Can You Return Stamps to the Post Office?

Short answer: no, you cannot return stamps to the Post Office. USPS does not buy back unused postage from the public and does not refund stamps you decided not to use. Once a stamp is sold, the Post Office considers the transaction closed.

That does not mean your leftover postage is worthless. Return My Stamps buys unused U.S. stamps directly from the public and pays cash for them. Start your stamp return, or read on for what USPS will and will not do.

Will the Post Office Buy Back Stamps?

No. There is no USPS program that repurchases stamps from customers. A retail clerk can exchange unused stamps for other stamps in a small number of situations, such as stamps that were damaged in the mail or printed in error, but that is an exchange for postage, not a refund. You will not leave the counter with money.

The practical upshot is that if you inherited a drawer of postage, bought stamps before a rate change, or closed a business with unused stock, the Post Office is not the place to take it.

What You Can Do Instead

• Keep using them. Forever stamps never expire and stay valid at the current First-Class rate. Older denominated stamps still carry their printed value and can be combined to make up postage.
• Sell them yourself. Auction and marketplace sites let you list postage, but you handle photographs, listings, buyers, shipping and fees, and you are paid only if someone buys.
• Return them to us for cash. We buy the stamps outright. You ship once, we make you a firm Purchase Offer, and you are paid within 3 business days of accepting it.

What We Pay

We do not refund Presort-Rate, Bulk-Rate, Nonprofit-Rate, Postage Due, Official, or foreign postage stamps. See the full postage refund rates.

How Returning Your Stamps Works

Step 1: Print Our Packing Slip

Print our Packing Slip and fill it out completely. It tells us who you are and how you want to be paid.

Step 2: Package and Ship Your Stamps

Package your stamps so they cannot shift or take on water damage in transit, and include your Packing Slip. We need it to process your order. Use a shipping method with a tracking number, because without one we may be unable to confirm that your stamps reached us.

Step 3: Get Paid

When your postage arrives we send you a Purchase Offer, so you know the exact amount before you commit. Accept it and payment is issued within 3 business days. Decline it and we send your stamps back.

Common Questions

Can you exchange stamps at the Post Office?

In limited cases a clerk may exchange damaged or misprinted stamps for replacement postage. That is postage for postage. There is no cash involved and it does not apply to stamps you simply no longer need.

Do unused stamps expire?

No. Forever stamps remain valid at the current First-Class rate no matter when you bought them, and denominated stamps keep their printed value. Age is not a problem for us either. We accept unused U.S. postage regardless of how old it is, including unused vintage stamps issued after 1930.

What condition do the stamps need to be in?

They must be unused. Used, cancelled, torn or stuck-down stamps cannot be refunded. We also inspect every stamp for authenticity, because counterfeit Forever stamps circulate widely on websites, eBay and Amazon. If we cannot authenticate what you send, we will tell you and offer to send it back.

How much will I get back?

A percentage of face value, set by the table above. Face value is the postage value of the stamp, which for a Forever stamp is the current First-Class rate. Our rates page includes a chart for stamps with no number printed on them.

Ready to Return Your Stamps?

We have been in operation since 2016 and have handled over 2,700 returns for more than 1,800 customers, with over $4.3 million refunded. Read our customer reviews, then start your stamp return.