How much to mail a postcard? USPS prices and total costs

How much to mail a postcard within the US?

For an ordinary qualifying card, use the domestic postcard stamp. The USPS First-Class Mail page lists the postcard, stamped letter and flat starting prices below; the current USPS price list is effective October 4, 2026. Recheck it for your mailing date, especially when preparing a campaign ahead of time.

If you already have a card, measure it before buying stamps. If you are ordering a new run, have the printer review the postal layout before finalizing the design. For a personal note or an occasional business thank-you, buying stamps and mailing the cards yourself can be the sensible choice.

Cost to mail a postcard: size comes first

For domestic retail postcard pricing, the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, section 101 specifies a rectangular card from 3.5 x 5 inches through 4.25 x 6 inches, with thickness from 0.007 through 0.016 inch. These are postal eligibility limits, not a promised format for our service. Use our postcard sizes guide for format selection.

• Within postcard limits

  Have the mailer check the finished sample, including thickness, address side and any attachments. Being within the width and height limits does not settle every eligibility question.

• Larger, but letter-size

  A larger card can pay letter postage if it meets letter standards. A 6 x 9 inch card, for example, exceeds retail postcard dimensions; ask the mailer to confirm its letter eligibility before printing.

• Beyond letter limits

  A piece beyond the letter-size limits may qualify as a flat if it meets the flat standards. Rigid or irregular pieces can require parcel pricing; a larger design does not automatically qualify as a flat.

International postcard price and Global Forever

As of October 4, 2026, the international postcard price is $1.75, shown in USPS Notice 123. The USPS First-Class Mail International page confirms that a Global Forever stamp covers a standard postcard or qualifying one-ounce letter sent from the United States abroad. A Global Forever stamp retains that mailing value if prices rise.

For a business order, separate domestic and international recipients before requesting a quote. Ask the provider to identify unsupported destinations and how it handles address corrections. Our published personalized postcard offer includes USPS First-Class postage; international service needs its own scope confirmation.

Bulk postcard postage: commercial USPS prices

Commercial First-Class pricing is a prepared-mail category, not a discount automatically applied when you buy several stamp sheets. USPS Business Mail 101 gives a minimum of 500 pieces for commercial prices. Ask your mail service provider how your job meets the applicable preparation requirements.

Source: USPS Notice 123, commercial First-Class Mail. Figures are the published base rows before separately qualifying incentives. Automation means meeting USPS mail preparation and barcode standards; the sorting level depends on the actual address distribution, not just the total ordered.

USPS Marketing Mail postcard postage rates

Marketing Mail has letter and flat categories rather than the retail postcard stamp category. USPS Marketing Mail guidance specifies a minimum of 200 pieces or 50 pounds, no single-piece price and domestic use only. Content must also be eligible for that mail class.

Source: USPS Notice 123, Marketing Mail, automation letters weighing 3.5 ounces or less. These are base examples without destination-entry discounts or optional incentives. They are not a universal range for every bulk postcard.

When bulk mail postcard cost is the wrong starting point

Ask for a side-by-side written quote using the same list and artwork. If the provider changes quantity, format and postal class together, you cannot tell which decision changes the total.

EDDM postage: low unit cost, broader coverage

As of October 4, 2026, EDDM Retail postage is $0.260 per eligible flat up to 3.3 ounces, per USPS Notice 123. USPS EDDM guidance requires at least 200 pieces and allows up to 5,000 per day per ZIP Code for Retail, without a special mailing permit. This is route coverage, rather than individually selected prospects.

• Coverage is the purchase

  Choose EDDM when the offer makes sense across the selected neighborhood. If you need particular businesses, a named-recipient list is a more appropriate starting point.

• Retail needs an eligible flat

  A regular small postcard does not qualify merely because you label it EDDM. Verify the piece with the USPS size checker before ordering, and budget for preparation and drop-off.

• BMEU is a separate quote

  Business Mail Entry Unit pricing and preparation differ from Retail. Do not combine a BMEU headline price with a Retail process when comparing providers.

Our Every Door Direct Mail guide covers route selection. For this price decision, ask for the final route count, eligible format, preparation charges and drop-off responsibility, then compare the written total against an addressed campaign.

How much to mail a postcard as a campaign?

The direct mail postcard cost you pay is the combination of production, preparation, postage and any campaign service. Ask each supplier to mark every line as included, separate or unnecessary for your job. A postage-only estimate and a managed campaign quote describe different deliverables.

Campaign total = research/list + creative + printing + preparation + postage + entry/transport + response destination + applicable charges
Cost per mailed piece = final campaign total / actual pieces mailed
Mark bundled items as included so they are not counted twice.
Record the mailing quantity, postal classification and rate effective date beside the total.

Keep printed quantity and mailed quantity separate when there are spares, duplicates or rejected addresses. Ask whether unused postage is reconciled and how a change to the approved list affects the invoice. Record staff preparation time too if you are comparing a do-it-yourself campaign with a managed one.

See postcard marketing cost for broader budgeting and postcard printing for production decisions. Keep the same mailing brief when comparing those quotes.

Calculate the cost before you print

Set the audience and the physical piece before choosing a postage rate. This process works whether you mail a small batch yourself or ask a provider to prepare an addressed campaign. Keep one approved specification so price comparisons remain useful.

1. Step 1

   Define origin and audience

   Record where the cards enter the mail and whether recipients are domestic, international, named prospects or neighborhood routes. Remove unsuitable recipients before requesting production prices.

2. Step 2

   Confirm the finished format

   Get dimensions, thickness, weight and address-side layout checked by the printer or mailer. For an unusual piece, resolve classification before paying for a print run.

3. Step 3

   Choose an eligible mail class

   Compare retail First-Class, commercial First-Class, Marketing Mail and EDDM only where the job qualifies. Ask the provider to identify the actual rate row and explain preparation requirements.

4. Step 4

   Verify the mailing-date price

   Open the current USPS price list and record its effective date. Ask whether the quote covers postage changes between approval and mailing, and who bears a difference.

5. Step 5

   Collect the complete written quote

   Include research, design, printing, preparation, postage, entry and response-page work where needed. Separate optional items and document how the final address count changes billing.

6. Step 6

   Approve a proof and retain the record

   Check the message, recipient merge, address and response destination in the final proof. Agree who authorizes mailing, what confirmation you receive and who handles recipient replies.

Origin and destination: [US entry location; domestic or international]
Audience: [named list or selected routes]; expected mailed quantity: [quantity]
Finished format: [dimensions, thickness and weight to confirm]
Please identify the mail class, preparation category and rate effective date.
Itemize production, preparation, postage, transport and any response-page work.
Explain proof approval, quantity changes, postage reconciliation and mailing confirmation.

Use the personalized postcard campaign guide and recorded webinar for the full research-to-follow-up method. Your postage estimate should be one approved input in that plan, with a clear owner for each remaining task.

What our personalized postcard price includes

Fer Marketing charges $10 per custom postcard, with a 50-card minimum ($500). For a first campaign, the intro pack is 100 custom postcards for $500 ($5 per card). This is the campaign service price, not our own postage cost.

Compare personalized direct mail with white-label direct mail for agencies to choose the right scope. Fer Marketing is operated by Fer LLC in Wyoming and serves the US market in English and Spanish. Payment is by card through Stripe after scope is agreed.