{"id":42133,"date":"2021-11-22T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T14:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shippingeasy.com\/?p=42133"},"modified":"2022-05-19T17:00:35","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T22:00:35","slug":"how-to-calculate-the-postage-of-greeting-cards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shippingeasy.com\/blog\/how-to-calculate-the-postage-of-greeting-cards\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Calculate the Postage of Greeting Cards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tis the season for sending greeting cards to all of your loved ones! Greetings cards come in all shapes and sizes, so it can be hard to determine the best way to send them or calculate the most accurate cost. With the holiday season causing a rush to the post office (not to mention the <\/span>USPS holiday shipping cutoffs<\/span><\/a> causing an even bigger rush), it\u2019s important to know the best way to send your greeting cards so that you aren\u2019t stuck waiting in line until the new year. We\u2019ve gathered some of the most commonly sent greeting cards with advice on how to package your card and the service to use so your cards get delivered smoothly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Card Type <\/strong><\/th><\/th><\/th><\/th>Card Dimension<\/strong><\/th><\/th><\/th><\/th>Issues<\/strong><\/th><\/th><\/th><\/th>Suggested Service and Cost<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Christmas Card<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Measures 8\u201d long x 5\u201d thick x .25\u201d thick and weighs 2 oz <\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Exceeds the maximum letter height of 6.125\"<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Since it is uniformly thick and slightly flexible, but too large to be sent as a letter, it is considered a large envelope.
\n
\nPay the 2-ounce First-Class Mail Large Envelope\/Flat rate.
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Large Musical Greeting Card<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Measures 6.5\" long x 6.5\" high x 0.25\" thick
\nWeighs 1.5 ounces
\n<\/td>		<\/td><\/td><\/td>Exceeds the maximum letter height of 6.125\"<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Since it is uniformly thick and slightly flexible, but too large to be sent as a letter, it is considered a large envelope.
\n
\nPay the 2-ounce First-Class Mail Large Envelope\/Flat rate.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Small Square Greeting Card<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Measures 5.5\" long x 5.5\" high x 0.25\" <\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>It does not meet the aspect ratio criterion for a letter. Since it is square, the aspect ratio is less than 1.3<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Since it is uniformly thick, slightly flexible, and within letter-size dimensions, it qualifies for First-Class Mail.
\nBut because it does not meet the aspect ratio, it is considered non-machinable.
\n
\nPay the 2-ounce First-Class Mail rate <\/a> and non-machinable charge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Letter Size Greeting Card <\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Measures 6.625\" long x 5\" high x 0.125\" thick
\n
\nWeighs 2 ounces
\n<\/td>		<\/td><\/td><\/td>None<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Since it is uniformly thick, slightly flexible, within letter-size dimensions, and meets the aspect ratio criterion, it qualifies for First-Class Mail.
\n
\nPay the 2-ounce First-Class Mail rate. <\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

Additional Cost <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The weight and dimensions of your greeting card are a big factor in pricing, but there are a couple of potential charges that might affect the price of your postage, including non-machinable surcharges and \u201crigid\u201d letter-size pricing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Non-Machinable Surcharges <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

Non-machinable surcharges* come from First-Class Mail letters that can\u2019t be processed automatically\/can\u2019t go through the standard sorting machine and instead have to be sorted by hand. This can happen when the envelopes are too large, too small, or are mislabeled. Learn more about <\/span>USPS non-machinable surcharges<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*As of August 2021, USPS’s non-machinable surcharge for First-Class Mail is $0.30. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n

Rigid Letter-Size Pricing <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

\u201cRigid\u201d letter-size pricing is when a greeting card can\u2019t <\/span>flex<\/span><\/a> at least 1\u201d and is less than the following dimensions: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n