【Important】The postage price for reply postcards will increase from 52 yen to 62 yen starting June 1st!!

[Important Issue] Postcard postage rates are going up!!

This decision, announced last December, will take effect on June 1, 2017, when postcard postage rates will increase.

Until now, the fee for postcards was 52 yen. Starting June 1, it will increase by 10 yen to 62 yen.

The amount for the postage stamp on reply postcards will no longer be sufficient at 52 yen!!!

This is a very significant event for brides-to-be preparing for their weddings!!

It means that the postage for stamps on reply postcards can no longer be 52 yen as before.

This issue is not limited to brides who send out invitations after June 1.

Whether the bride is sending invitations in May or in April,

this issue concerns everyone who has set the reply deadline for after June 1.

Moreover, there may be guests who mail their reply postcards after the reply deadline or right before the wedding,

so this could also be a concern for brides who are holding their weddings in the first to mid-June after the price increase.

In what situations will a 62 yen stamp be necessary???

To summarize, the situations that will require a 62 yen stamp for reply postcards from the wedding venue are as follows:

☑ Brides who send invitations after June 1

☑ Brides who sent invitations before June 1 but have at least one guest whose reply will come after June 1

☑ (When the reply deadline is set for after June 1)

☑ (When the guest does not adhere to the reply deadline set before June 1)

Among these situations, if a guest does not adhere to the reply deadline, it's their responsibility... so, for cases where May 31 is the reply deadline, it should be fine to use a 52 yen stamp.

However, brides who have set the reply deadline immediately after the price change on June 2 or June 4 may have an issue, as they should receive most of the reply postcards by the end of May (when 52 yen is sufficient), yet could end up needing to pay more for the few guests replying late.

10 yen per postcard... for 50 guests that's 500 yen...

Although this might seem like a small amount, the sad part is that there are few designs available for the 62 yen stamp.

The special occasion 62 yen stamps are not yet available, but will go on sale starting May 15.

Why is there a price increase in the first place???

The increase in the postage for postcards is the first in 23 years, excluding the past time when the consumption tax rose from 8% causing the 50 yen fee to increase to 52 yen.

It seems the increase is intended to reform the postal service, which has been struggling due to the reduced use of letters and postcards in favor of emails and LINE chats.

Despite the decrease in traditional mail... the postal service handles approximately 6.3 billion items each year.

It is said that this 10 yen increase could generate hundreds of billions of yen in additional revenue.... amazing, right?

Letter and New Year's postcard prices remain unchanged.

By the way, the postage amount to be affixed to the standard envelopes required for sending invitations remains unchanged.

If the weight is within the regulations, the cost is 82 yen per envelope.

Additionally, newlyweds will likely send New Year cards as a way of greeting.

Although they were expected to increase in price because they are postcards,

the price for New Year's postcards will remain at 52 yen, so please be careful.

To clarify, the only New Year postcards that can be mailed at 52 yen are those posted between December 15 and January 7. It's impossible to stockpile and use New Year postcards throughout the year.

Now, let’s summarize common questions regarding the increase of postcard postage from 52 yen to 62 yen.

Question 1: From when will the 62 yen rate be necessary???

We understand that postcard prices will rise starting in 2017, but what will the timing of said increase be?

Is it at the moment of mailing? Based on the date stamped? Or perhaps when delivered by the postal worker??

After questioning the post office:

☑ For submissions at the counter, the price will change to 62 yen starting from the acceptance at 0:00 on June 1.

☑ If mailing by post, the first collection on June 1, 2017, will be 52 yen.

(This includes those mailed on the night of May 31)

Starting from the second collection on June 1, the rate will be 62 yen.

That's what they said.

When mailing by post, it seems important to check the posted collection times closely.

Question 2: What happens if the postage is insufficient?

What will occur if the postage amount is insufficient?

One possible scenario is that a guest mistakenly mailed a reply postcard with a 52 yen stamp, thinking it would be returned in May, unaware of the price increase.

In this case, even if the postage is insufficient, the postcard will not be returned to the sender (the guest's address),

but a notice indicating the insufficient postage amount will be sent to the recipient (the bride and groom),

and the recipient will need to provide additional postage upon receiving the postcard.

Question 3: Will the excess postage from over-sticking stamps be refunded?

If the reply deadline is set for after June 1, and a reply postcard is affixed with a 62 yen stamp, but it’s mailed in May by the guest.

In this case, since an extra 10 yen stamp is used, you might think it could be refundable....?!

After all, the stamp was affixed by the bride and groom when sending the invitation!

Unfortunately, refunds for excess stamps are not permitted.

There is a refund system for over-stamped postage, but refunds are only available to the "sender".

In the case of reply postcards, even though the bride and groom create and stamp the postcards,

the names and addresses on the postcard will be those of the guests, so, it is logically treated as having the sender being the guest.

Regrettably, the bride and groom who affixed the stamps have no right to claim a refund for excess postage, so please be cautious.

Question 4: What if I don’t have a 62 yen stamp?

The 62 yen stamps are already on sale, but there are few designs available, and stamps for special occasions are still unavailable.

If you can’t find a design you like for a 62 yen stamp, many brides seem to choose to affix a 52 yen stamp along with a 10 yen stamp instead.

There is a system called "Postage Due Stamp" which is similar to a deferred payment system,

but to use it, there are several conditions, such as having to send out more than 50 items each month, so it seems to be difficult for most people.

[Important] Be cautious as postcard postage will increase to 62 yen!

Starting from June 1, 2017, the postage for postcards will increase from 52 yen to 62 yen.

This is extremely important news for brides-to-be who are planning to send invitations or expecting replies from postcards,

so make sure to remember it well! ♩