It’s true that in today’s digital age, greetings messages on weddings, anniversaries, new year, and Christmas are sent digitally.
However, the feeling of sending wishes through a beautiful greeting card in the mail to your loved one located far away has not diminished. If you want to mail a greeting card to someone, you have to stamp it.
But how many stamps do you need for a greeting card? Do you know it? Well, this article will give you detailed information about this topic which will help you to make sure everything is clear while using the correct number of postage stamps.
How Many Stamps Do You Need for a Greeting Card at USPS In 2023?
If you use standard-size greeting cards, this will require 1 Forever Stamp. However, postage will be increased for hard cards with a decorative pattern or irregular shape.
This is because hand sorting of these cards is required. But, by using one non-machinable stamp, you may pay this cost. In 2023 with the USPS, you will be able to mail a card by adding an extra ounce to your Forever Stamp.
If you need more help understanding how many stamps you need to send a card, keep reading the article! The next portion of the article will clear up all your confusion.
How Many Stamps Do You Need for a Greeting Card?
If you choose a standard size greeting card with a weight below 1 ounce, one Forever Stamp will suffice for you to mail this card. This will cover your postage costs. For cards of a standard size, the USPS has fairly precise requirements. So, whatever standard size card you use, your card should cater to the USPS’s requirements:
The requirements are as follows:
- Cards should be rectangular in size.
- The minimum dimensions of a card should be in height of 3.5 inches, in the length of 5 inches, and in thickness of 0.007 inches.
- The maximum dimensions of a card should be in height 6.125 inches, in length 11.5 inches, and in thickness 0.25 inches.
- They should be of uniform thickness without any bulges.
- Cards must be flexible or bendable.
- Paper-made cards.
The USPS’ requirements for a standard-size greeting card are listed above. However, if your greeting card is large, square, and features a 3-D aspect. If it is encased in a poly wrap or is designed with wood rather than paper, you will need more postage to ship this card.
This is due to the USPS mailing sorting equipment or machine needing help processing products that meet their criteria. Instead, they need to be manually sorted. And this extra service is considered a non-machinable surcharge.
For these types of greeting cards, USPS offers unique stamps. One such Stamp is sufficient to cover your First-Class postage+non-machinable surcharges.
The USPS commonly uses butterflies and the Greeting Card Industry to highlight the criteria for non-machinable stamps so that consumers understand the need for clarity to identify non-machinable stamps.
As a result, butterflies are featured on non-machinable USPS stamps. In contrast, partnering greeting card manufacturers include butterflies on their products’ back sides.
Also Read: How Many Stamps Do I Need for 3 Oz Letter?
How Many Forever Stamps Do You Need for a Greeting Card?
In general, using 1 Forever Stamp will cover the postage for a standard-size greeting card. The conditions are that it needs to meet USPS’ requirements for size and its weight doesn’t exceed 1 ounce.
And if you want to send an irregularly shaped or overweight greeting card, you can put more than one Forever Stamp on your card to meet the extra postage.
A First class Forever Stamp in 2023 cost $0.63. So, if you want to use 2 Forever Stamps for your card that weighs more than 1 ounce, your total postage cost will be $1.26.
On the other hand, if you use 1 non-machinable stamp for a non-machinable card, your postage cost will be $0.88, as the current cost of a non-machinable stamp is $0.88.
So, it is clear that if you add 2 Forever Stamps for an irregular-sized card, you will have to pay an extra. Therefore, it is in your wallet’s best interest to use 1 non-machinable stamp instead of 2 Forever Stamps to mail a heavy greeting card.
Also Read: How Many Stamps For A Bubble Mailer?
How Many Stamps Do You Need for a Greeting Card with Pictures?
How many pictures you want to send will depend on the number of postage stamps required for your picture cards. Usually, 1 Forever Stamp allows five pictures up to 4 x 6 inches to be sent.
If you want to send pictures from 6 to 14, you will need to put 1 Forever Stamp as well as 1 additional ounce postage stamp on your specific mail.
On the other hand, if you want to mail 15 to 21 photos, in this case, you will have to use 2 extra ounce stamps along with 1 Forever Stamp to cover the postage.
When calculating postage charges, it’s vital to consider the weight of any mail.
For greeting cards, you should stay within the USPS’ maximum thickness limit of 0.25 inches. You can ship a maximum of 25 pictures without crossing the mentioned limit.
Also Read: How Many Sheets of Paper Per Stamp?
How Many Stamps Do You Need for a Pop-Up Greeting Card?
You may require more shipping costs if your greeting card features pop-up components. If a butterfly icon is present on the back of your card, you can be sure that your card has a pop-up element. And you must provide sufficient stamps to pay the $0.88 non-machinable surcharge.
If you need more clarification on whether or not the butterfly is on the back of the card, consider going to the post office to weigh your card. You will know about your mail piece postage cost.
FAQs
How much does it cost to mail a 5×7 card in 2023?
In 2023, a 5×7 card will cost $0.44 to send. To send a machinable card, you need 1 postcard stamp because a 5×7 card typically weighs 1 ounce. However, you must add an extra oz stamp on exceeding its weight limit of 1 oz.
How are “rigid” letter-size greeting cards priced?
Non-machinable greeting cards are categorized and priced as such if they have fixed dimensions of no more than 11.5 inches × 6.125 inches × 0.25 inch and weigh no more than 3.5 ounces; still, it is rigid. Mail will apply for First-Class mail. A $0.17 non-machinable surcharge will be added to your letter-size greeting cards.
Does the USPS sell postcard stamps?
Yes, the USPS offers unique greeting card stamps for the mail for specific events, such as anniversaries, weddings, etc. They own a complete set of love-themed postage stamps. For example, Coral Reefs postcard stamps. The cost per Coral Reef stamp is $0.48, but if you buy a book of stamps, it will cost $9.60.
Also Read: Does Walmart Sell Stamps in Stores?
Conclusion
We can conclude that the majority of greeting cards need 1 Forever Stamp. You may usually mail a gift card and a few photos without using many stamps. So, send a greeting card with a personal touch to your friends and special ones located in other cities on their special days, and enhance the significance and joy of that particular day.
Hello, I’m Kevin, a passionate philatelist from Brooklyn, NY, with years of experience in collecting and studying stamps. Through my blog, I aim to share my knowledge and insights on all things related to stamps, including where to buy them and their current market value. As a trained researcher, I pride myself on providing accurate and trustworthy information to my readers. Feel free to reach out to me through the contact form with any questions or suggestions. Happy stamping!