Have your shipments experienced the unfortunate situation of having ‘insufficient postage’? Insufficient postage occurs if the correct postage was not purchased, or the shipment was sent with inaccurate details.
As a shipper it is important to verify all shipment information is accurate. A shipper’s responsibility includes providing accurate weight, dimensions, descriptions and the recipient address.Find helpful ways to accurately measure your shipments in this article so you can avoid unnecessary delays and hiccups to get your shipments to your customers smoothly. Below we breakdown common scenarios for when a shipment has insufficient postage.
Your shipment may be refused and returned by the carrier.
The carrier can refuse the shipment if they determine that the postage purchased for the shipment isn’t sufficient which means the package may be returned. This can delay the shipment and may also incur additional costs in order to get the shipment back to you.
Your recipient may be asked to pay the difference in postage or “postage due”.
If the carrier deems the postage to be insufficient there are instances they will qualify it as “postage due.” This means your customer could be asked to pay for the difference in postage which makes for a less than ideal experience for both you and your customers.
We may contact you to correct the postage.
If we notice that your shipment has incorrect postage applied, we will contact you directly before processing the shipment. This can delay your package and you may have to retrieve the shipment to make the necessary adjustments.
We understand that mistakes can happen and our team is always available if you need help with preparing your shipments. Our article “How do I accurately measure my shipments?” is a useful resource for ensuring accuracy with entering shipment details.
Our team is here to support and work with you to avoid additional fees for your shipments.
A postage adjustment may be applied.
Rather than delay the shipment or inconvenience the recipient, the carrier will automatically pass along the difference in postage and potential surcharges to the shipper as a "postage adjustment".
For example, USPS charges a fee of $1.50 USD for shipments with insufficient postage that exceed 20" to 30" inches or are more than 2 cubic feet. All postage adjustments and surcharges for postage corrections are automatically applied to your Chit Chats account.
Learn more on how to avoid underpaying postage to prevent unnecessary delays and charges for your shipment.