What Size Christmas Card Needs Extra Postage

United states of america Mail Part Size Requirements

For letters, postcards, and flats

Alphabetic character-size Dimensional Template - click to download the template

Sizes for Letters

To be eligible for mailing at the price for "letters," a piece must be:

Rectangular
At least 3-one/2 inches loftier x five inches long x 0.007 inch thick
No more than 6-one/8 inches high ten 11-1/2 inches long 10 i/4 inch thick
What is high? What is long?

Length is the side parallel to the address
Height is the side that is perpendicular to the length

First-Course Mail or even Standard Mail "letters" that have one or more than nonmachinable characteristics will pay a nonmachinable surcharge. Customers tin can be unpleasantly surprised that they must pay actress stamp when, for example, they postal service a square greeting card. The post office charges extra postage because mailpieces that are rigid, square, or unusually shaped often jam postal equipment and are difficult to process. This costs the post office fourth dimension and money — and may besides harm your mailpiece.

Folded Pieces

Many mailers fold sheets of paper to form letter of the alphabet-size pieces or newsletters. Folded pieces, or folded self-mailers, can save time and money because you're not paying for or stuffing envelopes. Folded cocky-mailers must be sealed or they will be subject to the nonmachinable surcharge. We have a tabbing motorcar that uses USPS approved wafer seals, likewise called "tabs", to shut the open up sides of folded mailpieces.

The fold is requested to be on the bottom (the side beneath the accost) and secure the opening at the height with a piece of record, a tab, or a wafer seal.

Tips:

0.007 inches? How exercise I measure that? As a guide, an index card is thick plenty.
What is loftier? What is long?

Length is the side parallel to the address
Elevation is the side that is perpendicular to the length

Sizes for Postcards

Postcards are an inexpensive manner to get an immediate bulletin to customers. When they get in in the mail, in that location's the message — no envelope to open! Starting time Form Postal service postcards are a neat value, likewise. With First Course Mail postcards, you lot pay a low price and go all of the benefits, similar forwarding and return that come up with First Class Mail. And, if y'all mail with single-piece Beginning Grade Postal service postage stamp affixed, there is no extra work involved — only drib the postcards in a collection box.

Postcard requirements

You may recollect that your mailpiece is a "postcard," because it is a unmarried sheet of newspaper. But to qualify for mailing at the First Grade Mail postcard toll, it must be:

Rectangular
At least three-1/2 inches high x five inches long x 0.007 inch thick
No more than than iv-1/4 inches high x 6 inches long ten 0.016 inches thick

Sizes for Large Envelopes and Flats (EDDM)

The post office uses the word "flats" to refer to big envelopes, newsletters, and magazines. The words "large envelopes" and "flats" are used interchangeably.

Any yous call them, flats must:

Have one dimension that is greater than 6-1/8 inches high OR 11-½ inches long OR ¼ inch thick
Be no more than 12 inches loftier x xv inches long x ¾ inch thick

Dimension	Minimum*	Maximum
Height	6-1/8 inches	12 inches
Length	xi-one/2 inches	15 inches
Thickness	1/4 inch	iii/iv inch

* Big Envelopes exceed one or more of the letter size maximum dimensions.

The maximum size for a flat provides plenty of room to put lots of material in the envelope. But go on in mind that weight normally affects toll — the higher the weight, the higher the postage stamp, specially for Get-go Class Mail.

More about Concrete Standards for Commercial Flats

Is it possible to fold your flat-size piece to letter-size? If so, you tin can save coin considering you'll pay the lower letter price.

Tips:

What is long? What is loftier?

For flats, "long" (the length) is the side parallel to the address as read.
"High" (the top) is the side perpendicular to the length.

This general rule does non apply to:

Automation flats
USPS Marketing Post Carrier Road flats

** Note if the hyperlinks are non working, it could be considering the post office has inverse their site pages, if you could allow us know, then we can ready it for you! Thank you!

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