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. A postal authority organises collection and delivery of mail (US) or post (UK) within its area of control. ... A British pillar box (or post box, mail box [U.S.]). The postal system is a system by which written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages containing other matter, are delivered to destinations around the world. ... A British pillar box The postal system is a system by which written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages containing other matter, are delivered to destinations around the world. ... A self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), or just stamped addressed envelope (SAE) in the UK, is often just that: an envelope with the senders name and address on it, with affixed paid postage and mailed to a company or private individual. ... Courtesy reply mail, or CRM, is a type of mail in which a business sends pre-printed, self-addressed envelopes or postcards to customers, who then affix postage stamps to the envelopes or postcards and mail them back to the business. ... Metered reply mail, or MRM, is a type of mail in which a business sends pre-printed, self-addressed envelopes or postcards to customers, with postage prepaid on the envelopes or postcards with a postage meter. ...

Uses

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. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... An envelope is a packaging product, usually made of flat, planar material such as paper or cardboard, designed to contain a flat object such as a letter. ... A sample of various postcards. ... A collection of magazines A magazine is a periodical publication containing a variety of articles, generally financed by advertising and/or purchase by readers. ... A label is any kind of tag attached with adhesive to something so as to identify the object or its contents. ... A Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) is a transaction whereby the recipient of a product arranges to return defective goods to the supplier to have the product repaired or replaced or in order to receive a refund or credit for another product from the same retailer or corporation. ...

Freepost in various countries

Australia

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.

 Wiki Foundation 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.

 Wiki Foundation 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.

 Wiki Foundation Reply Paid 1435 Wherever NSW 1435 

Canada

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. Canada Post (French: Postes Canada) is a Canadian postal service operated as an independent crown corporation. ... A postal code is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. ...

United States

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. A previous USPS logo The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent establishment of the executive branch of the United States government (see ) responsible for providing postal service in the United States; it is generally referred to within the United States as the post office. ... The Facing Identification Mark, or FIM, is a bar code designed by the United States Postal Service to assist in the automated processing of mail. ... An address is a code and abstract concept expressing the fixed location of a home, business or other building on the earths surface. ... Mr. ... Flag Seal Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ...

More generally

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.

External links

• Information on reply paid from Australia Post
• Information on business reply mail from the USPS