Questions about French stamps

I want to ask if the Marianne stamps works like the US Forever stamps? Meaning the rate of the stamps changes whenever there is a change of price made by La Poste.

I bought some stamps last year and I send these stamps to the people I sent to so they don’t have to pay for their reply. When La Poste increased their rate this year, I noticed some of the replies have added stamps and I find it odd since they don’t know if I’m into stamps.

well, you have to closely check, what is written on the stamps

There are Marianne stamps which an explicit value or the thing you are looking for would be
“lettre 20g” or something similar those stamps keep there value to be good for a letter of 20 gram.

Maybe you can show us your stamps

If the stamps don’t show a face value, they remain valid even when the rate changes : https://aide.laposte.fr/contenu/validite-des-timbres-apres-un-changement-de-tarif#:~:text=Les%20deux%20sont%20à%20validité,correspond%20au%20changement%20de%20tarif.
There are various values for Marianne stamps though (for example, the red one is for priority rate and the green one is for economy rate). So, depending of the kind of Marianne you sent to those people, they might have needed to add postage.

Yes, if there is no face value the stamp can be used even if the rate changes. It is true for all French stamps, Marianne or not.

We have stamps without face value : Marianne (red ones, green ones, grey ones for domestic use, purple ones with a QR code for international use) and special sheets stamps with nice faces (for domestic use but we can use them for international if we add face value stamps to have the correct rate. However it is not often done because there would be a looooot of added stamps and some are not easy to found in post office, like the 0.01€. And all these “little” face value stamps are Marianne ones, not really pretty…)

All our special editions such as year of the Ox mini sheet are with face value and we have to add other stamps when the rate increases.

This is the one I used.

They are still valid, no matter the change rate :wink:

Hi! Thanks a lot for this post, I had an existential doubt about this too.
I love the French “beaux timbres” for the domestic Lettre verte/priortitaire etc.

But I had always assumed that I couldn’t use them for international. But, apparently, I can? I just have to buy the complementary 0,01/0,05/0,10 ct stamps, even if the value of the domestic stamps is not mentioned on the stamp and the value can change from one year to another? It’s just that on the carnet the timbres it explicitly says: “pour envois a destination de la FRANCE” (see pic)
What are your experiences with this? You seem to be very knowledgable about the topic :slight_smile:

Bonjour Hiek,
C’est tout à fait ça, c’est ce que je fais, j’essaie quand je le peux de coller des timbres en rapport avec la cartes et les timbres nationaux permettent d’avoir plus de choix. Ils sont valables pour l’international du moment que le montant total de votre affranchissement soit couvert, c’est à dire 1.50euros (1.65 en 2022). Ceux sans valeur faciale ont la valeur en cours. J’achète les compléments sur le site de la poste. Dailleurs pas très pratique, car je trouve qu’il y a une fossé entre 0.10cts et 1 euros, entre les deux il n’existe rien et mettre plein de marianne n’est pas très joli, quand il manque 30 ou 40 cts par exemple.
Enfin, pour répondre mieux à votre question « pour envois a destination de la FRANCE », je le comprend dans le sens ou le prix/valeur faciale correspond à un envoi France, puisque pour l’international il faut rajouter. Mais ils sont valables pour l’international. En tout cas toutes mes cartes postales sont arrivées à destination avec des
timbres nationaux et le tarif total correspondant au tarif international J’espère que j’ai pu vous aider. Désolée pour cette longue réponse :sweat_smile:

Hello Hiek,
It is exactly that, it is what I do, I try when I can to stick stamps related to the cards and the national stamps allow to have more choice. They are valid for international purposes as long as the total amount of your postage is covered, i.e. 1.50 euros (1.65 in 2022). Those without face value have the current value. I buy the supplements on the post office site. Besides, not very practical, because I find that there is a gap between 0.10cts and 1 euros, between the two there is nothing and putting plenty of Marianne is not very pretty, when 30 or 40 cts are missing per example.
Finally, to better answer your question “for shipments to FRANCE”, I understand it in the sense that the price / face value corresponds to a shipment to France, since for the international one must be added. But they are valid internationally. In any case all my postcards arrived at their destination with
national stamps and the total tariff corresponding to the international tariff. Hope I was able to help you. Sorry for this long answer :sweat_smile:

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Bonjour :grinning:
Merci beaucoup pour cette super réponse! Et quelle bonne nouvelle que vos cartes ont bien arrivées a leur destination, c’est encourageant!

Je vais donc essayer pareil et j’ai deja commandé des beaux timbres vertes et timbres Marianne de 1 et 10 ct (qui sont, effectivement, pas tres pratiques ni beaux, mais bon).

Par contre, j’ai encore un doute. Etant donné que a partir du 1er janvier 2022, une lettre verte sera 1,16 € ( :sob:), dois je affranchir + 0,49 € (1,16+0,49) ou + 0,57 € (1,08 + 0,57 €) pour arriver a 1,65 € ( :sob: :sob:), partant de la base que j’ai acheté mes timbres a 1,08 € l’unité en 2021?

Bref: Est-il intéressant d’acheter des timbres verts maintenant, avant que les taux augmentent ?

La mathematique n’a jamais été mon fort, mais ce valeur faciale le rend encore plus compliqué :sweat_smile:

======================

Hello :grinning:
Thank you very much for this encouraging answer! Great news that your postcards arrived well at their destination.

I’m going to try the same and I’ve already ordered some timbres verts and Marianne stamps of 1 and 10 ct (which are, indeed, not very practical nor beautiful, but well).

However, I’m still confused. Given that from January 1st 2022, a lettre verte will be 1,16 € ( :sob:), should I put + 0,49 € (1,16+0,49) or + 0,57 € (1,08 + 0,57 €) to arrive at 1,65 € ( :sob:), considering that I bought my stamps at 1,08 € in 2021?

In short: Is it interesting to buy timbres verts now, before the rates are increased?

Mathematics has never been my strong point, but this face value makes it even more complicated :sweat_smile:

De rien, moi aussi je me suis posée plein de questions avant de les utiliser . Les timbres nationaux sont valables pour l’international, aucun doute là dessus.
En fait pour calculer les timbres à mettre :

  • Si valeur faciale : c’est facile il faut compléter le prix affiché sur le timbre en prenant le prix du timbre international en cours.
  • 2021 = 1.5 - 1.08 = 0.42 cts à rajouter
  • 2022= 1.65-1.08 = 0.57 cts à rajouter pour un timbre à valeur faciale 1.08 de 2021 et 1.65-1.16 =0.49 cts pour un futur timbre lettre verte 2022.
    Vos timbres achetés cette année à 1.08 auront toujours 1.08 écrit dessus donc même pour un envoi en france il faudra rajouter 0.08 centimes.
  • Si pas de valeur faciale, c’est à dire si aucun montant n’est marqué dessus, ce sont des timbres à validité permanente. Donc même si vous les avez acheté 1.08 montant lettre verte, ceux là vaudront le prix en cours d’affranchissement, si dans 10 ans le timbre passait à 5 euros, vous pourriez toujours utiliser vos timbres actuels sans compléments d’affranchissement (en france)
    Donc, oui, il peut-être intéressant d’acheter des timbres à validité permanente avant que les prix augmentent, même si l’économie réalisée est toute relative, sauf en en achetant énormément.

Pour ma part j’achète parfois des lots de timbres sur internet, j’arrive à en avoir pour 20%-30%max de moins que leur valeur faciale, et comme il y en a de toute années confondues en euros cela me permet en plus d’avoir de jolis timbres de m’en servir comme complément puisque ceux-ci font entre 0.42 cts et 0.54 bien souvent. Ce qui évite de mettre 4 mariannes en plus d’un timbre lettre verte par exemple.

J’espère ne pas trop vous avoir embrouillé :sweat_smile: !

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You’re welcome, I also asked myself lots of questions before using them. National stamps are valid internationally, no doubt about it.
In fact to calculate the stamps to put:

  • If face value: it’s easy, you have to complete the price displayed on the stamp by taking the price of the current international stamp.
  • 2021 = 1.5 - 1.08 = 0.42 cts to add
  • 2022 = 1.65-1.08 = 0.57 cts to add for a stamp with a face value of 1.08 from 2021 and 1.65-1.16 = 0.49 cts for a future green letter stamp 2022.
    Your stamps bought this year at 1.08 will still have 1.08 written on it so even for a shipment to France you will have to add 0.08 centimes.
  • If no face value, ie if no amount is marked on it, these are permanently valid stamps. So even if you bought them for 1.08 green letter amount, these will be worth the price of postage, if in 10 years the stamp goes to 5 euros, you could still use your current stamps without additional postage (in France)
    So, yes, it might be worth buying permanently valid stamps before the prices go up, even if the savings are relative, except by buying a lot of them.

For my part I sometimes buy batches of stamps on the internet, I manage to have some for 20% -30% max less than their face value, and as there are all years combined in euros this allows me in more to have pretty stamps to use it as a complement since these are between 0.42 cts and 0.54 very often. This avoids putting 4 mariannes in addition to a green letter stamp for example.

I hope I haven’t confused you too much :sweat_smile:!

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Un GRAND merci pour votre aide. C’est beaucoup plus clair. je vais voir si je peux acheter des timbres dans quelque part!

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my order from La Poste arrived :love_letter: best service ever, online stamp shopping :smiley:
I almost love La Poste, such a shame they keep stiffly raising their tariffs every year…

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Great !! With all these stamps you will write beautiful postcards :grinning:
I had also bought the little prince’s notebook, I love it
The postal service is very efficient for online ordering, I have never been disappointed … But it is true that the prices are undergoing a big increase :worried:
Happy Postcrossing :postcrossing: !

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Just saw this exchange.
Fyi: I was explicitly told a while ago by La Poste in Paris that domestic stamps which are permanently valid (with no face value) cannot be used for international destinations (except for Overseas France / Outre-mer).

Hey!
Do you know the correct information about this? Have you tried to use domestic stamps for overseas deliveries?

Because in Paris they told me only purple Marianne stamps is valid for international shipments.
And in postal office on the North of France they told me couple days ago that I can put 2 lettre verte stamps with nice designs and can send the postcard abroad. Like the price of the stumps need to correspond the price of delivery…

:thinking::thinking::thinking:

@lerapin

For international mail you can use:

  • a purple Marianne stamp (which is an international stamp with permanent validity).
  • a regular international stamp with face value (€ 1,65 in 2022 and € 1,80 in 2023).
  • all domestic stamps with face value (example for 2022: a stamp of € 1,50 + a stamp of € 0,10 + a stamp of € 0,05).

You cannot use any domestic stamps with permanent validity (= no face value) for international mail.
This implies you cannot use ‘lettre verte’ stamps with no face value for this purpose (exception: Overseas France / Outre-Mer).

Thank you so much for the help! Because it was a bit confusing :grimacing:
And lettre verte stamps without value on them can be used only inside France, right? Even if put 2 of them they won’t deliver abroad?

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@lerapin You’re most welcome. :grinning:
It can be a bit confusing indeed when people give contradictory information…
I checked last year at a big post office + at the philatelic bureau in Paris.
Yes, the lettre verte stamps (sans valeur faciale) can only be used in France or for Outre-mer destinations.

Example 1

This is a domestic stamp that you can use for international mail (€ 1,16 + the complementary stamps with face value to reach the total of € 1,80 in 2023):

Example 2

This is a domestic / lettre verte stamp with no face value (permanent validity) that you can only use in France or for Outre-mer destinations:

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Thank you so much for such kind and detailed explanation :heart_eyes_cat:

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