Postal Letter

What happens when you do not put enough stamps on a letter you are mailing?

I mailed a letter today in first class mail, but I did not realize until later that I went --slightly-- over the 1 ounce limit. And I needed to add 17 cents worth of stamps, but I did not. **The letter weighs --approximately-- 1.3 ounces ( +/- 0.1 ounces ) **There is a return address, but I believe the return address is incorrect. **There is only 1 Liberty Bell Forever Stamp on it. What will happen to the letter I sent? - Will the post office find the small error okay ( because it's only off by about 0.3 ounces ) and send it to the specified mailing address on the envelope without paying the extra 17 cents? - Will it be ripped & thrown away? - Will it be sent back to the return address? - Will they charge the recipient/sender 17 cents for going over 1 ounce? - Does USPS treat First Class Mail differently then regular mail? - Has anyone had this happen to them, and the letter was sent over fine without paying the extra cost?

Public Comments

1. It will be returned. They recently increased postage and I used an old stamp by mistake and I got my letter sent back to me.
2. They will return it to the return address, there are insufficient funds to post it. If there is no such place, call the post office, they will have a centre for undelivered mail where they hold mail unsent.
3. return to sender- insufficient postage
4. if it's just slight they will probbly let it go, but if it's closer to 2 then they will send it back
5. The recepient will have to pay the extra cost.
6. They used to deliver to the address with postage due meaning the person would have to pay the 17 cents to get the letter, but today it will just come back to you.
7. Most likely the recipent of the letter will find it stamped POSTAGE DUE 17 cents and the recipient will be responsible to pay this amount. Then again, the letter may just 'slip through' without any postage due. Generally speaking, if the postage due amount is minimal, the letter will be sent to the recipient. On the other hand, if the postage due is a substantial amount, the letter will be returned to the sender.
8. If I am not mistaken it should be sent back to you. But you can always go to the post officie and ask them about it.
9. It will be returned wth :Insufficient Funds" on it.
10. it will be sent back to the sender. they will mark RTS (return to sender).
11. They will just return it to you.
12. In New Zealand they put a note in the person recievings mail box that there is a letter at the Post Office to be picked up. When you go to pick it up they charge you the short fall. It's up to you then to recoup your cost from the sender