If you get a letter in the mail w/o a cancellation on it (which happens to me ALL the time), you’re not *supposed* to re-use the postage. It’s basically as if USPS dropped $0.44 out of its pocket and you decide to keep it. They try and put legal enforcements, but HOW on earth could they do that? Especially for solitary incidences… Just like if you found $100 bill blowing down the street, you’re *supposed* to turn it in to the police, but who does? You think any cop will get a warrant to come arrest you for theft for $100? No. Now imagine that happening for 44 cents. Plus, the reality is that most people aren’t going to try and peel the stamps off of envelopes to re-use them. I know that I am too lazy to do it!

The APC barcode is likely intended to be a unique identifier, so that if the same code is re-used (say, you scan it and print out 1000 copies to use), it red flags the mail so the Postal Police can haul you off to jail.

But to your point: I think what has really happened is the USPS has cut back staff to a point where there is less QC for postage cancellations. If you mail a funky package, it has to be handled by a human, so it likely will be cancelled out, but a run-of-the-mill letter might not. And if things are going out in bulk, like direct mail pieces, those hardly ever get the stamps cancelled. So if you have something that is critical to have stamped as being mailed on a specific date (like taxes) take it inside to get it stamped. If it’s something more realistic, like a rent check, I think most landlords would be fine w/looking at the APC postage date if there isn’t a cancellation. They’re more concerned about what is INSIDE and if THAT check is good.

All the cards arrived… in mid-late January.