Hand-canceling is a particular process in postal services, especially significant when sending delicate mail pieces – like wedding invitations. This method involves a postal worker stamping your envelope by hand rather than running it through a machine, ensuring the envelopes don’t get damaged or smudged during processing.
Why Hand-Canceling?
This practice is critical for postal items with special care, apart from normal mail such as bills or promotional materials.
Here are some reasons why one should consider hand-canceling:
- Hand-canceling can prevent your envelopes from being bent, which can ruin the appearance of the invitation.
- Automated postal machines leave tracking marks on envelopes, often strip off wax seals, and can even snag handmade envelopes flaps.
- Referred to as “machined mail” in the postal sector, these items often have a rough ride and can leave your suites damaged as the envelopes are required to be standardized for quick sorting.
How to Request Hand-Canceling
You can request this service for your invitations, but consider these points:
- Remember to do this at your local post office. However, not all post offices offer this service, so you may need to call ahead to find out which locations near you do.
- Hand-canceling can cost a bit more – generally $0.21 more as of 2021.
- Timing is also essential as it can take time to stamp all of your postage, and it can also take longer for the USPS to process and deliver them. Plan accordingly!
Tips for Effective Hand-Canceling
Follow these tips to avoid any complication during the process:
- Always remember to double-check your postage with the clerk and ask them to hand-cancel your postage.
- Do not hand-cancel your reply envelope postage ahead of time – it will prevent your guests from using the postage.
- Ask the clerk to bundle your suites with a rubber band after they are ‘canceled’ to help avoid getting buried during processing and being accidentally machined.
Conclusions
In the end, even with the best practices, there’s no guarantee as human errors might occur considering the vast amount of mail processed every day. Remember that you can ask your stationer if they offer postage and mailing services! They can lend their expertise not only in selecting the correct postage but throughout the entire mailing process. Hand-canceling is a simple, small step but significantly improves the chance of your precious wedding invitations reaching their destination safely and in pristine condition.