{"title":"How to Mail a Letter","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/adulting/how-to-mail-a-letter","category":{"slug":"adulting","name":"Adulting"},"creator":{"name":"Innominate Kraken","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMofQj_d9cOvGYuO0egNEuQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jEBEFS8M_o"},"tldr":"Mailing a letter step by step: pick First-Class, identify size, use a Forever stamp under 1 oz, and add postage for heavier mail. Plus the USPS calculator.","totalDurationSeconds":530,"difficulty":"easy","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Pick First-Class Mail","text":"First-Class is the standard USPS service for letters. You get 1-3 business day delivery, loss/damage insurance up to $5,000 for merchandise, and eligibility for Certified Mail tracking add-ons. It's what most people mean when they say 'send a letter.'"},{"number":2,"title":"Identify Your Mailpiece Type","text":"Standard letter envelopes max out at 3.5 ounces. Anything bigger - like a manila envelope, a padded envelope, or a 9x12 flat - is classified as a 'large envelope' (also called a flat) which can hold up to 13 oz at a higher rate.If your envelope is too thick to fit through a postal sorting machine (~1/4 inch thick), it's automatically classified as a package and priced higher."},{"number":3,"title":"Use a Forever Stamp for Letters Under 1 Ounce","text":"Forever stamps are always valid at the current First-Class rate, even years after you bought them. One Forever stamp covers a standard envelope under 1 ounce - the most common case for greeting cards, single-sheet letters, and bills."},{"number":4,"title":"Add Postage for Heavier Letters","text":"Each ounce above the first costs about 20 cents extra. USPS sells additional-ounce stamps specifically valued at this rate, or you can stack a Forever stamp with smaller-denomination partial stamps. Two-ounce and three-ounce stamps (75 cents and 95 cents) also exist for common heavier letters."},{"number":5,"title":"Use a Semi-Postal Stamp to Support a Cause","text":"Semi-postal stamps are valid for First-Class postage and direct extra cents to charity. The two current ones support PTSD treatment and breast cancer research. They're priced slightly higher than the regular rate (currently 65 cents) so you'd combine with partial stamps to hit the rate you need."},{"number":6,"title":"Use the USPS Postage Price Calculator If Unsure","text":"For non-standard letters - heavy ones, large envelopes, anything you're not sure about - go to postcalc.usps.com. Enter both ZIP codes and the weight, pick whether it's a Letter, Large Envelope, Package, or Large Package, and it tells you the exact retail postage required."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-20T17:21:44.297Z","published":"2026-04-27T23:59:54.561Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}