Postage

[marshmellow1954]

I love to make cards. I have just one problem. A lot of cards that I see on SCS are 3D. I have found that if I even put a button or ribbon on a card and try to mail it I need two postage stamps or the I mail the card to has to pay extra postage. Any thoughts?

[buggainok]

Try laying an extra piece of cardstock over the front of your embellished card, and turn that part of your card toward the back of your envelope.

Most of my cards have ribbon, or buttons, or rhinestones. I am able to mail them this way using just one 44 cent stamp.

Also, since mail is fed through machines at the PO with the side with the stamp going through first, I try to position the card in the envelope so that any "bump" will not be on the corner of the envelope where the stamp is.

I mail lots of cards this way, and they arrive in good shape, and never are returned or "postage due."

I also just put my stamps on my cards and drop them the mail chute. Nine times out of ten, if you take a card to the counter, the clerk will look at it and say it needs extra postage.

[bound4london]

I mailed a card to a friend--yes it had a dimensional on it but it wasn't ridiculous. I wanted to get it on its way so I put it in the box at the Post Office. So, it came back today--after putting one stamp on--and they wanted an extra $1.75 on it. I took it to the Post office today to the counter--and he said I had to pay that much. I told him--politely--that it was just a card, that I have sent many that were similar. He told me that the people must have had to pay postage due on it (no one has ever told me that). Finally after a bit of discussion he charged me 20 extra cents for hand processing.

Generally I will use my crimper and put a piece in there to cover the dimensionals but I didn't this time. And I turn the dimensional side to the back. Was shocked that this little card was supposed to have cost me over $2.00 to mail. Crazy! So beware. It seems to depend on the Post Office--won't be using that city's Post Office again.

[stampin granny60]

When I make cards and put dimensionals on it I only pay .44 but then again if the card has many layers on it you will have to pay the extra postage..22. When I put bling on my card I put .64 as postage and go to the post office and tell them this is....non machineable...., never have had any problems.

[AnnaBananaJustice]

Here's a behind the scenes hint...I live in a very "old tyme" type town. I know my postal workers by first name and they know me by sight.
I had a card to send to Australia, I hand it to her, and she pulls out this piece of white plastic with a slot cut in the side and measurements marked on it...
For the machine, it must have a smooth surface (so, yeah, pop a piece of cardstock over the bumpy items, and insert so front of card is towards the folded bits of the envelope.
It can be no thicker than a 1/4 inch - that was the depth of the slot. It has to slide "freely". Anything thicker will need additional postage because an actual person has to cancel it - hand cancel fee.
Also, the machine has been calibrated to look for addresses printed in a certain section of the envelope based on it's size. Of course the post office machine is programed for the most common sizes of mail - that was the lines and marks on the back. Think postcard (3x5), greeting card, letter, brochures, catalogs and legal documents. Things that are square or "non-standard" sizes throw off the machine and then a person has to handle it.

But here's the best part, she gave me one of their old guides. The new scales have a guide on top of them, and they have a new "thickness checker". I found out you can request one of these from the post office (there is a charge) - so, you can avoid extra postage.

Also, request the brochure on postal requirements and regulations. You can mail just about anything. There is a mail art movement out there where people are mailing flip flops and paper plates. Also, it is LEGAL to take a priority mailer, turn it inside out, decorate and ship - you just are required to ship Priority postage. - I LOVED doing that one when I found out.

[Die Cut Dan]

At scrapbook corner we use a mail program called Endicia google it it may help on the extra postage we never get an overcharge when we ship items all over the world