-
US-France postal disruptions make sending gifts costly – how to work around it
Three attempts and more than €200 later, American Greg Marshall still has not been able to send a 2.6 kilogram gift package back to the US
-
How will proposed changes to La Poste affect people in France?
Slower letters, fewer postboxes are included under suggested reforms
-
Sending letters and parcels in France will cost more from 2027
La Poste stamp and parcel prices to increase by an average of 6.73%
Money saver: Buy stamps in France online at La Poste and print at home
An announcement by La Poste about price changes from January 1, 2022, means that next year the saving from printing at home will be 3%
First-class red and second class green stamps for use within France are cheaper if bought online and printed at home rather than purchased at the post office.
The current price for red stamps with promise of delivery within 24 hours is €1.28 for a letter up to 20g. If you buy this online and print it at home, it is €1.24.
The difference is more noticeable – 31 centimes – at the maximum 3kg weight.
Green stamps take up to two days to deliver in France, with La Poste claiming their carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions are 30% lower than a red stamp.
The letter can be a maximum 3cm thick, 60cm long and 3kg in weight.
The current price is €1.08 for a letter weighing up to 20g but €1.05 online.
To order stamps, click Imprimez vos timbres.
You choose the design and type of stamp before paying and printing on stickered printer paper or ordinary white paper. If the latter, use glue to fix it to the envelope – sticky tape can sometimes block the QR code. You can buy and print out a set of 12 stamps.
La Poste says prices overall will increase on average by 4.7% next year.
The post office price for green stamps on letters up to 20g will go up 8 centimes to €1.16, and red stamps 15 centimes to €1.43.
The same weight international letter, valid the world over including the EU, will cost €1.65 instead of €1.50.
Since 2011, the price of a red stamp has nearly doubled from €0.60.
Prices, which are regulated by the Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse (Arcep), go up every year.
La Poste says this means it can continue to provide a universal service as postal volumes decrease.
One way to avoid the price rise is to stock up in advance. Stamps are not price-marked, so one bought today will still be valid this time next year.
Related stories
French postal service to slow second-class delivery times by one day
Can we still get our post forwarded to UK from second home in France?
