The United States Postal Service® (USPS®) is clarifying how items found in the mail bearing counterfeit postage or unpaid postage are handled.
We understand that consumers purchase goods online and, after payment, expect to receive a delivery. Even if the consumer was charged for postage, the mailing was arranged by, or on behalf, of the vendor/sender, not the consumer. Therefore, consumers may find that the goods they ordered were mailed with counterfeit postage.
Counterfeit and unpaid postage is a widespread issue and a risk to Postal Service® revenue. Regulations to discourage its use may impact innocent consumers who are unaware they did business with a vendor who either mailed their purchase with counterfeit postage or failed to submit payment for postage prior to mailing.
This article provides information on:
Avoid Using Counterfeit Postage
Customers are urged to purchase their postage from legitimate vendors. Information about where to buy legitimate postage is available on USPS.com®. See this United States Postal Inspection Service press release for further information.
How does USPS Know the Postage is Counterfeit?
The Postal Service determines that postage is counterfeit utilizing several methods and indicators. The Postal Service cannot discuss these methods, indicators, or security enhancements. Revealing this information could lead to misuse of the information and enable the creation of counterfeit postage.
Tracking Not Displayed Due to Counterfeit Postage or Unpaid Postage
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You received the following message when you enter the tracking number:
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Tracking Not Displayed
Tracking information will not be displayed because this package was shipped with counterfeit postage. Please contact the merchant or seller with any questions.
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Our processes indicate that counterfeit postage was used to ship the item. Since postage was not properly purchased, tracking information will not be displayed.
We have no additional information to share at this time.
If you are the intended recipient and have questions about the item's status, contact the merchant or seller with any questions about the status of your item.
If you are the recipient, merchant or seller and want to share additional information, call 1-800-ASK-USPS for next steps.
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Package Delayed for Postage Assessment and Held Awaiting Payment
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You received the following message when you enter the tracking number:
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Latest Update
USPS has not received a postage payment for your item. As of <DATE> at <TIME>, it is being held awaiting payment and cannot be processed. If the postage is received, the package will be delivered to the recipient; otherwise the package will be considered Postal Service property under USPS regulations and will not be delivered.
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Our processes indicate that USPS has not yet received payment for the postage used to ship the item. The item will be held for additional payment checks and its tracking information will not be displayed.
If you are the intended recipient, contact the merchant or seller with any questions about the status of your item.
If you are the recipient, merchant or seller and want to share additional information, call 1-800-ASK-USPS for next steps.
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Package Seized by USPS for Counterfeit Postage or Unpaid Postage
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You received one of the following messages when you enter the tracking number:
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Latest Update
The package associated with this tracking number was found to bear counterfeit postage and is now considered Postal Service property under USPS regulations and will not be delivered. You are encouraged to contact the sender/merchant and/or your credit card company, as applicable, to seek a refund or other available recourse.
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Latest Update
The package associated with this tracking number did not have proper postage applied and will not be delivered. You are encouraged to contact the sender/merchant to seek reshipment, refund or other available recourse.
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Our processes indicate that counterfeit or postage was used to ship the item. The package:
- Has been removed from the mailstream
- Will not be delivered to the recipient
- Will not be returned to the sender
If you are the intended recipient, the Postal Service empathizes with you and encourages you to:
- Contact the merchant or seller for next steps
- If warranted, contact your bank or credit company if the merchant is not providing a refund for an item that you will not receive
As allowed under regulation when counterfeit postage is applied or postage payment has not been received, the Postal Service will not accept any claims for lost or missing items or provide refunds of any kind.
If you are the recipient, merchant or seller and want to share additional information, call 1-800-ASK-USPS for next steps.
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Package Seized by Law Enforcement for Counterfeit Postage or Unpaid Postage
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You received the following message when you enter the tracking number:
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Latest Update
Your item has been seized by Law Enforcement due to counterfeit postage. Please contact the merchant or seller to request a refund.
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Our processes indicate that counterfeit postage was used to ship the item. The package:
- Has been removed from the mailstream
- Will not be delivered to the recipient
- Will not be returned to the sender
If you are intended recipient, the Postal Service empathizes with you and encourages you to:
- Contact the merchant or seller for next steps
- If warranted, contact your bank or credit company if the merchant is not providing a refund for an item that you will not receive
Due to the use of counterfeit postage, the Postal Service will not accept any claims for lost or missing items or provide refunds of any kind.
If you are the recipient, merchant or seller and want to share additional information, call 1-800-ASK-USPS for next steps.
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Can I Pay for Postage to Retrieve Intercepted or Seized Items?
No. The Postal Service may not deliver — even as postage due or as Collect on Delivery (COD) — items with no postage. That includes items bearing counterfeit postage, unpaid postage or postage when payment has not yet been received by USPS. This policy is meant to deter the entry of packages without postage and to avoid the expenditures associated with delivering such items.
Why can USPS treat packages with counterfeit or unpaid postage as abandoned or Postal property when I purchased goods and paid for their delivery?
We understand that consumers purchase goods online and after making payment expect to receive a delivery. Even if the consumer was charged for postage, the mailing was arranged by, or on behalf, of the vendor/sender, not the consumer. Therefore, consumers may find that the goods they ordered were mailed with counterfeit postage.
In other cases, there could be a delay in payment of postage by the vendor/sender. Multiple checks can occur and may delay delivery of the mailing until USPS receives that payment.
Postal regulations only allow delivery when postage has been prepaid by the sender. Senders that affix counterfeit postage on parcels have not paid for the delivery and typically use invalid return addresses. This makes it impossible for the Postal Service to recover payment from the sender. Postal Service regulations allow these packages to be considered abandoned.
Consumers are encouraged to seek recourse against the vendor because the vendor received payment from the consumer but failed to make adequate arrangements for delivery.
Counterfeit and Unpaid Postage and Fraud Enforcement Information
To address unpaid and counterfeit postage, the USPS validates manifest file documentation in real-time. Packages that are unmanifested at the time of the first scan at a USPS facility will be intercepted and subject to disposal. These packages will not reenter the mail stream and shippers will not be reimbursed. This document provides a high-level overview of the process. For more information, please see https://postalpro.usps.com/counterfeit-and-fraud.
