Is it correct that when I buy the PBS money to mail out my book. That I can just drop theses books in the mailbox?

                                                                                         Thanks

                                                                                        MJ

I have if I only had 1 small book to mail. It really depends on the weight.

Yes, if you buy PBS money and use that money to buy PBS printed postage, you may just drop them off in the blue mailboxes. See relevant answer from FAQ below.

How does Printed Postage differ from the PBS Delivery Confirmation feature?

• With PBS DC, the postage is NOT printed on the wrapper--you need to add the postage yourself.
• With Printed Postage, the postage IS printed on the wrapper.

• With PBS DC, you get your credit for sending a book as Quick Credit--when the DC barcode is scanned by USPS and the information is transmitted to the PBS site.
• With Printed Postage, you get your credit instantly, as soon as you mark the book mailed.

• With PBS DC, you pay 27 cents (to PBS, from your PBS Money) + 18 cents (in postage on the package) = 45 cents over postage cost.
• With PBS Printed Postage, you pay 43 cents (includes Instant credit fee paid to PBS plus the fee paid to the online postage provider)  from your PBS Money  + 18 cents (to USPS, from your PBS Money) + postage (from your PBS Money) = 61 cents over postage cost

• With PBS DC you must mail packages over 13 ounces by handing them to a postal employee.  This is a USPS National Security regulation.
• With PBS Printed Postage, you can mail packages over 13 ounces from dropboxes and your outgoing mailbox--the printed postage is trackable, so the USPS regulation does not apply.

It kind of depends on your mailman.  They don't have to pick up packages just deliver them.  Some people have mail persons who refuse to take packages, even small ones.  Mine will take them but I just do one at a time.  They will not come to your house to pick one up unless you also have somethign going Priority Mail.  But you should be able to leave a book in your mail box unless your mailman is picky.

By USPS rules, you can mail any package with stamps from a mailbox as long as it is under 13 oz in weight.

If the package weighs 13 oz or more and has stamps for postage, then it has to be brought to the post office and handed to a postal worker.

If you use online postage like PBS postage, then you can mail any package from any mailbox.

A carrier has to take a package that meets these rules if it is handed to them This is from www.usps.com/send/preparemailandpackages/preparingpackages.htm

Drop Off
Packages may be handed to your carrier or taken to the Post Office. Packages may also be dropped into a blue collection box with the following restrictions:

	Stamped packages must weight 13 ounces or less
	Packages with postage printed using Click-N-Ship or another PC Postage provider may weigh more than one pound, but must fit in the collection box

I'm fortunate enough to have a rural mail delivery system.  I hate having to go out to the mailbox in the winter but..iot's great for mailing PBS paperbacks!  I just have to take the packages over 13 oz to the PO.  I have a great maillady!

I even had one box that I wasn't sure of the weight and caught her in the truck.  She actually had a scale and said the box weighed a bit more than she was allowed to take.  Then she apologized because she couldn't take it! 

I have mailed every book but one (it wouldn't fit) from my mail box with no problems.  I believe the over 13 oz. weight limit doesn't apply with printed postage.  If I have too many books to fit into the mailbox, I just mail some the next day.  I've been doing this for over a year.

I had a big box built for my packages I send out.  I live in a rural area so I can do that.  And I have a wonderful mailwoman that doesn't mind picking up the packages at all.  I always use DC here and print the labels so I don't have to go to the postoffice.

I never mail from home.  I'm rural, too, which causes some weather problems and some damage to occur - but my carrier is loaded down so I never try to mail them from my box - I have a family member drop it in a blue box.   I have to be kind to my carrier.  He's afraid of dogs and won't come to the house if it even looks like they might be out.  So I try to ask very little of him.  It can be miserable to be a rural carrier on my route since some of the boxes are on a main 2 lane state road that's heavily traveled.  It makes for dangerous conditions at time ssince there is no where to get off the road (no shoulders) and hilly blind curves with people going too fast!  I always pray that people wrap the books in plastic first.  Then I hope for god weather. ;D

Ruth

With the box I had built, the books I send out are out of the weather.  I always wrap in plastic.  My mailboxes are at the bottom of my driveway, which is 1/2 a mile long.  Luckily there are shoulders on my road.   I asked Michelle, my mail lady if she minds picking up the packages and she said she doesn't mind at all.  I don't have anyone to drop mine off at the postoffice and since the nearest blue box is 10 miles away, I have to mail from here or they won't get mailed.