Whether stamps can be returned depends on where they were bought, their condition, the reason for return and the seller’s policy. USPS rules and BuyUSPSStamps.com’s Refund and Returns Policy are separate and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Which return rule applies?
USPS exchanges defective postage and certain stamps bought in error only under its published conditions and time limits. A price increase does not make older valid stamps defective, and USPS does not provide a general cash-buyback program for unwanted valid postage. Precanceled stamps and Postal Store orders have their own conditions. If the purchase came from this website or another independent seller, use that seller’s published return policy instead of presenting it as a USPS rule.
Start with the seller
Locate the receipt or order record and identify the original seller. A Post Office purchase, an order from the Postal Store and an order from an independent retailer may have different procedures. Do not assume another seller must accept the return.
Condition and reason matter
Keep panes, booklets and rolls intact. Separate damaged or defective merchandise from a change-of-mind return, a mistaken denomination, or a request to convert unused postage into cash. Used, altered, detached or partially consumed products may not qualify.
What to document
- Order number or receipt
- Purchase date and seller
- Exact issue, format and quantity
- Whether packaging is unopened
- Clear photos if the item is damaged or defective
BuyUSPSStamps.com orders
For an order placed on this site, read our policy and contact us with the order information before sending anything back. This site is an independent retailer and is not USPS.
Related guides and products
Sources and verification
Checked September 4, 2026. Postal prices and availability can change.
USPS stamp exchange rules by situation
| Situation | Value/limit | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged, defective or unusable because of USPS sales responsibility | Full postage value | USPS may exchange the stamps |
| Customer-damaged but identifiable stamps | Same quantity and denomination; generally no more than $100 per transaction | The denomination must have been sold within the previous 12 months; more than $10 must retain the same sales configuration |
| Wrong denomination, kind or size purchased | Full postage value | Only complete panes, sealed coils, full boxes or sealed packs; $250 or more requires identification and the residential delivery Post Office |
| Unused stamps on commercial envelopes/postcards | 90% of postage value | Lots of at least 50 pieces of the same denomination and value |
| Unused precanceled stamps | 90% of postage value | Complete coils or sheets |
| Postage price changed | No exchange on that reason alone | Use the old stamps and add postage if needed |
| Semipostal stamp | Only the postage portion may be exchanged | The contribution portion is not refundable |
Ordinary self-adhesive stamps are not a general cash-refund product, and mutilated or defaced stamps are not exchangeable. These USPS rules are separate from this site’s published return policy. Source: USPS DMM 604, section 9.