Older stamp-vending machines removed from Seattle post offices

Vending machines selling postage stamps have been removed from every post-office lobby in the Seattle area, but a local postal official said consumers have other convenient options to purchase stamps without standing in line at the post office.

Liz Ohno, customer-relations coordinator for the Seattle postmaster, said the currency- and coin-operated vending machines were taken out of post offices across the country — including about 300 in the Seattle area — because they were "old and falling apart a lot."

"In a lot of post offices, the machines were out of order more than they were in working order," she said. "We decided to cut our losses and get them out of there."

Although the old-style vending machines are gone, 37 post offices across the Seattle metropolitan area are equipped with the more modern self-service automated postal centers that take debit/credit cards for payment. In addition to selling stamps, they can weigh large letters and parcels and print out postage.

Like the vending machines, automated postal centers are located in post-office lobbies that are open 24 hours a day.

"We know that standing in line at the post office can be very, very frustrating," she said. "The automated postal machines allow customers to come in and do what they need to do when we are closed."

Ohno said stamps also are available for online purchase at www.usps.com, and www.endicia.com, and sold at selected grocery stores and specialty postal-service retailers.

"We needed to get with the 21st century," Ohno said. "There are a lot of people who love the conveniences of buying online and using machines that allow credit cards."

Stuart Eskenazi: 206-464-2293 or seskenazi@seattletimes.com