postage
gb/pˈoʊstɪd͡ʒ/ us/pˈoʊstɪd͡ʒ/
A2
English
~ 4300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
quantity
1
cost to send mail
Money you pay to send a letter or package.
Usage pattern:
[someone] pays postage on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'postage' with 'post' (meaning mail). 'Postage' refers specifically to the cost, not the mail itself.
Synonyms
mailing cost (More informal and descriptive; used in everyday speech.)
|
shipping fee (More common in commercial or online retail contexts.)
Antonyms
free shipping (Indicates there is no cost for sending goods, opposite of paying postage.)
Collocations
pay postage
|postage costs
|postage stamp
|postage rates
|postage paid
Themes
daily life
|business
|communication
|daily_life
Examples
- The postage for this letter is $1.20.
- I forgot to include the postage when I mailed the package.
- Postage rates have increased again this year.
- We offer free postage on all domestic orders.
- He calculated the postage before going to the post office.
Learner examples
- The postage is two dollars.
- I need to pay the postage for this box.
- Postage is more for heavy packages.
- This shop gives free postage.
- The postage is printed on the envelope.
Noun
B1
entity
2
stamp showing cost paid
A stamp or mark that shows you have paid to send a letter or package.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'postage' always means money; here it refers to the physical stamp or mark.
Synonyms
stamp (Commonly used for small adhesive labels; 'postage' here is more general.)
Collocations
postage stamp
|prepaid postage
|metered postage
Themes
daily life
|communication
|daily_life
Examples
- He collected old envelopes with rare postage from around the world.
- Make sure the postage is clearly visible on the package.
- This letter doesn’t have enough postage to be delivered.
- They used metered postage instead of stamps.
- The machine prints the correct postage directly onto the envelope.
Learner examples
- I put the postage on the letter.
- The postage is a small stamp.
- This card has no postage.
- We need more postage for this box.
- The postage shows we paid.
Grammar
Expressions
postage paid
1/pˈoʊstɪd͡ʒ pˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
mail cost already covered
Words or mark that show money to send mail has already been paid.
Examples
- The package label says 'postage paid'.
- You don’t need to add a stamp if it says 'postage paid'.
postage stamp
1/pˈoʊstɪd͡ʒ stˈæmp/
fixed phrase
small paper showing mail payment
A small piece of paper you stick on a letter or package to show you have paid to send it.
Examples
- I bought a book of postage stamps at the store.
- You need a postage stamp to send that letter.
prepaid postage
1/pɹipˈeɪd pˈoʊstɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
postage cost paid in advance
The cost to send a letter or parcel that has already been paid before mailing.
Examples
- The envelope comes with prepaid postage, so you don’t need a stamp.
- The label includes prepaid postage, so you just need to drop the package at the post office.
- This service includes prepaid postage for returns.
- Prepaid postage is included for all returns within 30 days.
- Some charities send envelopes with prepaid postage to encourage donations.