r/penpals

202K archived posts · Jun 2009 – Sep 2026

Pen Pals

r/penpals

Letters and Post Cards and Email, Oh My!

Created Jun 12, 2009

207KMembers (last snapshot)

202KArchived posts

Find people to enjoy writing with!

Unsure of what to write? Check out some of the posts, and maybe even reply to them!

If you're still unsure, check out our Snail Mail Response Team!

These wonderful people are active members of our subreddit and have pledged to send letters to anyone that requests them, without the worry of having to continue correspondence! They are here to help you dive into this wonderful world of penpals! Check out the list of volunteers, find one or more that you think you'd like to hear from and send them a message! It's that simple!

Click here for the USA Volunteer List

Click here for the International Volunteer List

Please remember to be polite and to not downvote unless the submission is breaking any official rules.

RULES

Be nice. No harassment of any kind will be tolerated. Be kind to your fellow pen pals. There is another person on the other end of that letter.
Be mindful of sharing personal information, including links. Personal information such as email addresses and personal addresses (including P.O. Box addresses) should only be shared via private message. Links to outside websites (non-Reddit links) are not allowed.
/r/penpals is for platonic friendships only! Any posts that display obvious romantic or sexual intentions will be removed and redirected toward r/r4r or r/dirtypenpals.
Posts should request pen pals via snail mail, email and PM only. Posts and comments that list Kik, Skype, SMS, WhatsApp, Snapchat, or similar services will be removed and redirected to their appropriate subreddit: r/kikpals, r/SkypePals, r/textfriends, r/WApals, r/Snapchat, r/SLOWLYapp or subs like r/r4r and r/LetsChat.
No soliciting. Selling of goods or services is forbidden on this subreddit. Commitment-free care packages are fine.
500 Characters minimum. All posts must be 500 characters or more. Share a little about yourself or what you're looking for, lyrics etc "to fill the space" doesn't count.
Prison penpal ads are not permitted. Prison penpal ads are not permitted. We recommend going through a reputable website. We strive to be a safe place for all ages, and this activity requires users to be 18+. More info can be found here.

More information on our wiki.

Post Filters

Snail Mails

Emails

Postcards

International Address Formatting

US Example:

The President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

How does the global postal system work?

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