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OK, I just got back from the post office and was told that the price of mailing a square card is now $.80. I think the guy must have been out of his mind, but I purchased some stamps anyway due to having just made a bunch of square cards to send out. Please someone tell me that this is incorrect!!! I knew it was more expensive from past experiences, but really now, this is just crazy!
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Gail Binette -SOMEBUNNY FROM MAINE HELP! VICTORIA WON'T TELL ME HER SECRET Visit my Blog http://gbinette.blogspot.com/
It does cost extra to mail a square card in a square envelope. I believe it is because of the automated cancelling machines. With a rectangular envelope, it knows that when the envelope is alligned with the longest dimension, the postage is either in the top right or bottom left. With a square card, it could be in any corner. There is additional handling with square cards to make sure they are cancelled correctly.
It doesn't cost extra to mail a square card in a rectangular envelope (so many people who make 4.25" x 4.25" cards still mail in a standard A2 envelope. You can either cut a piece of cheap cardstock for the extra space to keep the card from moving around, or you can let itmove freely in the envelope).
Yep, it costs more. I do what the above poster suggested. I use a punch and punch put a corner of the envie (with a heart for example) then I take a piece of cs that coordinates with the card inside and glue it to the inside of the card on the end with the punch. Gives the envie a nice pretty look and saves a ton on postage. I got the idea from a blog...was it JulieHHH's? I think it may have been, she gave instructions on how to do it so it looks nice....it is a great idea.
__________________ Tammy "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. "
� Edgar Allan Poe My little gallery
Yep, it costs more. I do what the above poster suggested. I use a punch and punch put a corner of the envie (with a heart for example) then I take a piece of cs that coordinates with the card inside and glue it to the inside of the card on the end with the punch. Gives the envie a nice pretty look and saves a ton on postage. I got the idea from a blog...was it JulieHHH's? I think it may have been, she gave instructions on how to do it so it looks nice....it is a great idea.
GGRRRR no edit button! The blog was from JulieHRR not JulieHHH I am such a dork sometimes :mrgreen: Here is a link to her blog, it's very good!
Location: Margaritaville - I wish, Southern Indiana for real, but a Parrothead at heart.
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Also, for those who like to do lots of layers on cards, under the new rates any envelope that is over 1/4 inch thick will require extra postage, even if it only weighs enough for 1 stamp and is in a standard size envelope. Am trying to keep this in mind for Xmas cards, as I usually mail about 100. Also, I sell cards at a Christman bazaar, and would hate for the purchasers to be suprised with extra postage.
I always just pop two stamps on big square cards...put small square cards in a regular enve...and I always put two stamps on clear enve's as well. I'm not sure why...but I do. So far so good.
__________________ ~Alison
Raising children is like being pecked to death by a chicken.
I thought is was just 17 cents extra for square cards. That's what I've been doing anyway....
Now this sounds more like what I had thought. Have you sent any out since the new postage rates went up a few months ago? I really hate putting an 80 cent stamp on if it really doesn't require that much.:-D
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Gail Binette -SOMEBUNNY FROM MAINE HELP! VICTORIA WON'T TELL ME HER SECRET Visit my Blog http://gbinette.blogspot.com/
Yes, I knew about Julie's little trick and have used that many times however, the cards I need to mail are much larger than what would fit in one of these envelopes. Thanks for sharing this though. I'll bet a lot of new readers didn't know about this and it's always good to remind those of us who aren't new.
__________________ Stampin' Up! Demonstrator
Gail Binette -SOMEBUNNY FROM MAINE HELP! VICTORIA WON'T TELL ME HER SECRET Visit my Blog http://gbinette.blogspot.com/
Last year I was able to just go to USPS.com and figure out the postage rates on nearly anything. They seem to have "simplified" it into a non-legible morass.
So I called my local Post Office. Square envies that are not too large mail for 58�. But Large envelopes cost 80�.
I think I'll stick with smaller sizes and use Julie's trick for decorating the envelope.
The square envelopes that I have been mailing are the smaller ones. Haven't mailed any of the larger ones, 6x6. You would think with everyone emailing these days we wouldn't have so much trouble with the post office and all the new rules. We're just trying to keep the economy going
I just sent a card to a friend in Australia the other day...90 cents. They said it doubles for every ounce approximately. You can bet I won't be mailing anything too heavy in the future. I asked about flat rate (that's how I send to the troops but they are technically US addresses). He said they do have flat rate to Austrailia...$11 for a flat rate envie and some ungodly amount for a flat rate box! OMG! My friend has sent me a couple padded envies in the past. Not sure much how much they cost her to mail to me...but I'm sure the contents weren't worth $11.
On a similar note, I went to send some RAKS the other day. I only had the old stamps (so still needed .02 on each one...total of .08 postage). I had already made a bunch of stops and wanted to do the groceries and the mail at the same stop...there's a postal place there in the strip mall. So I stop and they say they don't carry any smaller denominations than the new .41 cent stamps. I ask what about postcard stamps...at this rate I'm willing to pay .22 each to mail these things and not have to make another stop! So she goes and gets postcard stamps. AFTER their mark-up I paid $1.80 for .88 in postage (when I really only needed .0 Grrrr.
I never thought about making smaller square cards to fit the regular A2 envelopes! As a kindergarten teacher, I should be thinking "outside the box," LOL. Ya learn something new every day....and every time I come here!
I bought larger envelopes called greeting card envelopes. They are sized to fit an 8.5 x11 piece of paper folded in half-so 8.5X5.5, they still cost the same to mail maybe they would work for some of the larger cards we make and you could still do the trick with the paper inside the envie.
I bought them at Staples.
__________________ Pia 2024 Scrapbook goals April 16/10 layouts YTD 91/120 Check out my gallery
OK, I just got back from the post office and was told that the price of mailing a square card is now $.80. I think the guy must have been out of his mind, but I purchased some stamps anyway due to having just made a bunch of square cards to send out. Please someone tell me that this is incorrect!!! I knew it was more expensive from past experiences, but really now, this is just crazy!
This is incorrect, unless your card was over the maxium dimensions of 11 1/2 X 6 1/8. This is the maxium dimensions of "letter" mail. Since the Postal Service has gone with "dimensional" pricing for postage, many things have changed. If your card fell withing the dimensions of a letter it should have only been .58 cents. I would go back with a ruler in hand and educate the Clerk because it is obvious he doesn't have the new policy down.
I have mailed both 5 and 5 1/2 square envies since the increase in postal rates and they have still been just 17 cents extra. (The PO sells 17 cent stamps.)
I use clear envelopes exclusively and so far even with embellishments on my cards that stick up I have never paid more than the standard .41 rate. Nothing has come back and nothing has arrived to any of my reciepients that has had postage due. Maybe I am just lucky? Not sure but probably just jinxed myself.... :(
Today I mailed a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch card at the Post Office, and they charged me 58 cents. So, I'm assuming the 6 x 6 inch size would be 80 cents.
Linda
Sorry Linda, 6 X 6 should still only be 58 cents, 41 cents for regular postage + 17 cents for the odd size. Now if the card was 6 1/2 X 6 1/2 then it would be 80 cents. Maximum size of a letter is 6 1/8 X 11 1/2, if either of these dismensions are exceeded, then it would be considered a flat and would need 80 cents postage. Please check out this link it has the dismensions for letters and flats:
Sorry Linda, 6 X 6 should still only be 58 cents, 41 cents for regular postage + 17 cents for the odd size. Now if the card was 6 1/2 X 6 1/2 then it would be 80 cents. Maximum size of a letter is 6 1/8 X 11 1/2, if either of these dismensions are exceeded, then it would be considered a flat and would need 80 cents postage. Please check out this link it has the dismensions for letters and flats:
Sorry Linda, 6 X 6 should still only be 58 cents, 41 cents for regular postage + 17 cents for the odd size. Now if the card was 6 1/2 X 6 1/2 then it would be 80 cents. Maximum size of a letter is 6 1/8 X 11 1/2, if either of these dismensions are exceeded, then it would be considered a flat and would need 80 cents postage. Please check out this link it has the dismensions for letters and flats:
Nothing to be sorry about! I'm glad to know that a 6 x 6 would still be 58 cents, because I have some of those envelopes too. The gal at the counter measured my square envelope against some kind of template, but I didn't get a really good look at it. And thanks for the link!
Linda
__________________ Linda Art is the only way to run away without leaving home. -Twyla Tharp
I use clear envelopes exclusively and so far even with embellishments on my cards that stick up I have never paid more than the standard .41 rate. Nothing has come back and nothing has arrived to any of my reciepients that has had postage due. Maybe I am just lucky? Not sure but probably just jinxed myself....
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Yes, I would say you are lucky ! I mailed quite a few clear envies out about 2 years ago, before I had any idea that they should have more postage because of "special handling". To my knowledge they all went thru without additional postage due, but I doubt seriously that anyone, other than maybe family, would have told me. I don't chance it anymore, I would be pretty embarrassed if the recipient would have to pay "postage due" on a card I sent them. I have my own scale and I print my own postage...sometimes if something weighs "right on" the ounce, I go to the next higher postage amount....paranoid, I know :rolleyes: !
Mailing a square card
