From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Freepost is a postal service provided by various postal authorities, whereby a person sends mail without affixing postage, and the recipient pays the postage when collecting the mail. Freepost differs from self-addressed stamped envelopes, courtesy reply mail, and metered reply mail in that the recipient of the freepost pays only for those items that are actually received, rather than all that are distributed.

In one typical use of freepost, a business sends bulk mail to potential customers, the bulk mail including envelopes or postcards that potential customers can return to the business by freepost. In another typical use, magazines include subscription cards that potential subscribers can return by freepost. In yet another typical use, a seller can provide a merchandise return label bearing the appropriate freepost indicia (as described below) to a customer so that the customer can return the item to the seller by freepost upon issuance of a Return Merchandise Authorization.

In Australia, freepost is called Reply Paid. Specially printed envelopes are used, with the permit holder's address, the words "Reply Paid" with an authorization number. The stamp is replaced by three black stripes. The permit holder pays the postage plus a fee to the postal authority. The customer may write the Reply Paid envelope out by hand.

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Reply Paid 1345

P.O. Box 1453

Wherever NSW 1435

More recently, the post office has realised that it can combine the RP number and the Box number, which saves writing and reduces the number of errors.

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Reply Paid 1345

Wherever NSW 1435

An important customer like the Taxation Office would have a RP number the same as the post code, to minimize errors even more.

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Reply Paid 1435

Wherever NSW 1435

To coordinate service with the United States, Canada Post uses the same terminology and the same standards as the U.S.P.S. (as explained below), with the exception of the use of Canadian Postal codes.

In the United States, the United States Postal Service refers to freepost as business reply mail. A mailer wishing to receive mail by freepost must obtain a business reply permit and design the envelopes, postcards, or labels according to the standards specified by the USPS, including the use of a FIM B or C code, whichever of the two is appropriate. The address on the envelope, postcard, or label is the same as the address for regular mail, except that the ZIP+4 code is different. In some large cities, business reply mail has its own five-digit ZIP code or codes (e.g., 20077 and 20078 in Washington, D.C.). Also, the design of the envelope or postcard includes a place to identify the business reply permit number.

Other countries use freepost as well, although the envelope designs required by those countries' postal authorities differ widely from that described above. A freepost address may have a special freepost number for use along with, or instead of, the address for regular mail.

International freepost also exists.

• Information on reply paid from Australia Post
• Information on business reply mail from the USPS
• Return and Reply Mail (Mailpiece Quality Control Program, chapter 9), a USPS document showing the design of business reply mail in the United States