[Dx-qsl] Redeeming IRCs at US post offices

Mon Nov 13 11:19:43 EST 2006

Hi!
In the last couple of weeks I have been getting a few old (small,
pre-2002) IRCs along with some that expire next month and a few with
the 2009 expiration date (all from Japan). Before going to the post
office (main post office in Scottsdale, Arizona) this morning, I 
printed out the section of the US Postal Service International Mail 
Manual related to IRCs:
http://pe.usps.gov/text/Imm/immc3_007.html#tuLZq11wats
(scroll down to section 372)
in case the clerk had questions. I noticed section 372.4 (d) looked
a little different. Contrary to a bulletin USPS released a few months
ago, US post offices are still accepting the old IRCs. USPS will stop 
accepting the pre-2002 IRCs from other countries on 1 January 2007. 
Initially, the clerk wanted to redeem the old IRCs at something
other than 84 US cents, the value listed in section 372.3 (b).
I explained that the difference in redemption value only related
to unused IRCs purchased in the US, where the value of those IRCs
is 1 cent less than their face value as listed in 372.3 (a). 
After a couple of clerks discussed this and read over the printout
I made from the USPS web site, they accepted all those IRCs and 
gave me stamps. 
I had to point to section 372.4 (b) to redeem one IRC that expires
next month. The IRC was from France, but didn't have a postmark in
the square on the left side of the IRC. The clerk didn't want to 
accept this IRC at first, but after reading over that section from
my printout she did. I left that printout with the clerk, since 
she wanted to have that handy if her supervisors had any questions 
on what she did - and her photocopier wasn't working at that moment. 
If you're in the US and want to redeem old non-USA IRCs at a US 
post office, you have about 6 weeks to do this. Once the calendar 
says 2007, I doubt the USPS will extend this deadline any further.
USPS will continue redeeming unused pre-2002 US-issued IRCs after
that date, so at least there is one way to get something for those
IRCs. Print out that web page, or at least section 372 related to 
IRCs, and bring that along in case you encounter a postal clerk 
who is not familiar with IRCs (most are not). 
Good luck and 73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/