How to buy International Reply Coupons or IRCs?
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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 black 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?" 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.
- So here's how to get a international reply coupon.
1) Print a copy of of the IMM 380-381.4: International Reply Coupons under "Supplemental Services"
2) Print a copy of USPS's FAQ
3) Highlight the section on the FAQ which says
Are International Reply Coupons (IRCs) still available?
Yes, the selling price will be $2.10 each. IRCs are exchangeable in any other Universal Postal Union member country for stamps equal to the minimum postage for an air letter.
5) Have the USPS Product number for IRCs. This allows them to ring it up in their little cash register computer and realize indeed it's something they should have and sell. The IRC part number is: 330700 / 330800
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.
