Can you insure a letter at the post office
Insurance
Articles may be insured at all post offices. Insurance covers all risks in course of transmission by post. The prepayment of all charges on insured articles namely postage, registration and insurance fee is compulsory. Postage stamps affixed to an insured article must be placed apart from one another so that they may not serve to conceal injuries to the cover of the letter or parcel.
- Registered letters
- Value Payable Registered Letters
- Registered Parcels
- Value-Payable Registered Parcels
- up to the value of ₹ 600 for articles booked at branch post offices
- up to the value of ₹ 1,00,000 for articles booked at other post offices
- Insured value shall not exceed the real value of the contents of the article insured
- The articles containing gold, coin or bullion government currency notes or bank notes or any combination of these shall be insured for the actual value of the contents
In addition to the postage, the sender of the postal article intended to be transmitted shall be required to pay the following additional Insurance fee.
A). For all Retail Customers:
| Insured Value | Insurance Fees |
|---|
| Up to Rs 200 | Rs 10 |
| Above Rs 200 | Rs 10 + Rs 6 for every additional Rs 100 or fraction thereof |
B). For all Contractual Customers of Speed Post and Business Parcel:
| Insured Value | Insurance Fees |
|---|
| Up to Rs 200 | Rs 4 |
| Above Rs 200 | Rs 4 + 1.50 % of insured value exceeding Rs 200 |
Cases in which Insurance is compulsory
Insurance is also compulsory for at least the amount specified for recovery from the addressee in the case of all value payable articles on which the amount specified for recovery exceeds ₹ 100. (Other than value payable letters containing Railway receipt, bills invoices, documents etc. of no intrinsic value and value payable packets containing printed papers, books etc. sent under book packet rates.)
Coin, bullion, platinum, precious stones, Jewellery, government currency notes or bank notes and articles of gold or silver may be sent by post only in insured letters, insured parcels.
Packing Size and other conditions
- Every letter tendered for insurance must be enclosed in a strong cover which must be securely fastened and sealed by means of identical seals in fine wax reproducing a private mark and affixed in sufficient number so that it cannot be opened without either breaking the seal or leaving obvious traces of violation.
- No label of any kind should be affixed by the sender to such a cover but cut out labels the maximum size of which is 1-1/2-2x3” (3.8 cb. x 7.6cb.) with frank impressions as postage stamps on the cover of an insured articles may be accepted.
- An envelope with black or color border or a transparent panel must not be used.
- The seals must be placed over each flap or seam of the cover and if the cover is tied round with string or tape a seal must be placed on the ends where they are tied.
- As an additional precaution (if the contents admit of it) a thread should be passed through the cover and its contents and tied the knot being placed under the Central seal.
- If a parcel contains gold or silver bullion or coins it must be packed in a strong case of wood or metal with an outer covering of cloth or stout paper.
- All the seals affixed to an insured article must be of the same kind of wax and must bear distinct impressions of the same private device. The device must not be that of a current coin or merely a series of straight curved, or crossed lines.
Note: It is recommended that registration envelopes (sold at all post offices) be used for insured letters.
- It should not be so small or so covered with writing or sealing wax on the address side, or otherwise made up in such a manner, as to render it impracticable to affix to the article the prescribed official labels of the Post Office.
Insurance Procedure
- An article intended for insurance must be presented at the window of the Post Office.
- Write clearly in words and figures, the insurance value without erasure or correction, on the top of the address side of the cover.
- The name and address of the sender must also be written on the cover in the lower left-hand corner, or on a separate slip of paper, to be presented with the article should there be no room for his name and address on the cover.
- A receipt will be given to the person who presents an article for insurance at the post office window during the hours prescribed for posting insured articles.
- Any error or mistakes should be pointed out at once by the sender otherwise the Post Office will not be liable for any damages or compensation.
- The sender of the insured article is entitled to obtain free of charge an acknowledgement of its delivery signed by the addressee or his authorized agent. The sender may himself fill up the form of acknowledgement to be signed by the addressee and is recommended to do so.
Responsibility of the Post Office
