Postage due

Postage due is a system of charging for deficient payment of postage on a letter ("short paid"). This could be indicated by postal markings and/or the addition of specific postage due stamps.

Postage due stamps exist in three flavors. First are the special purpose stamps inscribed "POSTAGE DUE", "TAXE PERÇU", "TIMBRE TAXE". "TAXE", etc., etc., etc. The second are normal postage stamps with handstamped "T" or "TAXE" to account for the usage by post offices. A third type are stamps used specifically to charge postage due for when postal tax stamps are required but not used by a sender for whatever reason.  File:Mauritania T ovpt.A.webp|"improvised" postage due. These were typically handstamped at the time of handling and not prepared ahead of time. 

For the United States (at least), commercial customers of paid reply mail under permit would have the postage owed totalled and presented when such mail was called for by the recipient. Therefore, it was logical to have (say) $5 postage due stamps for such purposes. The stamps would cancelled (or could be precancelled) and provided to the customer as a receipt.

For international mail, the UPU agreement for some time was to charge double the deficient amount as postage due.

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