LA POSTE has a service that allows you to buy and print off stamps through your computer, for internal post as well as overseas.
The Mon Timbr en Ligne service lets you pick from over 200 designs of stamp and in a couple of steps print off a sheet or add a stamp to an individual envelope.
You can buy stamps for regular envelopes or larger parcels, and because you credit your account you can use them whenever they are required.
Printing sheets of stamps
Sheets of labels can be used, and it is also possible to print directly to envelopes or label makers and as a safety measure you can print a test sheet in advance to make sure everything is lined up correctly.
You first pick the design of your stamp, that includes areas of France or cities such as Avignon or Paris, as well as simple graphics and drawings with a touch of French life.
Small parcels and letters
You then pick the type of letter or small parcel you want to send which is based on the weight, so the lowest priced option covers a letter weighing less than 20g and that is priced at 1,13 €.
Your next step is printing the stamps onto a sheet of A4 paper, if you have paper with stickers you can provide the size of them and the online printing service will adjust the dimensions of the stamp.
You can print just one stamp or a number of stamps up to a maximum of 24 on one sheet of A4 paper, with the total number of stamps you can buy in one go numbering 500.
How to stick the stamps on
There is a small help notice should you wonder how to attach your stamps to the envelope and that is to cut out the individual stamps and then use a glue stick to attach them, sticky tape or liquid glue is not suitable.
It is possible to buy stamps for letters to be sent to the UK, the US and other countries, and the price is exactly the same as if you were to use the local post office.
And I suppose that’s one of the great worries about this service, is this another blow to local postal services especially in the countryside?
Although your local post office will offer services beyond just letter delivery, with banking services available, the chance to buy parcels and packages and even set up a service that ensures the postie looks in on you and provides warning devices in the home in case of an accident or fall.
Hi Craig – thanks for the tip; it’s a nice idea and came up just when I needed a few stamps for letters to the UK. However when I tried to do a “trial print” of a dozen stamps it didn’t happen in Firefox 3, so I switched to Internet Exploder 7 which worked and gave me a dozen specimen copies of a stamp with a sweet pussycat on it. Then I tried to enter 7,80€ for the prepayment, which gave an error message which said I had to enter 7.80€ (note the full stop). I tried all combinations, then gave up and went down to the Post Office.
Maybe I’ll try later when the bugs have been sorted!
regards,
Ian
Hi Ian, sometimes the tech can get in the way of the job at hand – think you were right to head off to the Post Office.
All the best, Craig
I have just printed up paid for french stamps, but how on earth do I stick them to the packages?