There has been so much news about the United States Postal Service recently. However, in the midst of all that, the basics have been overlooked. For example, do you know current postage rates 2020?
If you’re about to send a letter, then that’s something that you need to know. Even if you have a bunch of stamps that you know are still good, you might need to know how much postage to use for alternative mail – such as a postcard or a heavier envelope.
Here, we’ve summed up all of the current postage rates 2020.
How Much Is A Stamp? Basic Current Postage Rates 2020.
First, we’ll look at the cost of stamps. If you’re sending a regular letter through the mail, then you’ll just need a regular first class stamp. But if you’re sending heavy mail, mail in unusual sizes, postcards, or international mail then there are different current postage rates for 2020 to take into consideration.
Cost of a First Class Stamp
A regular stamp is 55 cents.
When most people ask the question, “How much is a stamp?” they are usually wondering what the cost is of a first class stamp. After all, most people mail out basic letters. If you have a standard-sized, rectangular envelope, and you have only put a sheet or two of paper inside (up to one ounce in weight), then you’ll use a single stamp. The current postage rates in 2020 are 55 cents for these letters.
Additional Costs for Mailing Letters
It’s important to note that there are many things that can change the rate to mail your letter. For example, if you have a flat letter that is not the standard rectangular size, then you need to pay a different rate. The current postage rates in 2020 for square, oversized, or unusual letters are 70 cents if it’s one ounce or lighter in weight.
You also pay more for additional weight. The standard letter that takes a 55 cent stamp will cost more if it’s heavier.
- At two ounces, you pay 70 cents.
- At three ounces, you pay 85 cents.
- At 3.5 ounces, you pay $1
Current Postage Rates 2020: Flat Envelopes
Additionally, you’ll pay more money for large flat envelopes. For example, if you stick your letter into a 9″ x 12″ yellow clasp envelope, you’ll pay more than if you fold it up and stick it into a standard sized envelope. 2020 postage rates for flat envelopes start at $1 for one ounce. They increase twenty cents per ounce up to $3.4o for a 13 ounce flat envelope.
How Much is A Postcard Stamp?
A postcard stamp is 35 cents.
It’s fun to send postcards to people. You might do this when you’re on vacation. However, it’s something that you can do to let people know that you’re thinking about them all throughout the year. And postcard stamps are less expensive than regular postage stamps. Therefore, if you send them often, you’ll save money by going this route.
Postcard stamps, assuming that you have a regular-sized postcard, are 35 cents. Note that they haven’t increased since 2015. Remember that if you have unusually large postcards, or postcards that are oddly shaped, then you might have to pay more than 35 cents.
How Much Is An International Stamp?
An international stamp is $1.20.
For those who need to send a letter out of the country, the postage for an international first class letter (up to 1 oz.) is $1.20. It is the same price to send a postcard. Therefore, when shipping short messages internationally, there is no cost savings to using a postcard instead of a regular letter.
Current Postage Rates 2020: Other Common Prices
Of course, flat letters and postcards aren’t the only things that people send through the mail. If you plan to ship gifts for the holidays, then you’ll want to know about the mailing prices for packages. Anytime that you ship something in a thick envelope or a box, the postage rates differ from the basic stamp prices.
Flat Rate Postage Prices
Usually, your best rate option is to choose a flat rate mailing envelope or box. These are available for free at your local post office. You choose the size that you need, then you pay the rate for that size. It doesn’t matter what weight your mailing. Current postage rates in 2020 for flat rate mail include:
- 12.5″ x 9.5″ flat rate envelope: $7.75
- 8 11/16″ x 5 7/16″ x 1 3/4″ small flat rate box: $8.30
- 14″ x 12″ x 3 1/2″ medium flat rate box: $15.05
- 12 1/4″ x 12 1/4″ x 6″ large flat rate box: $21.10
Other Postage Prices
There are many other shipping options when you mail things through the post office. You can find all current postage rates in 2020 at the USPS website. A few other common prices include:
- Express Mail (starts at $26.35) for when you need to ship something quickly
- Global Express Guaranteed (starts at $67.80) for when you need to ship something internationally quickly
- Media Mail (starts at $2.80) for when you’re only shipping books
How to Save Money on Stamps
Every penny that you save adds up. Therefore, living frugally means saving money even on the little things, like stamps. Here are some of the most common ways that people save money on stamps:
- Use Stamps.com. Note that you have to pay for this service. Therefore, the savings is only worth it if you ship a lot of items. If you have a business that ships regularly, though, then this can help you reduce your postage costs. You’ll save five cents on every first class letter that you send, reducing the 2020 postage rate from 55 cents to 50 cents. You’ll save more on bigger shipping costs.
- Buy stamps using rewards credit cards. If you have a cash back credit card, then you get a percentage back for every dollar that you spend. Therefore, you reduce your postage costs slightly by using that credit card to pay for stamps. Of course, you have to make sure to pay off the card on time so you don’t pay added interest.
- Shop using a cashback site. Ebates is a popular choice but of course there are many of them out there. This will give you a little bit back on your stamps purchase.
- Buy Forever Stamps on eBay. Forever Stamps are good at the current postage rates in 2020. Moreover, they’re still good as first class stamps even if rates go up in the future. You can purchase these at a discount on Ebay. Usually, you’ll buy at least one whole roll at a time.
- Ship smart. Make sure that you always weigh your mail carefully. Only pay what you have to in postage. Moreover, double-check box dimensions to make sure that you aren’t charged for oversized shipping unnecessarily. And make use of those flat rate shipping options, especially for heavy items.
Save Money with VPN
Here is another way to save money apart from Stamps is using VPN. VPN is the only tool to secure users private data and avoid data leak or minor the risk to get malware or any other way of fraud. Great option of a VPN while saving money, as Atlas vpn is the cheapest on the market.
Read More:
- What is the Best Place to Buy Stamps Online?
- Where Can I Buy Postage Stamps After Hours?
- Does 711 Sell Stamps?
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Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.
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