POSTAGE AND FEE

Postage is the duty chargeable for transmission of postal article by Post. Postage is payable as prescribed for each category of mail. Registration, Acknowledgement, Value-Payable. Insurance and Speed Post charge is denoted as fee and not as postage, though paid in the manner postage is paid.

Manner of Payment

Postage and fee are payable in the following manner:

1. Adhesive postage stamp

2. Frank of franking machine, licensed by the Post in favour of, or for, the sender

3. Frank of franking machine at the Post Office, on payment in cash

4. Cash, for registered newspaper licensed to post without pre-payment

5. Cash, on Business Reply Envelop, Letter Card and Post Card, on delivery 

6. Service Postage Stamp

Pre-Payment

It is the endeavour of the Post Office to forward by the earliest possible mail and effect delivery as expeditiously as possible of all fully prepaid postal articles. Unpaid articles or articles on which the postage is not fully prepaid are not afforded any greater security in transmission over other unregistered mail. On the other hand, such articles are liable to detention for the purpose of taxing the postage due on them. They are also, not issued along with the special deliveries intended only for unregistered mails but held over for the general delivers for all classes of mail.

POSTAGE STAMP AND STATIONARY

Payment of postage is normally to be effected by means of postage stamps issued by the Indian Post Office under the authority of the Government of India. The Post Offices issues, also certain items of stationery like envelopes, inland cards, postcards with the value of the requisite stamps embossed on them. If the Postage required on such embossed Postal Stationary is more than the value of the stamp printed on the articles the difference can be made good by affixing additional Postage Stamps of the requisite value.

Embossed Envelope of size 14 * 9 cm  with embossment of postage for the first weigh step,Inland Letter Card, single Post Card and Reply Post Card with postage imprint

Special Registration Envelope with imprint of postage and registration fee, and

Postage Stamps of designated denominations to represent all postage and fee and 

Service Postage Stamps of designated denominations to represent all postage and fee

When the embossed or imprinted value is less than the current postage, difference may be made up by affixing postage stamp.

Minimum Number of Stamps

Postage should be paid by the minimum number of postage stamps.

Stamps affixed to a letter of packet must be completely adherent to the article itself and not to any part of its contents or to any separate label or other device tied or attached to the article. The stamps should be affixed to the right hand top corner of the address side.

Wrong Use of Stamp

Postage stamp, whether adhesive, embossed or imprinted, that has been obliterated, defaced, torn, cut or otherwise rendered imperfect, or has any work, letter, figure, or design written, printed or impressed upon it, except under the authority of Central Government.
or has been cut or otherwise separated from embossed envelope, postcard or wrapper, is not recognised for postage.

Special registration envelope sold by the Department is not allowed for unregistered mail.

Use of already-used postage stamp for payment of postage or any fee is an offence under Indian Penal Code.

Manufacture and use of fictitious postage stamp is an offence under Indian Penal Code. But, reproductions in black for illustration in a literature on stamp or philately is not prohibited.

Non-postal stamp, label or seal should not be affixed on the address side of mail.