OtherPostage) [stamps](https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?categoryNav=false&navAction=jump&navCount=0&productId=S_100340&categoryId=subcatS_S_OtherPostage)? ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/10 "2013-04-16T17:32:20Z")
Wait, what? You can leave change with the letter and the mail carrier will just bring it in for you? You don’t have to find another stamp to put on there? you can just leave money in the mailbox and they’ll take it with your letter? Am I being whooshed? If you’re serious, that’s… ridiculous, in my mind. That sort of thing is what a post office is for. If you’re wrong on postage, you buy extra small-change stamps to make up the difference. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/11 "2013-04-16T17:55:40Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Wait, what? You can leave change with the letter and the mail carrier will just bring it in for you? You don’t have to find another stamp to put on there? you can just leave money in the mailbox and they’ll take it with your letter? Am I being whooshed? > > If you’re serious, that’s… ridiculous, in my mind. That sort of thing is what a post office is for. If you’re wrong on postage, you buy extra small-change stamps to make up the difference. Postage due implies that a letter you **received** had insufficient postage, not a letter that you’re mailing **out**. Someone mailed you something, they didn’t put enough stamps on. Postman delivered it anyway so that you got your important letter, and he probably paid 17 cents out of his own pocket to make that happen. You’re paying him back. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/12 "2013-04-16T18:02:48Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > Postage due implies that a letter you **received** had insufficient postage, not a letter that you’re mailing **out**. > > Someone mailed you something, they didn’t put enough stamps on. Postman delivered it anyway so that you got your important letter, and he probably paid 17 cents out of his own pocket to make that happen. You’re paying him back. That’s even weirder, then. I wouldn’t think that sort of thing was the postman’s decision. Whatever’s in his truck has been scanned and sorted and cleared for delivery, no? I can’t believe he’s got the time to check the postage on everything he’s putting into mailboxes, and fish in his pockets to find 17 cents to give to… whom? If the mail’s in his truck already, then who is even aware of the missing postage? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/13 "2013-04-16T18:05:19Z")
Our carrier leaves us an envelope with the amount due on the outside. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/14 "2013-04-16T19:52:27Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > That’s even weirder, then. I wouldn’t think that sort of thing was the postman’s decision. Whatever’s in his truck has been scanned and sorted and cleared for delivery, no? I can’t believe he’s got the time to check the postage on everything he’s putting into mailboxes, and fish in his pockets to find 17 cents to give to… whom? If the mail’s in his truck already, then who is even aware of the missing postage? Postage due matter will be handed to your carrier at the station by the Accountables Clerk. The carrier will have to sign for it. Then the carrier must either bring back the item and return it to the Accountables Clerk or the carrier must pay the AC for the item. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Medlo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hi\_Medlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Medlo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/15 "2013-04-16T19:57:42Z")
What Alley Dweller said. Your carrier has to sign for postage due items and is liable for the postage. If we leave the item and the little envelope we are trusting you to reimburse us. If you stiff us we’ll just leave a notice next time and you can go to the post office, pay the P.D. and receive your item. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/16 "2013-04-16T20:04:06Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > That’s even weirder, then. I wouldn’t think that sort of thing was the postman’s decision. Whatever’s in his truck has been scanned and sorted and cleared for delivery, no? I can’t believe he’s got the time to check the postage on everything he’s putting into mailboxes, and fish in his pockets to find 17 cents to give to… whom? If the mail’s in his truck already, then who is even aware of the missing postage? Odds are the USPS has a policy that allows mail to be delivered ‘postage due’ if the discrepancy is small enough. It’s easier than returning the item to the sender along with a refund for the postage they DID pay. As with every other business, niceties like that are more likely if the sender is a high-volume customer. Finally, competition from private package delivery services (fedex, ups, etc.) has made the USPS improve and increase the services it offers. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/postage-due-what-do-i-go/655804/17 "2013-04-16T20:18:37Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What if you don’t have correct change..? Check under the couch cushions. Previous thread: [Postage Due - How does it work?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675263)