Help needed with info about using belgium stamps!

Hello everyone!

As every year i go to belgium again this November, but now since i am an active postcrosser i would love to send cards. Unfortunately i do not like the (expensive) europe and world stamps, however I do like the national ones a lot more! Are you also be able to use 2x national ones instead of one world or europe stamp? I called bpost and they say that wasnt possible.

Can someone help me? :grin::orange_heart::crossed_fingers:

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I’m not from Belgium, but I have received a postcard from Belgium using national stamps before, so if nothing changed I think that should be possible. However, the person put on a lot more stamps than just two. I’m fairly sure you pay the same amount whichever stamps you use. I suspect that you even pay more if you were to use only national stamps. (That’s the way it is in the Netherlands at least. Here I oftentimes use two national stamps instead of an international one, and it costs a bit more than if I only used an international one.)

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Not sure if I understood your question. In the past, some countries permit the use of their own denominated stamps before the EURO; others do not. I don’t know about Belgium.

Not from Belgium as well but if you check the post about stamp value for different countries, you’ll see that for Belgium the rate is 1’07€ for Domestic and 1’85€ for Europe and 2’07€ for international… so if you want to use domestic stamps, you may have to use 2 stamps of the current value to send a postcard either Europe or “World”… you will be paying more than what you should to send the postcard but it is not forbidden to overpay a postcard, as far as I know.
I’ve had the same issue in Spain for years. If you combine 2 or 3 domestic stamps, you end up paying more than you should. But letters/postcards arrive as well.
Just check how much is the value of the domestic stamps you’re using, do the maths and make sure (if you’re using vintage stamps) that they have “euros” not the old belgium coin. I guess.

Yes I do the same in the netherlands! And in Italy i do it too so i thought it would be jo problem in belgium but the customer care said no not possible haha. I think I will just do it :sunglasses: thanks!

Ah yes i know like france, but no that was not my question… thanks anyways :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Yes I wanted to use 2x “belgium national” a €1.07 because those stamps are way more my taste, prettier, more fun etc. The customer care lady told it wasnt possible cause it would be go wrong in the sorting process or so. Oh well i think i will just try it :crossed_fingers::sunglasses: thanks for your help

Belgium have a weird system… they don’t have stamps with numerical Euro values anymore but they have “1”, “2”, “Europe” etc. It’s a bit like the first, second class stamps in the UK or the forever stamps in the US. You can combine some of the domestic ones (I’ve definitely received cards like that), but I think you will end up paying more than if you use the right stamp… I agree with you, though, the domestic ones are way prettier :grinning:

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The postcard I did receive did have a priority sticker on it, so you might want to add one of those as well.

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I am from Belgium and I use 2 national stamps sometimes to send to Europe or rest of the world. But actually 2 national stamps are more expensive than 1 european stamp

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We have the same system in the Netherlands and it’s actually very efficient. The stamp will always retain its value despite price increases, meaning you don’t have to add any small denominations anymore.

In the Netherlands, all stamps are for priority mail only, so there are no first or second class stamps either (2 simply means 2x1 for mail exceeding 20 grams). And lastly, we are still allowed to use the old euro stamps (not guilders though) if we combine up to the current rate (the price of a 1 domestic / international).

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Great! I will do that then for sure too!

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Ah i have to get those then somewhere too

Yes we have that too here in the netherlands!

Maybe not too late yet, but just to let you know that you can use 2 national stamps to send mail to any country. I do it all the time :relaxed: and yes, I’m Belgian. Have fun while you’re here.

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Thanks for your reply! Definitely helpfull!

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If you made your trip already to Belgium, I hope you had a nice stay! If you still have to make your trip and come on regular base over here and like to send mail every time, it’s worth thinking of maybe taking some stamps in stock. In The Netherlands they keep the same price next year but here they are increasing again!!!
We’re also still allowed to use stamps in BEF (Belgische Frank) and they have also beautiful ones that you can mix and match with a number 1 from BE. That’s something I also do sometimes or completely in old stamps. When I do something like that and it’s for a collector, I always go to the post office to have a postmark already before putting them in the mailbox or giving them at the desk because otherwise they don’t have a cancellation most of the time. (the machines often can’t read the old currency anymore; that’s why they are also taking them out in a couple of years)
Remember that they don’t have so many choice at local post offices. Luckily they sell those with the extra large pictures to have more choice but they are also more expensive and they are really big if you have to stick 2 of them! The most beautiful ones and newest you have to order online but they only deliver in Belgium…

Hello Veerle! Thank you so much for you long reply with much information! I do visited belgium before pandemic way more then i do now but hope to visit more soon! I was last weekend in belgium and got the new Christmas stamps and the one with the butterflies, i also already bought online from a reseller the belgium 2012 onces with Kuifje. unfortunately due to business i was too late at the postoffice to buy others (already closed).
But your tip for the BF stamps is great too! I might can get them online too before i go next time!

Thanks so much for you time replying :orange_heart:

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