postage

postage — noun

1. the amount charged to send a letter or package by mail

1.nounB1
Definition

the amount charged to send a letter or package by mail

Example

Emma checked the postage before mailing the birthday card to Seoul.

collocation: check the postage

The clerk said the postage for the heavy parcel was twelve dollars.

pattern: postage for + parcel

Common collocations
  • extra postage
  • international postage
  • enough postage
  • pay postage
  • postage for a parcel
Synonyms
  • mailing cost

    a plain descriptive phrase for the price of sending something by mail

  • postal fee

    more formal, often seen in notices, forms, or business writing

  • shipping charge

    broader; often used for goods delivery, not only ordinary mail

Grammar Patterns

pay postage

postage for + item

postage on + envelope/parcel

Usage Note

Usually uncountable. Use it after verbs like 'pay', 'check', or 'add', and with 'for' or 'on' to name the item: 'postage for a parcel', 'postage on this envelope'. Distinguish from 'stamp': postage is the fee, not usually the paper label itself.

Common Mistakes

How much are the postages for this box?
How much is the postage for this box?
'postage' is usually uncountable.
I need to buy a postage for this letter.
I need to buy a stamp for this letter.
'postage' means the charge, while 'stamp' names the thing you stick on.

Word family

  • postal
    adjectiveB2
  • postage-paid
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Postage is the usual word for the money needed to send letters and parcels through the public mail system. Mailing cost is a simple descriptive phrase and is useful when someone is comparing prices in everyday speech. Postal fee is more formal and often appears in forms, office notices, or business writing. Shipping charge is broader: it often means the amount paid to have goods delivered, especially from a shop, and it is not limited to the post office. Courier fee is narrower and suggests a private express service. So you pay postage on a birthday card, a shipping charge on an online order, and a courier fee when a document must arrive the same day.

postage ↗mailing costshipping chargecourier fee

Common collocations

Nouns

  • extra postage
  • international postage
  • first-class postage
  • postage cost
  • postage rate

Phrases

  • pay the postage
  • check the postage
  • add extra postage
  • enough postage

Prepositions

  • postage for [letter/parcel]
  • postage on [envelope/package]

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The word was formed in English from post, meaning the mail system, and the suffix -age. It has been used since the 1600s for the charge paid to send something by post.