So many of life’s milestones are highlighted by the cards we send and receive on these significant occasions.
It’s still a joy to receive well-wishes in the mail on special occasions, even in today’s increasingly computerized environment.
In order to ensure that your cards reach their intended recipients, you must know how many stamps to apply. In any case, keep reading for all the information you need about sending a card of any sort, no matter what the occasion.
In 2022, how many stamps are required for a USPS greeting card?
One Forever Stamp is needed for standard-sized greeting cards. Postage for including a gift card or pictures is typically not increased.
Additional postage is required for cards that are unusually shaped, include ornamental components, or are hard. A non-machinable stamp or additional ounce stamps can be used to pay for this tax in 2022.
To learn more about how many stamps to use when mailing a card, see our guide. It’s filled with great advice.
How Many Stamps Does a Greeting Card Need?
The cost of mailing a standard-sized greeting card that weighs under an ounce can be covered by one Forever Stamp.
What the USPS regards to be a standard-sized card is determined by a set of rules. As a result, the following requirements must be met:
- Be rectangular
- Have minimum dimensions of 3 ½ inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inches thick
- Have maximum dimensions of 6 ⅛ inches high x 11 ½ inches long x ¼ inch thick
- Have a uniform thickness (i.e. not have any bumps or bulges)
- Be flexible/bendable
- Be made of paper
Plan ahead of time for extra postage if your card is square or big or has 3-D components or is made of a rigid material like wood or poly wrap. USPS mail sorting machines are unable to process things that do not meet their requirements.
Hand sorting is required. As a result of the added service, there is a fee known as a non-machinable premium.
Special stamps are available from the United States Postal Service (USPS) for these cards. A single stamp covers the First-Class postal rate plus the non-machinable fee for the same package.
Butterflies are used by the United States Postal Service and by the Greeting Card Association to signal the requirement for non-machinable stamps.
Greeting cards from participating firms include a butterfly on the back cover, as do the non-machinable stamps issued by the US Postal Service.
How many Forever stamps are required for a card?
As long as the card’s dimensions and weight don’t exceed 1 oz, 1 Forever Stamp should be adequate to pay mailing costs.
The extra shipping costs can be covered by using several Forever Stamps if your card is deemed irregular or overweight. Two Forever Stamps cost $1.16 in postage at the current price of $0.58 each.
There is a price of $0.88 for non-machinable cards as previously stated. As a result, adding two Forever Stamps to your card will cost you $0.28 more than necessary.
It’s conceivable to use more than one Forever Stamp to ship a large or irregularly-shaped card, but it doesn’t make much economical sense.
How Many Stamps Am I Required for a Card and Gift Card?
An exact answer is difficult to offer without a specific card and gift card for comparison. One Forever Stamp may be sufficient to cover the mailing costs in some circumstances.
If the combination is heavier than 1 ounce, it will need an extra ounce stamp to be added to your package.
If you have a kitchen or postal scale, measure the weight and use it to calculate shipping costs. Add an extra ounce stamp to your Forever Stamp just in case.
It’s also possible to visit the post office and have a clerk inform you how much postage you need.
How many postage stamps do I need for a photo card?
For a picture-filled card, the number of stamps you’ll need depends on how many photographs you’re sending. Using a single Forever Stamp, you may transmit five 4 x 6-inch photographs.
You’ll need 1 Forever Stamp and an extra 1-ounce stamp on your envelope if you’re mailing between 6 and 15 photographs.
One Forever Stamp and two extra ounce stamps are required if you’re sending 15 to 21 photographs.
To calculate postage, you need to take into account the weight of your envelope as well as the maximum thickness of cards allowed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) (0.25 inches). A maximum of 25 images should be possible without exceeding this restriction.
How Many Stamps Are Necessary for a Pop-Up Card?
Pop-up aspects in your card may need additional shipping. Check the back of your card for a butterfly logo to find out. A non-machinable fee of $0.88 will be added to your order if it exists.
If you’re still unsure since there isn’t a butterfly on your card, have a postal clerk weigh and/or measure it. There is no room for error here.
USPS stamps may also be found in our posts on how many USPS stamps are needed for 3 ounces of postage and whether or not USPS stamps have an expiration date.
Bottom Line
Forever Stamps are required for most greeting cards. This means that in most circumstances, you don’t need to add additional stamps to include a gift card and a few photos.
A non-machinable surcharge stamp or extra ounce stamps on your Forever Stamp will be required if your card is unusual or decorative.
