Postcards and Postal cards

Typical Postcard

Typical Postal Card

The major difference between a postcard and a postal card is that while both are intended to be sent through the snail mail, a postcard must have a stamp or other postage added to it. A postal card is purchased in the Post Office and already has the postage printed on it. The postage is in the upper right corner. Postal cards have been printed by the US government since 1873 and by foreign governments for about the same time. Postal cards come as single cards or as message reply cards (two cards attached across a perforated edge.) Reply cards were intended for the sender to pay the postage of the person replying. The replyer simply tore off the reply card, addressed it and put it in the mail (sometimes the reply card was pre-addressed as by a company asking for a reply).

All US postal cards are listed in the same catalogs that list US postage stamps and are part of philately called 'Postal Stationery' which includes envelopes with stamps printed on them.

Postal cards are often found at postcard dealer's tables under the heading of Postals.