Thank you 
it’s so smudged I couldn’t read it properly, but I could see the dog!
Oh well, I guess I was just really unfortunate this time, thanks for all your help, Emma x
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I don’t know if any of you know about the International Economy postage rate, or have used it? As of the new price update it would seem, that if you used this service it would cost no more than the “old International Standard Service” of £2.20, as opposed to the new rate of £2.50. That’s a saving of 30p per card.
Has anyone used this service and what are their opinion of it?
Andi
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Hi @Yorkshire_Lad, I use it all the time for postcards outside of Europe and I really see no noticeable delay in terms of card travelling time (except maybe for China but airmail is just as slow…). I would recommend it to save a few pennies and I’m sure lots of others on here would as well, I know @simmo11 is an advocate for using it!!!
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@MoominMog do you write ‘international economy’ on the card? I’ve only dared try it twice & as yet neither card has arrived.
I think @Florallle uses it too @Yorkshire_Lad x
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Yes I do write that on the card, sometimes I accidentally stick an airmail sticker on as I forget and have to peel it off!! They will arrive. I promise!!
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Thank you x
International Economy is boss.
I’ve used without issues to US/Canada/Japan and Australia and it’s just as quick as air mail.
Where were yours going to @EmmaG ?
I have an international economy ink stamp but writing it should be just fine.
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Many thanks for your comment about this, I was going to ask how do you differentiate between the two services but I see that you have already covered this. By not using “Airmail” stickers and by writing “International Economy” on the card/envelope.
I wished that I had known about this yesterday as I have just bought 25 x 20p & 10p stamps, to account for the increase in prices as I already had 25 x £2.20 stamps in hand.
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Well, you’ll still need those extra stamps for all your postcards within Europe (and partially in Europe, such as Turkey, Khazakstan and Russia, including Siberia) which have to go at the higher, £2.50 rate.
International economy is great though for the rest of the world. I haven’t seen any difference in travel times, and I’ve now successfully sent dozens at the cheaper rate.
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It was the USA & China, hopefully they’ll arrive soon.
Thank you 
x
Someone on Twitter (whatever) was saying that she went to the PO to get 20+10p stamps to make up from £2.20 to airmail, but was told they don’t sell them! I guess she didn’t go to the best PO!
I don’t have that many 20p/10p stamps but when I feel I am low on the low value stamps, plus it is raining & have post to post, I head to the main PO to get some, and they also put my mail in the bag!
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I have a stamp, the one recommended by @simmo11 in post ^1957. Very reasonable £££wise. Limited experience with it but so far it doesn’t seem any slower than international standard. I find it ironic, or in another sense annoying, that a postcard to New Zealand now costs less than one to Germany!
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Apparently “counterfeit” stamps being discussed on The One Show / Watchdog as we speak tonight.
I occasionally look at that large not-RM online shop… oh my… it is sad but hilarious… 25 x 1st for £37.50 someone reviewed saying is cheaper than the post office!!
Whilst twiddling my fingers waiting for all the Russian and Belarus, China and so on to arrive, I was amazed that my first ever postcard to New Zealand was registered after 7 days! What a nice change! Is this relatively normal for NZ?
GB-1747896
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This is rumbling on: Royal Mail urged to investigate claims of Chinese-made fake stamps | Postal service | The Guardian
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Three weeks seems to be my average (out of 4 cards sent).
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This chap doesn’t mince his words:
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London told the Times the claims of possible state involvement were “absurd”. He said: “It is totally ridiculous, absurd and ill-intentional. How could one imagine a sovereign country triggers war by bringing fake stamps? If this case really happened, [the] first thing to do is to have [a] thorough investigation over the internal supply chain, instead of pursuing the attention of [the] media.”
Have just got back from the P.O, I took a card with me addressed to Belarus which I had used a £2.20 + 10p + 20p stamps totalling £2.50 which I knew to be correct, I then handed the clerk a envelope addressed to Malaysia which I had written on it “international economy” and a £2.20 stamp on it. I asked if I had written it correctly and he insisted that I needed to add another 30p stamp, I replied no international economy is only £2.20. Anyway at the end of the day I told him that I had got the information out of the latest price increase booklet, so he got his copy and I told him look at the last page, which he did, I then Stated as Malaysia is outside Europe I could use this service, I then said the postcard to Belarus is classed as inside Europe, hence why I had put £2.50 worth of stamps on it.
He said that he didn’t know about the differences between the two services and their prices but now that I had brought it to his attention that he did now, but he then tried to make sure my envelope was under 100g and that it went through the slots for width, which it did so he said he’d put it in the bag and see if it gets through? Typical jobs worth. Lol
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Yesterday I had a NZ card from family arrive dated 26.3.24. Having said that, my one official from there took 50 days!
So my impression is that it’s pretty variable….
CB
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