Hey All. I have just started Postcrossing, and have four postcards out somewhere lost in limbo already. I used postage with the international rate, as all four of the missing ones are international, but I used the printed postage from a kiosk, since I couldn’t get into the post office during business hours. By printed, I mean the stamps that get printed off by a machine and have a QR code on them. Since postcards don’t have a return address and get returned to sender if the postage is improper, I have no idea why they are sitting out there or if all four people just didn’t register them upon receiving. Two of them are at 32 days and two are at 46 days now. Has anyone else had lucky using this type of postage for postcards internationally from the US? Has anyone not from the US received any cards with this postage from the US?
Where are they traveling to? Are the recipients active members that usually register their cards right away?
Some countries just take a long time and there are still covid-19 related impacts in others. Some postcrossers seem to register in bulk only …
It’s a game of patience, really, especially as a newbie!
It looks like the Russia and Germany ones are at 46 days and the Slovenia and China ones are at 32 days. They are the only ones I have sent with the printed-off postage. 
The printed postage shouldn’t be a problem. Of the four countries you’ve mailed to, travel to Germany is usually fastest, around nine days, at least in my experience. Travel to China usually takes quite a while (fifty days wouldn’t be a surprise) and Russia has a wide variation of travel times.
Slovenia and Germany really are above average travel times … But I wouldn’t blame your choice of postage!
As long as it was for $1.30 it should be ok.
Okay, I feel a little better, then. And yes, it was 1.30. 
I just found it odd that all the ones I used that postage on are in limbo. I’ll wait and see what happens.
In my experience, mail to and from China is slow. I never know with Russia. Russia travel times were getting better but covid has really hit the country hard. Parts of the country are reopening after a nationwide shutdown. I would expect long waits.
USA to Germany is pretty fast, within ten days, but I have had several cards expire going there too recently.
I have received 4 cards from tags with these printed stamps and all of them travelled over a month to me. That is slower than other cards with “normal” stamps, most of my official cards have travelled 12 days to me this year.
That makes sense, then. I put three regular Forever stamps on the one that made it to Belgium rather quickly. Maybe these just take longer to process, for some reason. Once I run out of these, maybe I’ll see if I can order the regular international stamps. Thank you for the feedback. I don’t feel so bad about it now.
I put two different forever stamps, one 10-cent stamp and either a 4-cent or 5-cent stamp, and my postcards generally arrive soon enough. I often get thanked for using such stamps instead of that round one for international mail.
I get that, but it’s hard for me to get to a post office. I keep meaning to see if I can order postage, and I’m sure I can. It’s just easier for me to go use the kiosk late at night.
Of course you can order stamps online on USPS.com - but there is a shipping fee.
Then there is another option to “mail order” stamps at no shipping cost, but with less variety. When you have the chance to go to any post office, ask for the form that enables you to order stamps through your mail carrier. You can only choose the type of stamps you want to receive, not the motif. Then you place the form and payment in your mailbox at home. The order will be fulfilled through the postmaster and will then show up in your mailbox at no additional cost.
You can order of their online store. It’ll be a little slow but not that slow. But the current variety is there.
If you live on a rural route, you can order stamps from your mail carrier. Just leave the money and a note stating what you need in an envelope and place it in your mailbox with the flag up. If they don’t have exactly what you need, they’ll bring it to you the next day. City routes do not sell postage. City carriers wear uniforms, rural do not.