Passport renewed in 10 days, but......

[montekat]

The renewal of my passport came within 10 days. However, when I got the old passport back, "postage due" was written on the envelope. There was no amount listed so I wonder what happened. You would think if I am paying $110 for the passport renewal, that should have been enough for adequate postage! Oh well, I am just glad to have the new passport.

[leaveitallbehind]

The $110 renewal charge is the passport application fee only and does not include postage. BTW there are also optional separate expedited handling charges for rush processing. If you only paid the $110 and no special expediting fees and got it back in 10 days that is very quick turnaround. Not sure what happened to the postage due if no charge was made to you on delivery.

[LHT28]

You have to pay postage to get your passport or documents back ??

 

In Canada they send them back no extra charge

[Shmoo here]

You have to pay postage to get your passport or documents back ??

 

In Canada they send them back no extra charge

I believe you pay extra costs (maybe including postage) for expedited service. But just regular service, no.

[broberts]

You have to pay postage to get your passport or documents back ??

 

In Canada they send them back no extra charge

 

True. But in a stunningly brilliant bureaucratic move, one has to pay extra to pick up a passport.

[LHT28]

True. But in a stunningly brilliant bureaucratic move, one has to pay extra to pick up a passport.

good thing I had mine mailed out then

 

good for another 9 yrs now ;)

[easyboy]

I believe you pay extra costs (maybe including postage) for expedited service. But just regular service, no.

We submitted our application in person at USPS office. We just had the Routine (regular) Service, not Expedited. We were charged $6.65 for postage.

[Shmoo here]

We submitted our application in person at USPS office. We just had the Routine (regular) Service, not Expedited. We were charged $6.65 for postage.

OK, yes you pay for the postage to mail it. But there's no postage fee in the actual passport processing fees.

[easyboy]

OK, yes you pay for the postage to mail it. But there's no postage fee in the actual passport processing fees.

 

 

The USPS office we went to is exclusively for passport applications only, not for sending or receiving mails. Honestly, I don't know if the postage fee is for them mailing it to the passport processing center, or for mailing to me the passports (book & card and old) after processing. They reviewed all submittal requirements for compliance, and left it with them as I handed it, then I left after payment of postage.

 

 

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[montekat]

We submitted our application in person at USPS office. We just had the Routine (regular) Service, not Expedited. We were charged $6.65 for postage.

Wow, you must have paid either for priority mail or requested a tracking number. I know it says on the passport website that a tracking number is preferred, but I figured that since I went to the post office and put it directly in their hands, it should have been safe. BTW, I paid $1.40 to send it regular mail.

[leaveitallbehind]

We submitted our application in person at USPS office. We just had the Routine (regular) Service, not Expedited. We were charged $6.65 for postage.

 

Wow, you must have paid either for priority mail or requested a tracking number. I know it says on the passport website that a tracking number is preferred, but I figured that since I went to the post office and put it directly in their hands, it should have been safe. BTW, I paid $1.40 to send it regular mail.

 

 

Which kind of confirms that postage is not included in the renewal fee.

[sparks1093]

Which kind of confirms that postage is not included in the renewal fee.

 

They will return the passport via 1st class mail unless you pay extra to have it returned overnight with tracking (I believe that's $14.95 but I haven't checked lately). It sounds like the mail room at State put it in the mail with insufficient postage and it was returned to them and they put the extra postage on.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Which kind of confirms that postage is not included in the renewal fee.

 

 

Gee folks: this is not rocket science. Go to the State Department's website and it literally walks you through the application and/or renewal process including a fee calculator that differentiates between regular and expedited service including the cost of express mail return to you.

 

BTW, the State Dept. website also has a nifty passport photo sizing widget. So, if you're not a Costco customer (where passport photos are dirt cheap), you can upload headshot pix you take at home, resize them in a template and save them in the required 2" sIze in JPG format (which is also what is required for many foreign visa applications - e.g., Brazil) as well as print them (2 at a time on 4x6 photo paper)

 

Also, I had to chuckle at the above poster who thinks mail handling enroute is somehow more idiot proof because he handed it in at the local post office.

 

 

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Edited May 13, 2017 by Flatbush Flyer

[leaveitallbehind]

Wow, you must have paid either for priority mail or requested a tracking number. I know it says on the passport website that a tracking number is preferred, but I figured that since I went to the post office and put it directly in their hands, it should have been safe. BTW, I paid $1.40 to send it regular mail.

 

 

Also, I had to chuckle at the above poster who thinks mail handling enroute is somehow more idiot proof because he handed it in at the local post office.

 

 

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As you were citing my post in your response I hope that you were not referring to me as the "above poster" as it was montekat (copied) who made the comment you reference. Just clarifying.

[Flatbush Flyer]

As you were citing my post in your response I hope that you were not referring to me as the "above poster" as it was montekat (copied) who made the comment you reference. Just clarifying.

 

 

You are correct- the poster further up the thread.

 

 

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[zqvol]

The $110 renewal charge is the passport application fee only and does not include postage. BTW there are also optional separate expedited handling charges for rush processing. If you only paid the $110 and no special expediting fees and got it back in 10 days that is very quick turnaround. Not sure what happened to the postage due if no charge was made to you on delivery.

 

Completely inaccurate. The return postage is included in the fee. At no time did the OP suggest they wanted expedited service. Standard service right now is taking between 10 and 15 days, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

[Capt_BJ]

Completely inaccurate. The return postage is included in the fee. At no time did the OP suggest they wanted expedited service. Standard service right now is taking between 10 and 15 days, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

 

this is what I recall

and the return came via Priority Mail at no extra charge .....

[leaveitallbehind]

Completely inaccurate. The return postage is included in the fee. At no time did the OP suggest they wanted expedited service. Standard service right now is taking between 10 and 15 days, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

 

Not sure how completely inaccurate my comments were. From the US Passport Service Guide (Google it) - note the red highlights:

 

Please note that the total cost of getting a passport is more than the sum of the fees paid to the U.S. government. There are additional expenses that are not listed below such as the price of a passport photo, a protective envelope in which to send the application form and postage. These are just a few of the expenses you will incur when applying for your travel document.

 

The table on the site, which does not cut and paste correctly to these boards, indicates that the fee for Passport renewal is $110. The above referenced expenses are separate from that.

 

I also never indicated that the OP wanted expedited service - only pointed that out as an additional cost that would typically be incurred for what IMO was quick service they received. From direct experience, not too long ago 4 - 6 weeks was not untypical for standard processing.

Edited May 14, 2017 by leaveitallbehind