If you have unused stamps you no longer need, or Japan Post postal postcards on which you made a writing mistake, an exchange may be possible for a fee. First check the condition of the postage itself, then count the items you will hand over. The fee category changes at 100 items in one exchange request; it is not simply a higher fee on the hundredth item. Japan Post: exchange rules, exchange fee table
A writing mistake and damaged postage are different
Japan Post accepts eligible miswritten postal stationery and unwanted stamps under its exchange rules. However, a dirty or damaged stamp, or damage to the printed postage area of a postal card or prepaid envelope, can make that postage invalid. For products that include printing charges, the exchange value is the postage portion, not the full purchase price. Japan Post: eligibility and value
For example, writing the wrong street name on a postal postcard is a different issue from obscuring or tearing its printed postage mark. Do not assume that “I never mailed it” settles both cases. Bring the actual item to the postal counter so its condition can be assessed.
A privately sold souvenir postcard is also not automatically equivalent to Japan Post prepaid stationery. Keep the card’s purchase price separate from any postage attached to it when explaining what you want to exchange.
Calculate the fee from the items you surrender
The following is a selected portion of Japan Post’s current domestic exchange fee table. It describes the items handed in, rather than how many replacement stamps you ask for. Japan Post: exchange fees
| Items submitted | Up to 99 items: fee per item | 100 or more: fee per item |
|---|---|---|
| Stamps or ordinary postal postcards, face value ¥10 or more | ¥6 | ¥13 |
| Reply-paid postcards or postal letters | ¥12* | ¥26 |
| Letter Pack or Smart Letter prepaid envelopes | ¥55 | ¥78 |
*Special low-face-value rules apply. For stamps and ordinary postcards below ¥10, the up-to-99 rule is half their combined face value; the 100-or-more column is ¥13 per item. The table also specifies a half-value exception for reply-paid postcards below ¥10.
Japan Post counts the different types together when determining whether a request reaches 100 items, excluding eligible free exchanges. Sorting items by denomination helps the counter process the request, but does not turn each pile into a separate fee category.
Worked examples: the threshold applies to the request
These are hypothetical requests containing only eligible ordinary stamps or postal postcards with face values of at least ¥10. They exclude any special free-exchange cases.
| Request | Fee calculation | Total fee |
|---|---|---|
| 20 items | 20 × ¥6 | ¥120 |
| 99 items | 99 × ¥6 | ¥594 |
| 100 items | 100 × ¥13 | ¥1,300 |
The increase from the second row to the third is ¥706. It is not ¥13, because the 100-item request uses the higher per-item column for all 100 items. Likewise, a request containing 80 eligible stamps and 20 eligible ordinary postcards reaches 100 even though neither type reaches 100 on its own.
Keep postage value and exchange fee as separate lines in your notes. If your 20 eligible cards each carry ¥85 of postage, the submitted face value is 20 × ¥85 = ¥1,700 and the exchange fee is ¥120. That does not mean the cards have ¥1,820 of postage. Tell the clerk what replacement items you want and ask for the required settlement before agreeing to the exchange.
Decide what you want to receive before visiting
The official exchange matrix lists ordinary stamps, postal postcards and certain prepaid stationery as possible replacements, with restrictions. It does not offer a general exchange into any commemorative stamp or any year’s New Year card. For requests of 100 or more, Japan Post asks that items be organised by type and denomination. Japan Post: replacement matrix and preparation
Write a simple counter note: “These are unused items. I would like to check whether they can be exchanged for ordinary stamps. Please tell me the fee first.” Add the count and face values. This makes the decision concrete without assuming that every item in your pile qualifies.
This is desk research, not a counter-service test. Free New Year-card exchange exceptions, rare legacy stationery and the value of collectible stamps are outside this guide. The physical condition of your items and the exact replacement combination still need counter confirmation.