Finding The Right
Postage For Postcard

How do you know exactly what postage for postcard you need when it's time to send a postcard?

Here in Australia it's a simple matter of popping into my local post office and asking.

When I do this, here's what happens: The post woman immediately fires back with 'where do you want to send it to?'

I usually say something like Tanzania, or the foothills of Madagascar.

She doesn't bat an eyelid, looks up her list of postcard postage rates, and hands me her answer.

Then I send the postcard, and everyone's a happy camper.

But, what happens if you don't live anywhere near a post office?

Let's find out...

The Postage For Postcard Scenario

Like we said, it's all about where your postcard is traveling to.

If it's mainland USA then you will likely end up using standard postage. (As long as you have a standard sized postcard!)

USA 5cent airmail postage

Once you have that under control you can investigate your local shops. I know that you can buy the stamps and a postcard from many small convenience stores in Malaysia and Thailand.

(And it's easier to do that than go to the post office sometimes!)

But for USA the standard postage is fine. That's likely to be around 28 cents depending where you are and where you're sending to.

Using a First-Class (letter grade) stamp gives your postcard a higher priority than regular mail. Plus you can opt to receive delivery confirmation and insurance with that as well.

As a general rule, neighbouring countries usually get a lower rate. For example, if you're posting a postcard from Canada to mainland USA, then you'll pay about $1.00. Mail to any other country and your postcard stamp price is roughly $1.70.

Yep - every country, and therefore each postage for every postcard will be different. Having said that, here are the prices for the three most common postcard postage types for postcards according to the United States Postal Service:

United States Postal Service (USPS) Postcard Postage
Standard Postage	28 cents
First-Class Mail Domestic	From 44 cents
First-Class Mail International	From 75 cents

To Summarise

There's a lot of variables!

Your postage will depend on where you're sending your postcard and what sized postcard you're using.

Using an oversized or jumbo postcard will cost more.

The best way - if you're unsure, is to take the postcard to your local shop and ask. They'll weigh it and that way you'll know exactly what it will cost.

Don't just go by the crazy estimations I described on this page. By tomorrow, everything could have changed. But do create great postcards though!

A postcard can become a treasure of life