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Hello, blogging buddies! It occurred to me after my stamp-snafu post that it might not be abundantly clear to everyone what hand cancelling is. So, here’s a quick snippet on hand cancelling.
Image via Soulful Engagements
After you drop your envelopes in the mail, the post office runs them through their machine, which quickly sorts and cancels out the postage so it can’t be used again. Since it’s a machine, your envelope runs the risk of getting snagged or damaged. When an envelope is hand cancelled, the postage stamp is hand stamped to cancel out the postage. In the image above, the photo on the left has gone through the regular machine. The image on the right was hand cancelled. Some people choose to hand cancel their invitations to preserve the look of their envelopes and stamps. Boom!
Thanks for the clarification. I had heard of hand cancelling and had a general idea of what I thought it was but I’m happy to read a clear explanation of it haha. I did a test run of our invitations by sending out my parents a week in advance to see how it came back without the hand cancelling, it was perfect! No crinkles or scratches or snags and the insides were completely in tact. I was happy and so we decided to just go with regular mailing.
At least now you know exactly how to handle your invitations! =)
the lady at our local post office hand-canceled everything for us because she thought it was so sweet that pdog was mailing our invites by himself. sorry, i was busy y’all!
Ah, makes sense!
Do you use something in particular to hand-cancel? Is that something to post office has to do or what would I use if I wanted to do it myself?
thanks!!!
Well, there’s a clear difference between the envelopes, so I think it’s worth it.
I asked about hand-cancelling and was told that there was a $1/item additional fee if I wanted it. No way!
The hand cancelled ones still get run through a sorting machine. That is the reason for the barcode on the bottom.
I had our invites hand canceled because I’ve heard of some invitations not only getting crinkled, but getting smudges on them. I’m not sure where the above poster lives (Mass.?) but it was FREE in Chicago. Were they just being nice?
The postal employee just handed me the stamp and one of those big white collecting bins mailmen carry and had me do it myself right there in the post office.
Just so people know, hand cancelling only keeps the envelopes from going through the first machine (the one that marks the stamp). It will still go through many, many sorting machines on the way to its final destination (just imagine the labor if every step of the process was done by hand!). So if you are told it will cost extra money to do it, it’s probably not worth it…your envelope will still get dirty and marked up (just not over the stamp part) and possibly bent/torn.
We just did hand-canceling for our STD postcards and they all came through with not-a-mark. It was perfect, and we didn’t even have to do the stamping ourselves!
Our wedding was in my hometown in MA, but I live in NYC, where postal workers are infamously not-that-helpful.
@MissSharp: The post office does it. Although I have heard (from one of the past Bees I think) of a busy postal worker just handing the staff to the bride and letting her do all the work 
@kimmyray: Hmm, I wonder if it’s a different machine?
I don’t work at the post office or anything, but @kimmyray is correct. If you look at the bottom of both the hand cancelled and non-hand cancelled envelopes, they both have barcodes, which means they went through some type of sorting machine.
I live in Chicago, they do not charge for hand canceling so I would be wary of any post office employee that says it will cost $1 per envelope. I hand cancelled the postage on our STDs and wedding invites. The post office employee just gave me the stamp to do it myself then I handed it and all the envelopes back to her. She did say that although I hand cancelled the postage, it would still go through the sorter…I honestly don’t believe there is any way USPS can mail letters and packages without going through some machine to get to final destination.
@vaness13181: Yeah, unless they don’t fit the machine (too bulky?) I think they always go through something. It just seems like a question of how many fees you pay for “how weird” your envelope is.
best.post.ever!! I didn’t know this. I love new and useful info.
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Miss Warbler, Long Beach/Malibu Age and Occupation: 24, Quality Assurance Editor Fiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Handheld Administrator Engagement Date: December 7, 2010 Wedding Date: April 2012 Venue: Calamigos Ranch Malibu About Me: I’m a Korean BBQ loving, cheesecake enthusiast bride living in the LBC! By day I write and edit for an online search engine marketing company. By night I am a volunteer food taster of all that is delicious. I am fortunate to be marrying an amazing man who loves me and my quirky ways. I love food, books, indie music, and Harry Potter. We are planning a small, intimate wedding up in the Malibu Hills with our closest family and friends. With the help of my wonderful fiance, our loved ones, and red velvet cheesecake, our wedding will be glorious!
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