The first "Publibels" were issued in 1933, and had a typical printing quantity of 500 copies each, while for recent issues the typical printing quantity is as many as 2 million. The first cards had no numbers printed on them. The current numbering system was started around number 209.

Any company can make a request to Belgium Post for such cards. The requester must provide text and pictures for the advertising wanted. Belgium Post assigns the unique Publibel number to each design.

The paper used to print the documents is the property of Belgium Post, which gives it to a specialized printing company working for the postal authorities. The printing company will print a limited number of copies of the advertisement for the requester to review and approve.

At this point there is no postal value on the cards, and while some are stamped with the word ANNULE or SPECIMEN (specimen=proof), others are not. Such cards occasionally reach the market and can be acquired through dealers and auctions. Both types of preliminary cards have equal status as proofs. Proofs of unissued designs are particularly scarce and desirable to collectors.

Once the advertiser approves the layout of the advertisement, the required quantity will be printed, still without postal value. The result is given to Belgium Post, which adds the indicium and other official text and markings, and distributes the cards to post offices for sale to the public.

Not all cards are sold at all Post Offices. The sponsor of each card may specify at which Post Offices it should be sold.

Through 1984, 2790 numbers were printed. If you count the printings in different languages, tourist issues for export, overprints and surcharges due to postal rate changes, you can count around 5000 issues through 2002.

Many cards have next to the Publibel number also the characters 'N', 'F', 'NF' or 'FN'. This means that the card is issued in Dutch (N = Nederlands), in French (F), or in both languages: 'NF' = Dutch at top, French at the bottom; 'FN' = French at top, Dutch at the bottom.

Another source adds:
...the surcharges were not added in one place but in several post offices that used different slugs that can be specifically identified and are listed in catalogs - so the number of collectible varieties is even larger.