How Many Stamps Do I Need to Send a Letter or Package?

How many stamps do I need to send a letter or package?
Image by MorningbirdPhoto from Pixabay

In this day and age, sending emails, text messages, and chats are a much easier and faster way of communicating. But there are still people who love and prepare to send letters in an old-fashioned way.

And for some reason, there are circumstances in that you need to send a letter or package through the mail. And because you are so used to electric mail, you may ask yourself this question: "How many stamps do I need to send a letter or package?

What is a postage stamp?

A postage stamp or stamp is a small rectangular or square piece of paper that has an adhesive back. It represents the required cost for the delivery of your letter or parcel. Once you identified the cost of shipping your mail or package, the item will be affixed with a stamp in the upper right corner. After that, your parcel/letter will be processed by the postal officials. Then, put a postal mark stating its date and point of origin. The postage stamp help ensures that the item is not reused or misused at a later date. Once the process is complete, your item is now ready for delivery to its destination address.

Usually, a stamp is designed with the name of the issuing nation, the denomination of its value, and features an illustration of a person, event, institution, or natural reality that holds the importance of the country at hand. Back in the day, the stamps come in a square shape but today, stamps are rectangular.

Types of Postage Stamp

  • Definitive stamps – are the most common and used for everyday postage.
  • Airmail stamp - used for payment of airmail service.
  • Military stamps - these stamps are used as a special postal system for the armed forces of a country.
  • Coil stamps – this type is a tear-off stamp issued in vending machines.
  • Express mail stamps– these are used for special delivery.
  • Official mail stamps – are government-issued stamps used for government agencies.
  • Test stamps – these stamps are used for testing in machines and scanners.

How many stamps do I need to send a letter or package?

For standard letter:

If you are going to send a standard letter, you can use one first-class letter stamp or Forever Stamp at the top right corner of your envelope. For a standard size and one ounce of a letter, one stamp is enough to send mail within the United States. But the size and weight of your letter will still determine the number of stamps that you need to attach to the letter.

If your domestic mail weighs more than one ounce, you need to include additional postage along with your Forever Stamp to make sure that your mail will be delivered. When you failed to do so, your letter will be returned due to lack of postage.

Top Tips: When you think that your mail is heavier, avoid using two Forever Stamps. Instead, buy an additional ounce stamp because they are way much cheaper than a Forever Stamp.

For package/parcel:

If your package weighs less than 12 ounces, you need to use one or more postage stamps. The number of stamps that you will need will be based on the weight and dimension of the parcel.

For a 9'x12' envelope:

The standard dimension accepted by the postal service is a 9'x12' envelope. And like the standard letter, it needs postage stamps affixed at the top right corner of the envelope. If you are going to send a larger envelope, the postage costs for the first ounce can be $1.00 and $0.20 for every additional ounce.

For manila envelope:

If you are going to send a manila envelope, it has the same postage requirements as 9'x12' and legal-sized envelopes. For the first ounce of the envelope, the postage rate is $1.00 and if the weight exceeds, you need to add $0.20 per additional ounce.

For legal-sized envelopes/flats:

You need to attach two Forever Stamp for a one-ounce legal-sized envelope. You also need to attach additional postage stamps when your envelope is over the one-ounce.

For international mail:

You need to use a Global Forever Stamp if you are going to send a mail postcard or a one-ounce letter.

For Postcards:

You need to use one Forever Stamp in a rectangular, 3 ½ inches x 5 inches x 0.007 inches thick postcard. If you are sending the postcard within the United States, the usual cost of one postcard stamp is $0.35.

Sending a letter and attaching a postage stamp is very easy. But you need to make sure that you attach the stamp correctly so that your letter will arrive at the destination address.

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