Can I mail a birthday card with one stamp?

Asked by: Ara Bogisich DDS  |  Last update: April 28, 2025
Score: 5/5 (33 votes)

Envelopes are for sending flat, flexible things, like letters, cards, checks, forms, and other paper goods. For just 1 $0.73 First-Class Mail® Forever® stamp, you can send 1 oz (about 4 sheets of regular, 8-1/2" x 11" paper in a rectangular envelope) to anywhere in the U.S.!

How many stamps do I need to send a birthday card?

If you are mailing a card inside a standard-size envelope weighing less than one ounce, you only need one Forever Stamp or current postage.

How do I know if birthday card needs extra postage?

Ensure Correct Amount of Postage for Greeting Cards

For example, a card that weighs 1.5 oz would get two stamps. Additional charges may apply if the card is non-machinable, rigid, or oversized. If unsure, we recommend using ShippingEasy or your local post office provider to avoid delays or adjustments.

How do I know if I need 1 or 2 stamps?

There's no easy answer to how many stamps your mail item needs because it's dependent on many different things, such as weight, size, and the receiver's location. In most cases, a single postage stamp will suffice to mail a letter. That changes for irregularly shaped envelopes, heavy envelopes, or oversized envelopes.

Does a greeting card take one stamp?

Minted standard cards, without any enclosure cards included, generally weigh less than one ounce and require only a one-ounce stamp.

Mailing Cards: Calculating Postage + Tips for Troublesome/Embellished Cards

42 related questions found

What can you mail with one stamp?

Envelopes are for sending flat, flexible things, like letters, cards, checks, forms, and other paper goods. For just 1 $0.73 First-Class Mail® Forever® stamp, you can send 1 oz (about 4 sheets of regular, 8-1/2" x 11" paper in a rectangular envelope) to anywhere in the U.S.!

What size birthday card needs extra postage?

What size envelopes require extra postage? Envelopes exceeding 240mm x 165mm, 5mm thickness, or 100g weight move to the 'large letter' category or higher, requiring additional postage.

Will one stamp be enough?

Use a Forever stamp for most standard mail items.

A single Forever stamp will be enough to send off an item in a commercial envelope measuring 11.5 inches (29 cm) by 5 inches (13 cm) and weighing 1 ounce (28 g) or less. Anything larger will require extra postage, which you can add up using a postage calculator.

Which stamps can I still use?

Stamps are changing

From 31 July, 2023, you won't be able to use stamps which don't have a barcode on. But no need to panic. You can use non-barcoded stamps until 31 July 2023. Royal Mail has also introduced the Stamp Swap Out Scheme so you can swap all your non-barcoded stamps for the new barcoded ones.

Can I mail a gift card in a regular envelope?

Select an envelope that is strong enough to hold the card or attach the gift card to a thin piece of cardboard. Place an extra label or notice on the gift card with the delivery or return address; this ensures the safe return should the outside label become damaged or fall off.

How much to mail a birthday card?

Postage prices for domestic mail (within the contiguous United States): 4.25" x 6" Postcards – $0.56. 4.25" x 5.5" Reception or RSVP Cards – $0.73. 4.25" x 6" Magnets, Petite Cards, Four-Panel Invitations – $0.73.

What happens if you don't put enough postage on a card?

Matter of any class, including that for which special services are indicated, received at either the office of mailing or office of address without postage, is endorsed “Returned for Postage” and is returned to the sender without an attempt at delivery.

Do people still send birthday cards in the mail?

Who says snail mail is dead? More than half (54%) of Americans say they still mail their greeting cards versus sending via digital and social platforms, new research suggests.

How much does one stamp cover?

Weight: As a rule of thumb, one Forever Stamp covers the cost of mailing a standard letter (up to one ounce in weight). If your letter is heavier, you will need additional Forever Stamps. The USPS website or your local post office can provide you with a weight chart for a more accurate estimate.

How do I know if my envelope needs extra postage?

Customers must affix additional postage when mailing letters weighing in excess of 1 ounce and/or letters subject to the nonmachinable surcharge or mailpieces subject to another rate of postage (e.g., large envelopes or packages).

What happens if I send a letter with an old stamp?

Mail posted with non-barcoded Definitive stamps after 31 January 2023, will for the first 6 month be delivered as normal, no surcharge will be raised. After this 6 month grace period, an item with a non-barcoded stamp would be treated as if there is insufficient postage.

How can I tell how many stamps to use?

Domestic letter mailing – price per ounce
  1. A letter of 1 ounce – 1 Domestic Forever Stamp costs 58 cents.
  2. A letter of 2 ounces – 1 Domestic Forever Stamp and one additional ounce stamp at 20 cents costs 78 cents.
  3. A letter weighing 3 ounces – 1 Domestic Forever Stamp and two additional 20-cent stamps – costs 88 cents.

Which stamps will not be valid?

Postage Stamps Invalid for Use

The following are not valid to pay postage for U.S. domestic or U.S.-originated international mail: a. Postage due, special delivery, special handling, and Certified Mail stamps.

How do you know if 2 stamps are needed?

For any domestic mail piece that weighs more than one ounce, you must include additional postage along with your Forever stamp to ensure USPS delivery. Also, you may purchase higher denomination postage stamps for heavier postage at the Post Office™. Avoid placing two Forever stamps on a mail piece for heavier mail.

How many stamps do I need for a card?

If you're sending a postcard to United States you'll need one Postcard Stamp for $0.56. You can also overpay using one Forever Stamp for $0.73. Make sure your postcard is: Rectangular (it can't be a square or round)

What if my letter weighs 1.1 oz?

This means that if you want to send a single ounce letter you'll only have to attach one Forever Stamp and you are good to go. As soon as that letter tips the scales at 1.1 ounce (all the way up to 2.0 ounces) you're looking at an extra $0.20 and postage that you have to cover.

How much stamp for a birthday card?

Most First-Class Mail letters include general correspondence such as billing invoices, credit card statements, and birthday cards. These items typically weigh one ounce or less. The cost of a one-ounce First-Class Mail® stamp is $0.73 at the Post Office, or $0.69 if you buy and print stamps online using Stamps.com.

What does it cost to mail a birthday card?

Postcard stamp costs

For those who wants to send greetings via postcard, stamps are also available for sale online at the local postal station. Postcard stamps are 56 cents each and come in multiple designs.

How much should you put in a birthday card?

Kid's friends, $20-25: It's unlikely you'd have your kindergartner give a $20 bill to a friend, but this is still a helpful guide if you want to give a gift card or gift certificate. Relatives, $50: You can spend a little more for birthdays of relatives, like nieces or nephews.