US Variable Denomination Stamps (2025 Edition)

Since the late 1990s, the United States Postal Service has used two-dimensional coded indicia on variable denomination stamps and digitally generated postage. An important milestone was the mandated transition from Information-Based Indicia (IBI) to the more secure Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) standard, a change that has had — and will continue to have — a significant impact on collectors and the market for U.S. variable denomination stamps. This catalog documents U.S. variable denomination stamps (VDS) issued from public vending machines and personal computers through January 2026. Publicly generated issues are known as computer-vended postage (CVP), automat stamps, or ATM stamps, while privately generated issues are commonly referred to as Internet postage. Like traditional postage stamps, all are valid for use throughout the United States, including overseas military post offices. The 2025 edition includes, for the first time, dedicated chapters on the IBI–IMI transition and an in-depth study of patriotic Mini NetStamps issued by Stamps.com. Also listed are recent issues from self-service kiosks, SendPro, PitneyShip, and NetStamps, including IMI varieties and short-lived transitional formats where known. Additional sections cover envelope postage, Postal Buddy postcards, prepaid Priority Mail Flat Rate packaging, and vending-machine meter postage. Catalog prices should be regarded as approximate guides only. Many issues are extremely rare, sometimes known in only one state of preservation, and the collector market remains small. It is the authors’ hope that this catalog will serve as a practical reference for collectors and as a contribution to the documentation of postal automation in the United States—an important but often overlooked area of modern postal history.