Looking for UK Royal Mail postage

project37

Apr 10, 2015 at 6:23am Edited

Long shot, but anyone happen to have any Royal Mail postage that I could buy? I'm trying to send a self-addressed letter from here so that it can be returned to me from London with the postage covered. I reached out to Royal Mail but they said that I can't purchase it online. Anyone happen to have a few stamps that they're not using? Looking for at least £2 worth, if possible. Thanks! oh oh

jerseyjack

Apr 10, 2015 at 6:32am

There is some kind of international mail certificate you can buy from the U.S.P.S.

project37

Apr 10, 2015 at 6:40am

Unfortunately US postage wouldn't work for mail originating in the UK (I'm looking to cover the return trip for the self-addressed envelope).

ictulips02

Apr 10, 2015 at 6:43am

You might try your neighbor across the road. cheese

I can check and see what we have, but won't be able to see until later this weekend. How soon do you need it?

project37

Apr 10, 2015 at 6:52am

D'oh, of course! :-D Will do that right now!

And thanks for checking. Hoping to get it within the next 2 weeks or so. Thanks again!

SuzanneNg

Apr 10, 2015 at 7:34am

jerseyjack said:
There is some kind of international mail certificate you can buy from the U.S.P.S.

(quickly scanning MOL on my lunch break).
It is called an International Reply Coupon. As long as the UK is a member of the UPU, they will exchange the coupon for UK postage...

from Wikipedia:
An international reply coupon (IRC) is a coupon that can be exchanged for one or more postage stamps representing the minimum postage for an unregistered priority airmail letter of up to twenty grams sent to another Universal Postal Union (UPU) member country. IRCs are accepted by all UPU member countries.

UPU member postal services are obliged to exchange an IRC for postage, but are not obliged to sell them.

The purpose of the IRC is to allow a person to send someone in another country a letter, along with the cost of postage for a reply. If the addressee is within the same country, there is no need for an IRC because a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) or return postcard will suffice; but if the addressee is in another country an IRC removes the necessity of acquiring foreign postage or sending appropriate currency.

pansyfaye

Apr 10, 2015 at 8:15am

call around to find a USPS store that sells IRC's
they are not easy to find

pol100gk

Apr 10, 2015 at 10:14am

What sort of stamp do you need? I have a friend from the UK visiting next weekend and I can ask him to bring some. (L and N's mom from VB)

hiraeth

Apr 10, 2015 at 2:28pm

I may have some around somewhere - left over from when I was back in the UK for Xmas and mailed some cards - I'll take a look. If I can't find them, my sister is arriving on Tuesday, I could ask her to pick up a 2 GBP stamp and ask her to bring it with her.

project37

Apr 11, 2015 at 3:46am

Thanks, all! Sadly it seems that the USPS discontinued the International Reply Coupons a few years ago:

http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc3_020.htm

@hiraeth , that would be great, thank you - I'll send you a PM.

@pol100gk - hello! We'll have to get together again soon. oh oh