What does franking mean?
Franking refers to the marking of a letter or parcel to show that postage has been paid, most commonly by an imprint from a franking machine rather than by affixing adhesive stamps. The mark itself may be a printed impression, a postmark, or, historically, an official signature entitling the sender to free carriage. Businesses and organisations favour franking because it saves time, qualifies for postal discounts, and produces itemised accounting of mailing costs. In Australia the word takes on a second, unrelated-to-post life: a franking credit records tax a company has already paid on distributed profits, which shareholders can offset against their own income tax. Derived ultimately from 'frank', meaning free or unrestricted — via Latin 'francus', free — the term embodies the notion of mail travelling without payment due. Though administrative in flavour, franking remains a live part of everyday commercial vocabulary wherever bulk mail is handled.
An impression, mark, or signature placed on mail to indicate that postage has been paid or that the item is entitled to travel free.
"The envelope bore a crisp franking impression instead of a stamp."
Often used attributively in compounds such as 'franking machine' and 'franking privilege'.
(Australian finance) A credit attached to company dividends showing that tax has been paid at the corporate level, available as an offset to shareholders.
"Retirees often value franking credits highly because they reduce personal tax payable."
Almost always encountered in the fixed phrase 'franking credits'; restricted to Australian usage.
Rarely used in the plural; the uncountable singular is standard except when referring to multiple individual marks or credits, where 'franked items' or 'franking credits' is preferred.
"The accountant tallied the month's frankings to reconcile the postage account."
Members of the US Congress can send mail completely free of charge — a perk dating back centuries and still called the 'franking privilege' today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of franking
Franking comes from the verb 'to frank', meaning to send mail free of charge or exempt from payment, which traces back to Old French 'franc', meaning free, from medieval Latin 'francus'. The same root gave English the adjective 'frank' (candid, open) and words such as 'franchise' and the currency name 'franc'. The postal sense became established in Britain in the 17th century, when members of Parliament and other officials could sign or mark envelopes for free delivery, later giving way to mechanical franking in the 19th century.
Related word forms
How franking is actually used
The term is chiefly used in postal and business contexts and carries a formal, administrative register; it appears in everyday speech mainly through 'franking machine' in offices and 'franking credits' in Australian financial discussion.
Easily confused with franking
Flanking means positioning forces or figures on the sides of something, whereas franking refers to marking mail as prepaid or, in Australia, to dividend tax credits.