General Forum

Has anyone ever had this happen to them? I have a single top loader in this PWE. I have sent many cards this way previously with just a single stamp. With two top loaders I'll use 2 stamps, but an extra $4.39 of postage due??? I had 3 envelopes all mailed out the same day get sent back to me this way? 

Yes, it happened to me, even without the toploader, just a paperboard sandwich.  Looks like they charged it as a package.  It is ridiculous.  That was the last PWE I ever did.

Sorry this happened to you.  

The top loader causes the problem. It is rigid inside the envelope therefore they look at it as a package.

I have done top loaders, card savers and cardboard sandwiches.  I have sent out 100s and received 100s of PWE and out all of them I had one come with postage due and one send that they had to pay postage.    Never had one returned to me.  As there are no postal markings on the PWE I would say someone in your post office find and felt it.  The one I received come the same day that I got 2 more PWE with top loaders in them with no postage due.     I asked the post man about it and his reply was:  "Some way along the line someone put their hands on it and kicked it out for postage due."    Him and other postal workers had told me if I'm trying to send them in a PWE with one stamp, do not hand them to a postal worker, just drop them in the blue boxes and they should get there without any issues.

My local PO has a cardboard "test slot" that they try all my PWE's through. If it fits through, it's an envelope. If it's too thick to fit through, it's a package. 

if it is a single card or a couple use a greeting card a sleeve and a card saver. then use one stamp or maybe depending on the thickness add an extra ounce stamp. If it is a thicker card or a mem card use a bubble mailer or a cardboard CD mailer

This is even what the whole "ebay envelope is - and it's supposed to be a top loader in a regular envelope. Why some people in the USPS do this is beyond annoying. If you can, try using a different PO.

They tried charging me as a package they say it is to stiff now I use orange mailer and also non machinable it costs 3 cents more a pwe so far I’ve had no problems 

Some postmasters are just grouchy. The point of a non-machinable stamp is for things that are rigid that can't go through a machine. My postmaster is super picky and sometimes he decides something is a package or he just hates me and sends all my mail back as postage due.

what size mailer?