ABOUT POSTCROSSING ?

What is a postcard ID in Postcrossing and where can I get it?

Hey there! Postcrossing is a global penpal community, with over 100k active members from all around the world. When you join, they’ll send you a postcard in the mail and ask you to write one back. It’s free and completely confidential so it’s not like anybody can see your stuff!

Besides getting in touch with somebody in another country, joining forces with somebody in your hometown for a collaborative project or just keeping in touch in an interesting way…

The Postcard ID is a trim code composed of two parts: the country code (letters) and a number (3 to 6 digits, depending on the popularity of the service in the country) which identifies the postcard in postcrossing. 

Example: US-12345678 (US for the United States of America, DE for Germany, NL - Netherlands, GG - Guernsey
postcards id countries - 248 countries in the world
248 countries in the world

Where Can I Get a Postcard ID?

To get a postcard ID, you must first join postcrossing

What is postcrossing, I think you already know ?

Click in your profile to send a postcard.

send a postcard

The system will automatically provide the address and profile of the recipient. Here you will see the ID you need to write on the postcard so that your recipient can register the postcard you are sending him.

Make sure you always write the correct postcard ID on each postcard

With the correct ID, the recipient will register it in postcrossing.

I want to add one more thing ☝️ Only postcards exchanged within the service have postcard IDs. Any direct swap in which you participate with other participants do not have postcard IDs.

Be sure to follow specific, simple rules to write your postcard ID correctly so that your recipient will register the postcard you send.

If you don’t already know what is postcrossing is, it’s time to learn this new hobby for yourself.

Where do I get a postcard ID to send a postcard?

These details (address, recipient information to send the postcard, and postcard ID number) will come to your mailbox, your email.

This ID number (US-12345678) should be written on the left side of the postcard. 

On the official website recommends writing the ID twice: if one of them becomes unreadable for some reason in transit, e.g., the letter carrier can put a stamp on your ID).

postcard id on postcard with postages

That’s exactly what I do. I put the ID number at the top, between the stamps, or at the end of the message. I also put it in front of the address or on the side of the address.

Keep in mind a few helpful hints to write your ID correctly on your postcard.

What to do :

  • Be sure to write the postcard ID number on the left side of the postcard (the direction of the text does not matter, you can write horizontally or vertically);
  • As I said above, write the ID on the postcard more than once in case the postcard is damaged;
  • Double-check the ID to make sure you wrote it correctly. The Postcrossing service is secure, so if not, you’ll have to write a private message to your recipient and ask them to register your postcard.
  • If you write the ID above or below the address, be sure to highlight it with colored markers, pens, pencils. I do this so that the ID is not mistaken for a zipcode.

What not to do :

  • Write the numbers correctly and clearly. Use large letters/digits and also highlight with markers or other colors;
  • Be attentive and write the ID on the left side of the card (the direction of the text can be any);
  • Write the ID on the card more than once;
  • Check the information and ID number several times, including the country code, to see if you wrote it correctly.

Good luck!

Alex Polyakh - what is postcrossing

About The Author

I'm Alexander Polyakh, the founder and editor of The Bigger Lovers. I like to write various articles that help other people make their lives richer and brighter. I have a degree in business marketing, I've written over a hundred songs and I've spent the last 7 years getting to know people from all over the world and learning about other people's traditions. If you want to connect with me, check me out on Instagram or Facebook.

31 thoughts on “What is a postcard ID in Postcrossing and where can I get it?”

  1. wow thanks for sharing with us this infromations i v been looking and doing some reasearches about how can i get my post card ID thanks for sharing this with us

    Reply
  2. A Postcard ID is a little code that uniquely identifies a postcard in Postcrossing. It is composed of two parts: two letters (the country code) and a number. For example: US-12345678.

    To get a Postcard ID, simply request to send a postcard and the Postcard ID for that specific postcard will be provided to you. It is important that you always write on each postcard its corresponding Postcard ID — that is what allows the recipient to register it in Postcrossing.

    Please note that only postcards exchanged through Postcrossing have Postcard IDs. Any direct swaps you engage in with other members do not have Postcard IDs, nor are they tracked by Postcrossing in any way.

    Reply
  3. This article was so usefull, now I am able to write my ID correctly on my postcard and I know what to do exactly, Thank you so much for your amazing efforts.

    Reply
  4. that is super it very helpful , i would like to thank you for this amazing article so thank you .very good advise i rrally like it

    Reply
  5. Nice article! I really enjoyed the article about Postcards as I learned a lot! This article really answered my questions about Postcard ID! Thanks for including nice and easy to follow guide on how to get a postcard ID to send a postcard.

    Reply
  6. Thanks Alex Polyakh for this fabulous explanation, I learned much more about Postcard ID, it is important to know this symbolism, the examples are very well explained, I will follow your advice and your instructions to get one and send it, greetings, good article

    Reply
    • Thank you Jesus. If you have any more questions, you can always ask them in the comments so other people can read the answers.

      Reply
  7. This is the thing most of people don’t know about postcard ID procasting , In this article everything is briefly explained
    So, can body can check this

    Reply
  8. A Postcard ID is a little code that uniquely identifies a postcard in Postcrossing. you can get it nearest post office

    Reply
    • You’re confused about something. The Postcard ID is a code that the recipient can use to register the postcard. This code is in no way issued by the post office.

      Reply
  9. This article is really helpful. Thank you for this, I wish could get my postcard ID. the hint that is said in this article is really useful. All the time all the documents you must double-check it because that is very important.

    Reply
  10. Postcrossing is a nifty way to acquire postally used foreign stamps! While I do indeed collect postcards, modern ones usually aren’t of much interest to me, but the STAMPS are!

    So basically, you need a source for postcards (Massachusetts seems to be a dry state, so I use ones from Maine and Vermont and ones I have had made) and $1.15 postage each card. If you mention you collect stamps in your profile sometimes other members actually send your card in an envelope with some extra loose stamps inside!

    Reply
    • Thanks for the comment, Angie!

      That’s exactly what I’m doing. My profile says I collect tickets from the subway, bus, concert visits, or even supermarket receipts.

      The more postage stamps people glue on, the more interesting they are to look at.

      Reply
    • Postcrossing is a community of people who like exchanging postcards. You can join for free, create a profile, add friends and start sending and receiving cards from all over the world! It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s exciting. And best of all – it costs nothing at all! So what are you waiting for? Join today or reactivate your account and send some postcards 😉

      Reply

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