How to buy International Reply Coupons or IRCs?

by **Liv** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:28 pm

Okay. I felt I needed to update and republish this page due to the fact through pain and agony I've developed a working outline for how to obtain International Reply Coupons otherwise known as IRCs. What I needed to get was these:

UPDATE 2/13/2013:

Effective January 27, 2013, the U.S. Postal Service® will stop selling International Reply Coupons. However, the Postal Service™ will continue to redeem them

It's a simple coupon that allows someone to basically send an envelope to somewhere internationally and the respondent doesn't have to pay postage to reply to it. It's the equivalent of a S.A.S.E (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) within the U.S.

This may seem like any easy thing since; a) a post office is designed to help you with postage, and b) their website clearly states they're available. Unfortunately this task is not for the faint of heart.

My first attempt at getting them was at my neighborhood post office. The first USPS employee advised me he was a veteran of the postal service for 30 years and had never heard of international reply coupons. I expected this as it's a small rural branch. So I went to the main post office on Murrow boulevard where I was greeted by a middle aged woman who was so committed to her job, that when I inquired about IRCs, she didn't even bother to check her computer, or catalog. My third trip to the post office was the following day. This time armed with printouts from USPS, which clearly state they carry international reply coupons, including the section and article in the I.M.M. (International Mail Manual: a USPS employee reference book) on how much and how to handle the vending of IRCs. I got a different employee who advised the same thing. The women who helped me the day before stood beside this clerk and became almost enraged as I brought the printouts out as if I had offended her intelligence. I then asked if they could call someone and check. With great reluctance one of the three USPS waddled back behind a wall. The other two started bickering about how these were discontinued, when... and why anyone would actually need one. When I asked what process you would use to send SASE (self addressed stamped envelopes) international... they said "we don't know." (uh it's your job dummies!) They wrote off the website anomaly as: the web guy for USPS slacking off, joking about the "geeky" I.T. people, not knowing they're speaking in front of a "geeky" I.T. girl.... Finally the heavy set line backer type USPS employee shuffled from behind the wall saying he had verified with a supervisor they don't make international reply coupons anymore.

I asked for the manger's name. Her name.... Penny Pratt. Apparently, Penny is earning a government salary like the other three of these employees without actually being able to do their jobs. This is my pet peeve. I understand it if you try, and fail... but to not even crack the computer.... come on... it's laziness. As a last resort I was going to ask for the USPS 800 number and call it on the cell phone in front of them. Unfortunately no one at USPS knew the number. I resorted to falling back to the car and looking up another USPS location's telephone number on my Garmin GPS. The nearest one happened to be the Yanceyville street location, to which I called and immediately upon asking "Do you have IRCs?", and a sweet angel voice named Sharon said "Yes!" Finally a competent employee. I said "I'll be there in five minutes." So we drove to the location, met with Margaret and Rusty who pulled them out of the folder and sold them to me. The also gave me the USPS code in their computer in case I ever run into this again.

how to get a international reply coupon.

IMM (International Mail Manual) 380-381.4: International Reply Coupons

USPS's FAQ

Are International Reply Coupons (IRCs) still available?

Yes, the selling price will be $2.20 each. IRCs are exchangeable in any other Universal Postal Union member country for stamps equal to the minimum postage for an air letter.

The number is: 1-800-275-8777

The IRC part number is: 330900

If all goes well you should leave with some international reply coupons. Be sure that they "stamp" the U.S. side of the IRC before you leave to validate them.

by **A Person** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:37 pm

Does anyone actually use paper letters and stamps anymore?

by **Liv** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:37 pm

Apparently if you want a signed autograph from John Barrowman you do.

Actually that's a secondary priority... We're trying to get a autograph from Tennant for his (chances) birthday.

by **smiler125** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:53 am

I was surpised that my ex Mother-in-law brought U.S stamps to the UK on vacation and didn't relaise that she couldn't send post cards back to the U.S with them. I had to explain it was like trying to use U.S dollars in England instead of Bristish pounds.

by **Liv** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 12:43 pm

smiler125 wrote:I was surpised that my ex Mother-in-law brought U.S stamps to the UK on vacation and didn't relaise that she couldn't send post cards back to the U.S with them. I had to explain it was like trying to use U.S dollars in England instead of Bristish pounds.

Ha! I can see her doing that. Honestly though... it really should be time for a national post service I think.

by **Brighid** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:30 pm

I just had the same problem. I called the customer service number to try to get more information, and they said that the IRCs are stocked in areas that need them. I'm in the DC Metro. One would think there might be some international folks around here that need IRCs.

by **billspringer99** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:05 pm

I went to my local, Chicago area, post office today, the guy behind the counter knew exactly what I was talking about and advised me that they've had some on order for quite a while, but have not received them yet..

One thing to remember is that the current ones expire on December 31, 2009... And I'm thinking the current ones are sold out, and the new ones haven't made it into the distribution system yet..

Oh Boy!!!!

by **Liv** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:12 pm

Yeah, I had to send some stuff off to Manchester a few days ago, and since I really didn't need the item sent back, I figured "screw it" this crap is way to difficult. It's amazing there's not a more functional SASE method for international post.

by **Jeremy** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:00 pm

FYI, I just called my local post office (small rural town,) and she said she knows they don't have any. She said she though they were discontinuing them at one point a few years back but said she thought they did bring them back. She did say that it has been a long time since anyone inquired about them which is probably why they don't keep any on hand at this particular office. I was advised to try the larger post offices in the neighboring town, and that they *should* have them on-hand.

by **utvol66** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:15 pm

Great post on how to get a IRC. I had to walk my PO thru it, showing them the pics from your post on how to stamp the coupon. One note however, my PO found the ID of the coupon to be 330800 not 330700.
utvol66

by **Liv** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:55 pm

utvol66 wrote:Great post on how to get a IRC. I had to walk my PO thru it, showing them the pics from your post on how to stamp the coupon. One note however, my PO found the ID of the coupon to be 330800 not 330700.
utvol66

I wonder if that's sequential for the new year... that's cool, and I'll update the post.

by **Jason1234** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:19 pm

I called about a dozen post offices. They know about them but all claim they don't carry them. Called the USPS customer service and they said they can't tell me if any post offices in my area have them. Offered to transfer me to someone I could order them from and have them mailed to me. They just transfered me back into the computerized answering system. I hate the USPS, they are completely worthless. Why even say on the website that you sell them when no one has any of them.

by **N2LJD** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:51 pm

Just tried to buy one at the Crystal City (Arlington, VA) PO. "noh, noh, no more..." "how about an international money order?" "noh, noh, ees no good to Greenland, only USA, Canada, Mexico and Guatemala" (actual quote).

Time to terminate the USPS "with extreme prejudice." No wonder FedEx, DHL, etc. are whupping their butts!

by **kg6mso** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:53 pm

N2LJD wrote:Time to terminate the USPS "with extreme prejudice." No wonder FedEx, DHL, etc. are whupping their butts!

I went to 4 post offices included the main post office for the SF Bay area. No dice. Supervisors at all 4 locations do not exist. The company lines are:
1) Never heard of them.
2) They are discontinued.
3) We can't order those.
4) No. I can't look up the memos that tell me how to exchange old ones for new ones.

USPS is worthless. Hell, my carrier has (and I am not exaggerating here) a 5% error rate in delivering my mail. 5% of the mail in my box is NOT for my address.

Sort of makes one want to go 'postal'. :evil:

by **Guest** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:53 am

kg6mso wrote:
N2LJD wrote:Time to terminate the USPS "with extreme prejudice." No wonder FedEx, DHL, etc. are whupping their butts!

I went to 4 post offices included the main post office for the SF Bay area. No dice. Supervisors at all 4 locations do not exist. The company lines are:
1) Never heard of them.
2) They are discontinued.
3) We can't order those.
4) No. I can't look up the memos that tell me how to exchange old ones for new ones.

USPS is worthless. Hell, my carrier has (and I am not exaggerating here) a 5% error rate in delivering my mail. 5% of the mail in my box is NOT for my address.

Sort of makes one want to go 'postal'.

OMG i tried two in SF. when i went to the one on i think 21st ave and geary (on monday, january 11, 2010), they knew what i was talking about, and the lady in the counter asked the manager there, and he said that they're waiting on a shipment that should be coming in soon. Although I went back three days later they still said they don't have any. So maybe the shipment may be in by now, but i haven't tried again yet. You can try there when you have time. Hope this helps A LOT because i need them too ahhhhh.

- Jonathan

by **DancingBear** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:23 pm

Guest wrote:...the lady in the counter asked the manager there, and he said that they're waiting on a shipment that should be coming in soon. Although I went back three days later they still said they don't have any.

Maybe they should have sent them FedEx.

I found this blog because I was told at the Reston, VA post office yesterday that they were discontinued many years ago. Left me hanging, since the Tower of London requires that you send two of them in to get tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys. Will be at the Bethesda, MD P.O. on Tuesday armed with the info from this site.

by **Guest** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:16 pm

After going to a number of post offices, it seems like the employees know how to answer the question "Do you have any international reply coupons?" It's like people "higher up" told them to tell their customers that they don't have any, and that's what the employees are sticking to whenever someone asks of the IRCs

by **grandmabooboo** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:01 pm

I was told at the Reston, VA post office yesterday that they were discontinued many years ago.

They may have been thinking about aerogrammes, which used to be popular but have been discontinued for years. There is VERY little demand for IRCs because they cost so much relative to what the consumer gets. I myself have only been on the window for a mere 20 years and have sold a total of maybe 20 IRCs, almost none in this decade. Try not to be too hard on the people on the front line; it's up to upper management to make these things clear and you can imagine such a huge organization has a hard time being clear and consistent about anything. I did see the memo that they were changing the IRCs at the end of the year to a new design. Hopefully they will be barcoded so we will know how much to charge for them, LOL.

So naturally 1) If they're new they may not know about them; 2) It may have been so long since seeing any that it would be logical to conclude that they had been discontinued; 3) No, only the station manager can order those, not the clerks who know what they're out of; 4) Management can look that stuff up. Window clerks' computers don't have access to that.

Remember most window clerks would much rather be able to say yes, we have that, and sell it to you.

No wonder FedEx, DHL, etc. are whupping their butts!

Up to date time, now, DHL no longer operates in the US! N2LJD is uninformed. The PO can only make money orders to countries whose postal systems will cash them, and who make money orders that are good here. Includes all these countries:

I'm as up for a good rant as the next person, but it isn't any good if you don't check your facts! It's so much easier to run with your (incorrect) assumptions, and quite satisfying, but tends to make one appear a fool.

by **Guest** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:21 pm

Hi,

If you think the US post office is bad, try the UK.

I too went in to my local PO asking for an International Reply Coupon. "Sorry we don't have any" was the reply, followed by a very unhelpful. "I've worked here 30yrs, and you're only the second person to ever ask for one." Obviously that teller does not get out much.

I am trying to send documents to the US, and need them returned. I asked if their is any other way to put return postage on a SEA, the teller say "I don't know". Again, obviously that 30yrs on the job, she did not train very well.
She advised my to try another PO.

This I did, only to be told "we've got none in" and "nobody ever asks for them". Surely this is not the point, a PO should have a few spares if they advertise selling them. The teller said she could order me some, but she would not get them in until a week thursday. Not good enough as my document is urgent.

I am now on to my third PO today, and don't hold out much hope.

The PO isn't just bad over there. :naughty:

Wendy

by BC » Wed Feb 24, 2010 3:18 am

I don't trust US Mail anymore. Anything urgent, I send by a major private shipping service. If you have something urgent that needs to be returned, you can print out an extra shipping label so they can send it back on your dime. It's much more expensive, but much more reliable than snail mail, and traceable too.

USPS has lost lots of my mail (including 3 resends from the same organization). Canada Post never got an envelope to my grandmother in time for Christmas. Resent it with FedEx, it was there the next day, and they charged me the piddly $2 in customs duty to my credit card.

by **dwane** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 8:03 pm

ok so i bought IRC's on i think december 28th of this past december and immediately sent them to robert pattinson over in london but did not see if there was an expiration date on them. i read here that the ones last year expired on december 31st 2009, i called the post office that i got them from today and another place that deals with postage and whatnot and they said that they don't expire and they can still be used - i really hope that they don't expire and i hope that the woman who sold them to me would have told me that they would be expiring a couple days after i bought them and mailed them out.

i don't know what to believe about these IRC's, i hope that i didn't buy 20 of them only for them to expire a couple days later.

can someone give me some advice about these things. thanks!

by **Gene** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:03 pm

Thanks for the information.

I purchased a quantity of IRC's from the on line USPS source and to my shock they do not have the US (left side) stamped. Now I will have to find a sympathetic clerk in my local country post office to stamp them for me. At least the local employees know IRC's exist as they have redeemed them for me in the last year with no questions or comments. -go

by **Dgets85** » Thu May 06, 2010 2:53 am

Great article, however makes me worry about the trouble I am going to have for this. I am trying to send over the pond to try to get Karen Gillan's auto, I'm curious how many IRCs I should get?

by **Liv** » Thu May 06, 2010 10:52 pm

Dgets85 wrote:Great article, however makes me worry about the trouble I am going to have for this. I am trying to send over the pond to try to get Karen Gillan's auto, I'm curious how many IRCs I should get?

Should be just one. Get a big manila envelope and address it to yourself, attach with a paperclip a valid and stamped IRC to the corner and then stuff it inside of another manila envelope with Karen's address on it. Take it to the USPS and pay them for international postage to ship the outside envelope. When Karen's army of monkeys gets the envelope they'll simply take it to the Royal Post to mail and give the "coupon" to their postal worker to pay for the appropriate postage.

by **Jimm** » Wed May 26, 2010 2:22 pm

I read your posts and was a little worried but went to my local post office branch a few weeks ago--was pleasantly surprised that the clerk knew of and had IRCs and all went absolutely smoothly. Went back yesterday for a few more and unfortunately for me he's on vacation for the next month...the woman subbing there had no idea what they were and acted like she suspected I was lying about buying them there earlier. She called a colleague on the phone who apparently has been working for USPS for 30 years and never heard of them. It was even more maddening because I know there was a folder within 5 feet of where she was standing with IRCs! I wouldn't mind if she just couldn't find them because she was subbing...but to not know what they are and treat me like I was confused or lying was very frustrating.