"No postage necessary if mailed in the United States" means the person sending the card or envelope back does not add a stamp, because the business named on it holds a Business Reply Mail permit and pays the postage plus a per piece fee on each return. DMM 505 lets BRM go back through any Post Office in the United States. USPS requires the whole design to be printed: handwriting, typewriting and hand stamping are not allowed. This page covers the format, the fees, QBRM and the related reply options.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the USPS Domestic Mail Manual and Postal Explorer. Sources read September 2026.
Business Reply Mail format elements
| Element | USPS standard | Source |
|---|---|---|
| "No postage necessary" imprint | Printed in the upper right corner of the address side, reaching no more than 1-3/4 inches in from the right edge | DMM 505.1.5.3 |
| Legend | "BUSINESS REPLY MAIL" (or "BUSINESS REPLY LABEL") in capitals at least 3/16 inch high, above the address | DMM 505.1.5.4 |
| Permit line | "FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO." with the number, city and state, in capitals, below the legend | DMM 505.1.5.5 |
| Payment endorsement | "POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE" below the permit line | DMM 505.1.5.5 |
| Address | Permit holder name, delivery address, city, state and the BRM ZIP+4 assigned by USPS, printed on the piece | DMM 505.1.5.6 |
| Horizontal bars | A vertical series of uniform bars at least 1 inch long and 1/16 to 3/16 inch thick | DMM 505.1.5.7 |
| Facing Identification Mark | FIM B without a barcode; FIM C with a barcode | DMM 505.1.5.8 |
| Intelligent Mail barcode | Optional on basic BRM, required on QBRM; placed with the address block | DMM 505.1.5.1; DMM 505.1.5.10; DMM 505.1.6.1 |
| Production method | Any legible printing; no handwriting, typewriting or hand stamping | DMM 505.1.5.2 |
| Borders | Not allowed on letter-size BRM; allowed on envelopes taller than 6-1/8 inches | DMM 505.1.5.2 |
| Permit | PS Form 3615 filed at the Post Office issuing the permit, with identification; annual fee at each office where a permit is held | DMM 505.1.2.2; DMM 505.1.2.3 |
| Design review | Samples encouraged for BRM; USPS approval required for QBRM on Form 6805 | DMM 505.1.3.4; DMM 505.1.6.2 |
What does "No postage necessary if mailed in the United States" mean?
It tells the person holding the reply piece that postage is already covered by the addressee. The business that printed the card or envelope holds a Business Reply Mail permit and guarantees payment of the postage and a per piece fee on every piece that comes back.
DMM 505.1.3.1 describes BRM as a service that lets a permit holder receive First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage Retail and Priority Mail from customers. The holder may hand out BRM cards, envelopes, self-mailers, cartons and labels in any quantity for return to any Post Office in the United States.
The "if mailed in the United States" qualifier is literal. Quick Service Guide 505 describes BRM as covering the United States and its territories and possessions, including military Post Offices overseas.
Does a business reply envelope need a stamp?
No. The permit holder pays when the piece is delivered back. If a sender adds a stamp anyway, DMM 505.1.3.7 says the piece is handled the same as other BRM, and the stamp value is not deducted from what the permit holder owes.
That answers the common worry about "Postage will be paid by addressee". The addressee is the business printed in the address block, and the charge lands on its account, not on the person mailing the reply.
Ordinary mail is different. A regular letter needs postage paid in advance by one of the methods Business Mail 101 lists: stamps, a postage meter or PC Postage, or a permit imprint account. The reply mail services are the arrangements that shift the payment to the receiver or prepay it on the sender's behalf.
Who pays for Business Reply Mail, and what fees apply?
The permit holder pays everything: the returned piece's postage plus a per piece fee. DMM 505.1.1 names the charges: an annual permit fee, per piece fees, an annual account maintenance fee, and a quarterly fee for high-volume QBRM. This page quotes no dollar amounts.
Quick Service Guide 505 groups the options as Basic BRM, High-Volume BRM, Basic QBRM and High-Volume QBRM. Under DMM 505.1.2.3 the annual permit fee is paid once each 12-month period at each Post Office where a BRM permit is held, except for permits used only for BRM parcels and QBRM. Those permits do not expire unless the account goes unused for 24 months (DMM 505.1.2.4).
Because charges fall only on returned pieces, an unused reply card costs the holder nothing in postage. The printing still has to meet the format standards below, and USPS reports format errors to the holder in writing.
What format elements must a BRM piece carry?
Seven elements, laid out as in Exhibit 1.5.1 of DMM 505: the "No postage necessary" imprint, the "BUSINESS REPLY MAIL" legend, the First-Class Mail permit line, "POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE", the address with the BRM ZIP+4, horizontal bars, and a FIM. QBRM adds a required barcode.
Details that trip up designers:
- The imprint goes in the upper right corner of the address side and may reach no more than 1-3/4 inches from the right edge (DMM 505.1.5.3).
- The legend is in capital letters at least 3/16 inch high, above the address (DMM 505.1.5.4).
- The permit number, city and state follow the words "FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO." in capitals, directly under the legend (DMM 505.1.5.5).
- The full address, including the permit holder's name and USPS assigned BRM ZIP+4, must be printed directly on the piece (DMM 505.1.5.6).
- The bars are uniform, evenly spaced, at least 1 inch long and between 1/16 and 3/16 inch thick (DMM 505.1.5.7).
- FIM B marks BRM without a barcode and FIM C marks BRM with one (DMM 505.1.5.8).
- A company logo is permitted within the placement limits of DMM 505.1.5.9.
The stock has rules too. DMM 505.1.4.1 sets a 50 pound minimum basis weight for paper BRM envelopes, and DMM 505.1.4.8 makes a general use BRM label at least 2 inches high and 3 inches long.
Can a Business Reply Mail design be rubber stamped?
No. DMM 505.1.5.2 allows any form of printing that USPS finds legible, then states that handwriting, typewriting and hand stamping may not be used to prepare BRM. A rubber stamp cannot add the reply format to plain envelopes.
This is the opposite of the outbound permit imprint rule. DMM 604.5.3.1 lets a hand stamp make a permit imprint indicia for outgoing bulk mail, but the reply format, with its bars, FIM and often a barcode, has to be printed.
Where a stamp does fit is the outbound side of a reply campaign. The envelope that carries your reply card out to customers can take a stamped permit imprint indicia, and Engineer Seal Stamps can make a custom self-inking stamp that carries the indicia wording your permit allows; see the custom stamp ordering guide and our permit imprint indicia rules. For the returning pieces, have the BRM format printed by your printer.
What is Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM)?
QBRM is a subset of BRM with lower postage prices and per piece fees. DMM 505.1.6.1 limits it to cards and to letters weighing 3.5 ounces or less that meet automation standards, carry a USPS assigned ZIP+4, and bear the correct Intelligent Mail barcode.
Approval comes before distribution. DMM 505.1.6.2 has the mailer submit Form 6805 to the postmaster or Business Mail Entry manager at the office where the pieces will return, along with preproduction samples. Quick Service Guide 505 gives the QBRM card size as between 3-1/2 by 5 inches and 4-1/4 by 6 inches.
Permits that enroll in Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting and keep meeting its requirements can qualify for waivers of the annual account maintenance and quarterly fees, per DMM 505.1.6.3. Combined pieces never qualify for QBRM prices (DMM 505.1.3.6).
How does a business get a BRM permit?
File PS Form 3615 at the Post Office that will issue the permit and pay the annual permit fee. DMM 505.1.2.1 requires a permit for anyone who wants to distribute BRM, and DMM 505.1.2.2 asks for acceptable primary and secondary identification.
Samples are optional for basic BRM: DMM 505.1.3.4 encourages permit holders to submit preproduction samples before printing, but does not require it.
Format errors carry a cost. Under DMM 505.1.3.5 USPS notifies the holder in writing, and repeated distribution of BRM with format errors is grounds for revoking the permit.
Is "No postage necessary" the same as metered reply mail?
No. Meter Reply Mail prepays the reply with a meter or other postage evidencing system indicia on the piece. Quick Service Guide 505b requires the words "NO POSTAGE STAMP NECESSARY POSTAGE HAS BEEN PREPAID BY" printed above the address, and the postage must cover the full amount due.
The difference is when the money moves. Meter Reply Mail puts the postage on each reply piece before it goes out; BRM charges only for the pieces that come back. Quick Service Guide 505b adds that a piece missing its meter indicia is treated as basic BRM and charged accordingly.
How is Courtesy Reply Mail different?
With Courtesy Reply Mail the respondent pays. Quick Service Guide 505a describes preaddressed cards or envelopes supplied by the mailer to speed replies, with no fees involved, and the person replying applies the correct postage before mailing.
In other words, a courtesy reply envelope still needs the sender's stamp even though it carries your printed address. The same guide notes that barcoded reply envelopes can be processed and delivered faster, and that not every paper or ink color or type style works with automated equipment.
Choosing between the two is a question of who should pay. With BRM the holder pays postage and a fee on each return; with CRM the mailer pays no USPS fee and the respondent buys the stamp.
Where does a stamp fit in a reply mail program?
On the outgoing envelope and in the office, not on the reply piece. The outgoing envelope can carry a stamped permit imprint indicia under DMM 604.5.3.1, and returned replies can be marked with an office stamp as they are logged.
If the outgoing mailing goes at presort prices, it also needs the right class marking, such as "PRSRT STD" or "First-Class", explained on our presorted mail guide. Keep the reply card itself as a printed BRM piece so it meets DMM 505.1.5.2.
To set up the outbound indicia, send your permit wording through our custom stamp page and approve a proof before production.
Frequently asked questions
Can Business Reply Mail be sent with Certified Mail or other extra services?
No. DMM 505.1.3.2 permits no extra services with BRM, except BRM parcels bearing an Intelligent Mail package barcode with USPS Tracking built in.
What happens if someone sticks a BRM label on an unrelated package?
The permit holder can be charged. DMM 505.1.3.8 says misused BRM labels on sealed items are charged the applicable postage and per piece fees, and USPS may treat improperly labeled items as waste.
Can two reply envelopes to the same address be mailed together?
Yes. DMM 505.1.3.6 lets two or more identically addressed BRM pieces be combined and charged as one piece with one per piece fee, though combined pieces cannot get QBRM prices.
Can a reusable envelope skip the "No postage necessary" line?
In one case. DMM 505.1.5.3 lets a reusable mailpiece that also carries an outgoing permit imprint indicia omit the imprint, subject to the reusable mailpiece standards that section cross references.
Does BRM have to use First-Class Mail?
No. DMM 505.1.3.1 covers First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage Retail and Priority Mail, and the same section lists labels and cartons among the BRM items a permit holder may distribute.
Is a USPS design review required before printing?
For basic BRM it is encouraged but optional under DMM 505.1.3.4. For QBRM, DMM 505.1.6.2 requires USPS approval of preproduction samples on Form 6805 before distribution.
For the outbound side of your campaign, order a custom stamp with the indicia wording your permit allows.
