How many stamps you put on a manila envelope is based on how much it weighs and where it’s going. The online shipping calculator from the United States Postal Service (USPS) can help people figure out how much shipping will cost.
How Big Is a USPS Envelope?
Manila envelopes are called “business envelopes” because they are bigger than standard-sized envelopes and cost more to mail. When figuring out postage, postcards are put in the same category as envelopes. For first-class mail prices, postcards must be rectangular. For regular postage, postcards can’t be more than 4 1/4 inches tall, 6 inches long, or more than.016 inches thick. Regular envelopes, like those used to mail letters or standard-sized greeting cards, can’t be taller than 6 1/8 inches, wider than 11 1/2 inches, or thicker than a quarter inch. Large envelopes can’t be more than 12 inches tall, 15 inches long, or 3/4 of an inch thick in order to be priced as envelopes. If a postcard, standard envelope, or larger envelope is bigger than what is allowed, it moves to the next price category. For example, a standard envelope would be used to classify and price a postcard that is too tall or too long. If a Manila envelope is bigger than what is considered a large envelope, it would be considered a package and priced as such.
How to Decide How Many Stamps to Put on a Manila Envelope
As of November 2017, a regular postage stamp covers 49 cents of postage, while a stamp for an oversized envelope covers 70 cents of postage. To figure out how many stamps to put on a manila envelope, the sender needs to know the size, weight, thickness, and destination of the envelope. The USPS calls a manila envelope that is nine inches by twelve inches a large envelope. Use a postage scale to find out how much the envelope weighs so you can figure out how many stamps you need to mail it. With the online USPS postage calculator, it’s easy to put in the size and weight of an item to get an accurate price for postage. For example, if the envelope is the standard size of 9 inches by 12 inches and weighs 3 ounces, and it is being sent from Missouri to Florida, the postage calculator says that first-class mail postage will cost $1.40. Postage could be paid for with three regular stamps or two large stamps for an envelope.
If you want to ship something in a manila envelope, make sure the thickness doesn’t change by more than 1/4 of an inch or the price goes up. If you want to ship an envelope that weighs more than eight ounces, it might be better to look into package pricing. You might be able to ship it for a flat rate instead of by weight.
Labels for shipping that have already been paid for
The USPS doesn’t mind if you use more than one stamp to mail a manila envelope, but online shipping labels make it easier to pay for postage and print out labels. Instead of putting multiple stamps on a manila envelope, you can pay for postage online and print out a prepaid shipping label. The local mail carrier will pick up these packages at a business or home, or they can be left at the nearest post office or corner mailbox. Because postage prices change often, prepaid labels make it easier to mail larger envelopes and packages without worrying about not having enough stamps.
