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If you need proof of payment of postage and other services, ask the postal clerk for a cash receipt.

The Postal Service has made it more convenient than ever to buy stamps with EASY STAMP services. Whether you use one of our shop-at-home services or buy stamps where you work or shop, you have these options:

At Retail Establishments Look for the EASY STAMP logo at places where you shop. In cooperation with the Postal Service, many businesses offer stamps at post office prices. Ask the cashier at your local grocery or convenience store if that store is an EASY STAMP outlet.

Stamps by Mail You can buy stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes through the mail by completing
Form 3227, Stamps by Mail, available at your post office or from your letter carrier. Just fill out the order form, enclose a check or money order, and return the envelope to the carrier or drop it in a collection box. There is no service charge and you should receive your order within 3-5 business days.

Stamps by Phone Stamps are as close as your telephone. Call our toll-free number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to place your order. VISA, MasterCard, or DISCOVER credit cards are accepted. Your stamps are delivered within 3-5 business days.

No minimum order is required, but there is a service charge based on the total price of the order.

Stamps by Computer By using the FIND command, PRODIGY R users can access the US STAMPS file to order their stamps on-line. This convenience was added to the EASY STAMP program in mid-1990 and has proved a popular option.

Self-Service Vending Equipment Vending equipment providing stamps and stamped products such as postcards and stamped envelopes is available at many locations throughout the country. The conveniently located equipment enables you to take advantage of basic postal services around the clock. Some locations include postal scales that provide rate information for mailing packages. Selected vending machines can accept currency up to $20 and vend a variety of products such as
100-stamp coils, Express Mail stamps, envelopes, stamp booklets, and even postal cards - all at face value. If you experience a loss due to an equipment malfunction, you will be reimbursed upon request to the local post office.

Mailgram, an electronic message service offered by Western Union, provides next day Postal Service delivery for messages sent to any address in the United States. The messages are transmitted for delivery with the next business day's mail. Mailgram service is also available for Canadian addresses.

You can send Mailgram messages by calling Western Union and dictating your message to the operator; or you can use your office Telex or TWX. For more information, call Western Union Telegraph Company. In Hawaii, call your local post office for information on how to send a message. In Alaska, call Alascom, Inc., for Mailgram service.

Do not send cash through the mail. Money orders are a safe way to send money. The special color blend, Benjamin Franklin watermark, metal security thread, and double imprinting of the dollar amount are incorporated security features. You can buy domestic and international money orders at all post offices in amounts up to $700. Military money orders can be purchased only on U.S. military ships and foreign bases.

If your money order is lost or stolen, present your customer receipt for a replacement. For a small fee, you can obtain a copy of a paid money order up to 2 years after the date it is paid.

You can apply for a passport through Postal Operations, B-225 Longworth, HOB,
phone 225-3856 or at more than 1,200 postal facilities nationwide. Department of State regulations require that all applicants present two recent 2" x 2" photographs, valid identification, and a certified copy of their birth certificate, along with the appropriate fee, when applying for a new passport. The passport fee may be paid in cash, by check, or with a money order. For additional information, call the Department of State information line nearest you or call your local post office.

Except for the purchase of money orders, you may use personal checks at the post office to pay for postal services and products up to the amount of purchase. You must show one form of identification which bears a photograph. Make your check payable to "U.S. Postal Service" or "Postmaster."

When a mailer uses a postage meter, the postage, place of mailing, and date are imprinted at the mailer's place of business. Many mailers, including those with a relatively small mail volume, have found that this convenience more than offsets the costs of maintaining an account and of leasing the machine. Call your post office for more information.

Stamp collecting is a fascinating and enjoyable hobby that does not require any specific skills or expensive equipment. Almost any subject of interest is shown on stamps.

A good place to begin your collection is your local post office, where recently issued stamps and postal stationery are on sale. You can also buy philatelic products, such as stamp collecting kits, the Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps, and mint sets of commemorative and special stamps for recent years. For a free mail order catalog of philatelic products, write to:

Note: before you hyperlink you may wish to add this page's address to the "Bookmark" selection in the Netscape menus above. When you are ready to return from the USPS site select your bookmark to come back here. You may also click right mouse button and "Back" to backtrack to this page.

If your insured, registered, COD, or Express Mail article has been lost or damaged, you can file a claim for compensation. Claim forms can be picked up at your local post office. You must present the packaging, mailing container and the article(s) (if received) to the Postal Service for inspection when filing a claim for missing or damaged contents. When filing a claim, you will also need to provide certain documents such as your original mailing receipt and proof of value. Specific procedures that must be followed can be explained to you by your local post office. Also, you can get a copy of Publication 122, A Customer Guide to Postal Insurance and Filing Domestic Insurance Claims, from your post office.

When you have a problem with your mail service or would like to make a suggestion, you can complete a Consumer Service Card, available from letter carriers and at post offices. This helps your postmaster respond to your problem. You can also advise the postmaster of a problem by calling your local post office.

You can also contact the Postal Service Consumer Affairs and Claims office in your area to help solve problems or obtain information your local postmaster may be unable to help you with. The telephone number for your local Consumer Affairs and Claims Office is listed in the phone book with other Postal Service telephone numbers. The Consumer Advocate represents consumers to the top management level in the Postal Service. If your problem cannot be solved by your local post office or Consumer Affairs and Claims Office, write the Consumer Advocate at:

You may inquire about domestic mail at any post office. Form 1000, Domestic Claim or Registered Mail Inquiry, is used to report lost or damaged mail that was insured, registered, or sent by Express Mail.

Form 1510, Mail Loss / Rifling Report, is used for ordinary and certified mail. Your local post office can help you decide when it is appropriate to file a report and assist you in completing these forms.

You may inquire about international mail at any post office. The U.S. sender may inquire about any class of mail; in addition the U.S. addressee may inquire about ordinary, insured, or registered articles. If the inquiry results in the filing of an indemnity claim, only the U.S. sender may submit a claim.

When inquiring about any type of international mail, except Express Mail International Service, you must complete Form 542, Inquiry About a Registered Article or an Insured Parcel or an Ordinary Parcel.

For Express Mail, contact the local Express Mail manager for assistance in completing Form 2861, Express Mail International Service Inquiry - Enquete. Each inquiry requires a small fee that is reimbursed if a claim is paid. If the article was sent by Express Mail or a paid-for return receipt was not received, the fee is waived.

Use Form 6401, Domestic Money Order Inquiry, for damaged, incorrectly prepared, or defective money orders and for making inquiries regarding payment; there is no waiting period.

You can save time and money by ordering merchandise and conducting business through the mail. However, if you are not aware of a company's reputation, check with the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, or state or local consumer protection office before placing an order. If you later experience difficulty with the company or suspect that you have been the victim of fraud, contact your local postmaster, Consumer Affairs and Claims Office, or postal inspector, or write to one of the following:

Information pamphlets on mail fraud are available at your local post office.

The Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement and investigative arm of the Postal Service. You can report postal crimes such as mail theft, drugs in the mail, or mail fraud to the local postmaster or nearest office of the postal inspector. You can also use the Postal Crime Hotline 1-800-654-8896 to report these or other postal crimes directly to the Inspection Service.

Certain unsolicited or undesirable mail is prohibited from the mailstream. This includes obscene materials, violence-inciting materials, and some types of mail relating to lotteries.

You can place your name, and those of your minor children, on a list of persons who do not want to receive unsolicited sexually oriented advertisements through the mail. Just ask for Form 2201, Application for Listing Pursuant to 39 USC 3010, at your local post office. Thirty days after your name has been added to the Postal Service reference list, any mailer who sends you sexually oriented advertisements may be subject to civil and criminal sanctions.

Your name will remain on the list for 5 years unless you ask to have it removed. At the end of 5 years, you must file again to have it reinstated. You may also seek an order prohibiting specific mailers from sending you or your minor children any further such erotic advertisements by completing Form 2150, Notice for Prohibitory Order Against Sender of Pandering Advertisement in the Mails, at your post office.

Postal Answer Line (PAL) is the Postal Service's automated telephone information service. With a touch-tone telephone, answers to your questions are only a call away. You can use it at your convenience because it is available 24 hours a day.

By selecting and listening to prerecorded messages, you can obtain the latest information on many of our postal products and PAL services. PAL can even help you calculate postage costs for commonly used mail services if you know the weight of the item you want to mail.

PAL is currently available in 80 cities, with plans to expand its availability and upgrade its features. Publication 349, Postal Answer Line Directory, lists the PAL telephone number for each of the cities currently offering this service Message code numbers and step-by-step instructions for accessing specific information are also provided.

The Postal Service issues a 100 percent refund to the mailer if the article was not delivered, delivery was not attempted, or the article did not arrive at the pickup point for delivery to a post office box by the day and time noted on the mailing label. Complete Form 3533, Application and Voucher for Refund of Postage and Fees, at your local post office. Contact the local Express Mail manager for more details.

Stamps damaged by moisture, humidity, or other causes while in your possession may be exchanged at full value. Unserviceable postal stationery and unused precanceled stamps can also be exchanged or refunded.

Federal law prohibits the shipment of unordered merchandise. Such a practice may constitute an unfair trade practice.

Merchandise mailed in violation of the federal code may be treated as a gift by the recipient without any obligation to the sender. The laws governing this practice are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. If you believe you have received unordered merchandise in violation of federal law, contact the Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection at: