Anyone else having trouble with the new lettermail rates?

[wonsxela]

So among other things, I tried to send a standard envelope (below 30 g, containing Pokemon cards) today. I had 90 cents worth of stamps on it, using old stamps I'd bought from here on Ebay. But the manager of the Sobeys post office I usually go to insisted that the postage rate for standard letter mail within Canada is $1.05 regardless of which stamps are used. I'm certain that she's wrong, because I've mailed several of these since the rate change and they haven't returned to me. I took the envelope back and dropped it in the mailbox outside instead. Has this been happening to anyone else?

[ypdc_dennis]

It seems as if that postal outlet manager needs to be retrained.

$1.05 is only if you buy the stamps at the outlet for the letter as singles.

$0.90 for selling stamps in booklets

...

Perhaps a message to Canada Post customer service is in order.

Although, it could be a Canada Post effort to sneak the basic rate up so they can get rid of all those old stamps that are floating around...

I rarely use the base lettermail rate, but I've had none rejected so far.

-..-

[momcqueen]

I rarely if ever use lettermail in this weight/size category but when I consult the Canada Post app for iPhones, the Single Stamp Rate is given as:

Canada $1.05
USA $1.27
International $2.65

So what does that mean? I assume it means that if I buy a single stamp, that’s the cost at $1.05. Books of ten+ Permanent stamps are discounted to a unit cost of 90¢ each. Permanent stamps are *worth* $1.05 regardless of whether you paid 90 cents as part of a book or $1.05 as a single stamp. Unless you need more than a single stamp on your letter such as in the case of oversized mail. If you need $1.90 in postage (plus tax) the Permanent stamp is only worth 90¢ again.

I guess it means a sender needs $1.05 in postage on their letter, though. Wouldn’t it? That is, unless they are using a Permanent stamp. The logic of Permanent stamps never made a lick of sense to me. Pun intended.

Probably a call to the 1-800-number is in order. I can’t offer to clarify that today; I won’t be back at my desk today until too late to call.

[momcqueen]

Using the app again, I am able to get an estimate for a 30g regular size letter and it tells me the cost for non-business rates is $1.10.

That’s $1.05 postage plus a nickle tax.

I have screenshots but eBay Canada Community for mobile devices disallows uploads of anything but jpg and these are png.

[ichopshop]

To be clear though, this wasn't a "P" stamp?  It was one or more stamps adding up to $0.90?

Ian

[esclyons]

if you are not using "P" stamps then yes you need 1.05$ in stamps to mail a letter under 30 grams.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@esclyons wrote:

if you are not using "P" stamps then yes you need 1.05$ in stamps to mail a letter under 30 grams.

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So "P" stamps are worth $1.05 instead of 90 cents for larger postage combinations?

Getting some mixed messages. The Canada Post website still has 85 cents (old cost) in places.

-..-

[esclyons]

 taken from canada post website.

0—30g
$1.05 / stamp
$0.90 / stamp in a booklet

my take away is loose stamps= $1.05  ,

.90 cent stamp in a booklet are "P" stamps.

[ricarmic]

A P stamp is worth 90c (up from 85c before the 14th).
The individual rate is $1.05 up from $1.00 before the 14th.

The extra 15c is the added cost of a post office employee having to sell an individual stamp to a customer (this is why it is cheaper to buy them at the normal rate in booklets etc and put them on the envelope yourself - I am surprised at how many people don't bother in the PO when I am there and just pay the $1.05 each time they come in).

So nothing as far as I know has changed since before the 14th except the P stamp and the individual rate have both gone up 5c. Before the 14th 85c worth of stamps was fine as long as you put them on yourself. Presumably as long as you come in with 90c worth of stamps on the envelope it is the same as a booklet purchased P stamp.

Having said this, I've been using P stamps on my 90c letters so I haven't tested the theory.

I also know that if you ask 5 postmasters the same question you can get up to 5 different answers. The PO communication system is lacking and they also get misleading/late information from HO all the time.

[vintagenorth]

Now I’m confused! CanPost says 90 cents plus tax or a P stamp. I can’t see anywhere that it says $1.05 to mail a letter. I think the $1.05 is only when you actually purchase a stamp at the post office. (Getting more confused the more I think about this.) Going for coffee now.🤔

[ricarmic]

Hi vintage, as far as I know, I don't think this is correct.

It costs 90c to mail a letter, unless you ask the postmaster to put one stamp by itself on the envelope, then it costs $1.05 for them to do it for you, and you have to pay the 15c upcharged with a $1.05 stamp instead.  They can't put a "P" stamp on the envelope for you because it is only worth 90c.

The documentation has always been confusing, look at the confusion it is causing here, let along amongst the poor folks who are supposed to be administering it.

I'm 99.5% this is the case, but there's always that 0.5%.....

[skylarstuff]

From Canada Post web site

What are PERMANENT stamps and where can I use them?

The PERMANENT™ stamp, identified with the letter P in place of a value, is always accepted at the current domestic postage price. If you buy a PERMANENT stamp today, you can use it anytime in the future.

One PERMANENT stamp can be used to mail a letter (weighing up to 30 grams) anywhere in Canada. You can also use PERMANENT stamps in conjunction with additional postage to mail larger letters, parcels or to send mail internationally.

Translation = One P stamp will mail a letter up to 30 grams

Question : In conjunction with other stamps is it worth 90 cents or $1.05

[skylarstuff]

Found my answer 90 cents is what a P stamp is worth when using it with other stamps

[meowmix14]

Clear as mud. "Stamps in booklets/coils/panes" $0.90.
I mail 10-20 little white envelopes per day, on my selling account, haven't had any issues.
canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/canada.pdf

[pjcdn2005]

 They started charging more for a single stamp a year ago or maybe it was before that so in that respect, nothing has changed.  As ricarmic mentioned, the extra amount paid for a single stamp is just a service charge. When that stamp or any P stamp goes on an envelope, it is worth .90 regardless if you paid $1.15 or .90.  That's how it has worked ever since the single stamp charge was put into place.

[femmefan1946]

No .

The rate is 90 cents.

The "P" stamp is worth 90 cents.

Including those purchased at lower cost some years ago.

The other 15 cents is a service charge for selling you one stamp.

And then, there is a nickel in GST. (goods and services)

OP you were right , the clerk was wrong.

And that is why the red letterbox is your friend.

As is buying older mint stamps for a discount here on eBay.

[momcqueen]

I still don't understand the answer to this question.

P stamps are enough to mail a letter as long as the letter is under 30 g and the size of a regular envelope. If they are added to an oversize letter, they're only worth 90 cents. 

Buying them in bulk means they cost 90 cents each but a single stamp will cost the sender $1.10 of which $1.05 is stamp and five cents is GST.

If I go walking up to the counter with old stamps from home on my envelope, why would I only need 90 cents worth when the cost to mail a letter with a single stamp is $1.05? 

The whole notion of this P stamp is beyond insensible to me. 

I rarely if ever use regular lettermail. And when I do...? I honestly have no idea if I'm using the P stamps in my desk or just paying at the counter, it happens so infrequently, I have no process here on which to rely. 

[ricarmic]

The quick way to understand this is who puts on the stamps.

If you put on the stamps it costs a P stamp (90c*) or a bunch of smaller stamps that add up to 90c

(if you come in with 10 letters and have put stamps on each is a P or 90c*)

If you get the postmaster to put a stamp on it costs you $1.05* and they will put the non P stamp on for you. (and it costs you an extra 15c to do that for you).

(if you give the postmaster 10 letters and ask them to put stamps on, it will cost you $10.50* if they put them on one at a time. Any good postmaster would advise that you can save $$$ by buying a book of 10 Ps and put them on yourself)

Does that help?

PS a 90c stamp costs 90c plus GST/HST (Ie booklet of 10 is $9.00 plus HST), the $1.05 stamp costs $1.05 plus GST/HST depending where you live.

[momcqueen]

It does. 

As in your explanation makes sense but the situation itself is insensible to me. 

The important part is that we have a definitive answer to the question, even if that whole scenario  seems to lack logic to me. But then again, I'm not Canada Post. Maybe in the land of Canada Post, this makes as much sense as does anything else. 

[ricarmic]

Canada post doesn't want folks going to the PO and buying one stamp at a time because it costs them the postmasters time/book keeping to do all the paperwork for one stamp.

To fix this they're dinging the buyer 15c more.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm amazed how many people just pay the extra every time they are in the PO (remember I live in a village of 300 people so I see the same folks every day) and don't want to buy a book (the excuse I hear most often is they just lose the book).