Question...

[David Alan Goldberg]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but (as the postage has already been paid by the addressee/original sender) one could technically repurpose pre-metered envelopes without additional postage for personal correspondence, aye?

Back in the 1990s, a couple of friends sent me letters in these envelopes, and no one went to prison.

Thank you for any and all feedback!

DAG

[Minneapolis Gnome]

I keep all of these business reply envelopes from my junk mail, too.

Richard:  Thanks for telling us the USPS rejects these sometimes despite the good cover up job on the address and bar codes - that's a bummer but now I will know this risk exists for the future.  I hate wasting postage by having it returned to me for some silly thing like that.  

I will now start reusing business reply envelopes by turning them inside out like I do with the envelopes junk mail was sent in. I carefully open the glued seams, turn them inside out and then re-seal the edges.  This turns them into plain white envelopes on the outside with business reply now printed on the inside of the envelope.   

[David Alan Goldberg]

Thank you for the clarification! I really appreciate your response and answer! :-)

[Richard Canard]

03.03.16 Dare Mister David Alan  G., ...Not likely---but things slip thru the system all the time. I, for one often utilize "Business Reply Mail" envelopes merely for the convenience & immediate need of an envelope..then I  will add the proper postage, obliterate the postal permit number & city, cover the existing business address with "white-out"& or collage , & readdress for my on needs.... & still yet, upon occasion the envelope will be returned to me  as  a "Nexie" or with a slap on the wrist for using a "Business Reply Envelope". Apparently all  those junk mail "Business Reply Envelopes" should be tossed out in the trash despite any counter statements on the same mailing or envelope advocating "Recycling". It all just sorta depends on chance,  whether or not some obsessive & efficient "gung-ho" postal employee "is at bat" or someone is merely "sleeping on the job" & or is blessed by a saintly &  perfectly reasonable human being running the postal machines.  Shall I attempt to send a modified "Business Reply Envelope" your way? Best to you. Richard Canard

[Minneapolis Gnome]

Technically it should not work to send the envelope to someone else without your affixing postage to it.  

We send envelopes like this to our clients at my office for them to use to send forms or documents back to us, but we don't actually pay any postage until one of the envelopes is sent back to us through the mail. When the envelope is used to send us mail, the post office charges our business account for the postage due.  They know who to charge by looking at the "permit number".  Although we call them "postage paid envelopes", they are actually "postage will be paid by us when you send it back to us" envelopes.  You'll see that the envelope clarifies, "Postage will be paid by addressee" under the "business reply mail" box.