The International Reply Coupon Enters the History Books

A year ago, a press release from the Universal Postal Union announced the end of the international Reply Coupon on 31 December 2026:

“Since its introduction on 1 October 1907, the international reply coupon (IRC) has accompanied generations of correspondents, travellers and collectors across the world. Serving as a truly universal paper currency, it enables the holder to pay for postage of an unregistered international airmail letter between the UPU’s 192 member countries. […]. On 17 September 2025, at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), the UPU member countries decided, with a view to adapting and simplifying the universal services, to discontinue the IRC as of 31 December 2026. This decision is a natural progression within the broader transformation of international postal services, in alignment with the digital practices and modern outlook of their customers. […].”

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