When calculating price by postage weight, does the Post Office take the weight of the stamps into account? If I put 34 1-cent stamps on an envelope which was right at the 34-cent weight limit, would I actually have to put more on because of the added weight?
You weigh the package, determine the postage, then apply the postage.
Yes, I KNOW that… But my question is a hypothetical one. As I said, the package is JUST before the weight limit and stamps would put it over the weight limit… so would stamps count as added weight making you have to add more stamps? After all, I assume the post office weighs it themselves when they receive it… or do they just take it on faith that you’ve put on enough postage?
Um…no.
The post office chooses to charge you a certain rate based on size and weight (and awkwardness, in some cases). Weight-based pricing is not an exact science - the post office is not going to have major problems themselves arranging transport for something one or two grams heavier. The weight/price barriers are to act as a rule of thumb for customers, in my opinion.
Another thought: the post office is charging for delivering the package, not for delivering the package and whatever means the post office uses to signify payment on that package. The difference must be so negligible that requiring packages to be weighed after every stamp had been added would be time-consuming, resource-consuming and a sure-fire way to really irritate customers.
Perhaps I’m alone, but I don’t think the question is a ridiculous one.
At some point in the journey, items get weighed after postage has been applied. That things get returned for having insufficient postage (for their weight) should be proof of this. (Note how they’re always kind enough to cancel whatever postage you had applied, so you can’t just add the difference needed.)
When the postal worker weighs an item, he/she isn’t likely to try to back out how much of that weight is postage and how much is the actual item. I’d imagine that the assumption is that the weight of the postage is so small as to be negligible.
The OP, as I read it, was asking about (possible) situations in which that assumption no longer holds. Say you’re using 1-cent stamps from the special “Tribute to American Industry Commemorative Lead-Lined Stamp Series.” Say you’re so close to the scale in question’s rounding point that a stamp or two is enough to push you over the edge.
My guess is that, in principle, it shouldn’t matter. As has been pointed out, they’re charging you to ship the letter, not the postage.
In practice, however, I’m less confident. Worker sticks letter on scale, sees it register as 1.1 oz, observes 34 cents in postage, and stamps it “insufficient postage” without a second thought. Maybe this happens, maybe it doesn’t - but I have no trouble imagining it.
Perhaps that’s not how it’s supposed to work, I would imagine that in practice you do pay for the weight of the stamp(s).
I guess another question is: “Just how draconian are they about items being barely overweight?” I don’t know. However, the reputation that they have in my experience is one of being pretty picky. This will require somebody with more knowledge than I have to answer.
I’m wondering if you can fit 34 stamps on the front of an envelope that meets the USPS requirements for first class mail. If an envelope is larger than 11.5 inches by 6.125 inches by .25 (or has an aspect ratio of less than 1.3 or greater than 2.5), it requires additional postage.
If you just go by the 11.5 X 6.125 measurement, you get a surface area of 70.4375 square inches. Looking at the stamps I have, which are 34 cent stamps, but are the same size as a one cent stamp you would buy, I don’t think there’s enough room.
I perused the section of the Domestic Mail Manual that is available through the USPS website, but it just says to weigh the object and affix the postage.
I happen to have in front of me a sheet of 1¢ stamps arranged 7 columns by 5 rows, or a total of 35 stamps. The stamps occupy an area of 5-15/16 x 4-31/32 inches. You can never be too precise in these matters.
Anyway, it would easily fit on one side of a standard manilla 6x9" envelope. If you plan to try this at home, I must warn you not to mistakenly buy the 6.5" envelopes also available at office supply stores, lest you be forced to fit another 21 stamps on there. This can also be done, but is a pretty tight fit.
Even if you’re using a smaller envelope, such as a #10 business envelope, I think it’s permissible to place additional postage on the back. I once received a letter from a friend who had purchased fifty 1/2 cent stamps from a dealer (25¢ postage at the time). 12 of the stamps had to be placed on the back, but the letter was delivered just fine. Upon arrival, only about 10 of the stamps were cancelled.
Sometimes I try to squeeze standard postage (letter, makeup,&postcard combos) on a priority mail 'lope. Even though therte is plenty of room I still feel the need to get them tightly in te upper right. I overlap them a bit - I don’t know if that is allowed but it works.
but back to the OP - Most mail if a little over will go through ok. The postman will pull any mail that seems on handleing and vision that looks a little shy in the postage. if it is that close I don’t think he will pull it.