Die Zuschlagmarke is a type of stamp that has two face values: one for the postage and another for a special cause, eg. 55+25

These sorts of stamps often appear before Christmas and include a small donation to a charity. In the above example 55 cents would be the postage for a letter and 25 cents would be the donation.

The donation is not allowed to be higher than half the value of the postage itself, although this has not always been the case and stamps used to be produced with values such as 12+38.

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Büchersendung is a way of sending books cheaply through the post. It also covers maps and sheet music, but there are restrictions on what counts as a book and what you are allowed to pack with it.

You can include a bill, or a bank transfer form, or a return envelope - but not a letter.

Büchersendung may be cheaper, but you are not allowed to seal the envelope when sending inland. Only when sending overseas is this allowed, and even then you have to write on the envelope that it may be opened for the contents to be checked.

If you are sending books to addresses overseas, this will almost be definitely be cheaper than sending the books normally. If you want to send a card with the book, it may be worth sending them separately!

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If you order goods in Germany, eg. by telephone or on-line, then you have a number of different ways of paying for them.

Sending the goods Per Nachnahme means that, for a small fee, the goods are dispatched and you pay for them at the door. The postman collects the amount owed and this is transferred to the seller’s account.

The advantage is that the seller can send off the goods immediately, the disadvantage is that you have to have sufficient funds at home to pay for them.

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Paket and Päckchen are two ways of sending parcels through the post.

You would use a Päckchen if you are something relatively light, with little value or when you do not need proof of sending.

For more valuable and especially commercial goods, you should use a Paket as you have a receipt to show that you sent it, a tracking number to follow the parcel online and insurance. Obviously you need to make sure that the insurance offered is sufficient for the contents of the parcel.

Sending parcels overseas you also have the choice of Päckchen and Paket, but also the choice of sending by land/sea or by airmail. Sending by air costs more and so it is woth considering whether it is really necessary to have the advantages of the Paket.

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If you need proof that you have sent a letter by post, then you send it “per Einschreiben”. In return for paying an additional fee to the normal postage you receive a receipt as proof of posting and can choose between different methods of delivery.

These methods are: the postman documents that he or she put the letter in the recipient’s postbox (Einwurf), the letter is handed over to someone at the recipient’s address who then signs of it (Übergabe), the letter is handed over only to the recipient in person (Eigenhändig), the letter is handed over and is signed for on a postcard which is returned to the sender (Rückschein) - similar to Recorded Delivery in the United Kingdom.

The Einschreiben method is often used when proof of sending and receipt are very important, eg. when cancelling contracts.

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