How Many Stamps Do I Need to Send Letters Within the United States?

For people who love writing and sending letters for various reasons, knowing how many stamps do I need to send letters within the United States matters. Not only you will save a lot of money, but you will also save a lot of time as well. This is true for everyone who wants to send letters within the United States.

So, in this article, we are going to learn how to send letters properly in the United States. Especially regarding how many stamps and how much budget you are going to need.

How many stamps do you need to send letters within the United States?

In general, a standard first-class letter envelopes of a standard size of rectangular and one ounce in weight costs about $0.50. Keep in mind that this kind of envelope has no stiff or delicate things inside. Another solution is by using a single forever stamp to send a letter.

A single forever stamp is enough to send a letter. Or you can also use as many stamps as necessary that amount to $0.50. It is entirely up to you to choose which method is the best. Each additional ounce is equal to $0.21 in postage, and you can do up to 3.5 additional ounces. But more than that, you will have a different scale to calculate on, so please remember that. At the end of the day, they will deliver your letter to its destination if the stamps are the right amount.

If your letter weighs one ounce, it will need one first-class stamp, which as mentioned above costs about $0.50. And according to the latest update that came in January 2021, every additional ounce will be charged at $0.15. So if you are sending a 2-ounce letter, you will have to pay $0.70 in postage stamps.

How to send a letter?

According to USPS, sending a letter within the United States is fairly simple. Follow these steps to send a letter without any hassle.

1. Choose envelope or postcard. When mailing a letter or postcard, the postage cost you will have to pay will depend on the shape and size of the mailpiece. The trick here is that you can save money by mailing standard sizes that fit through automated mail-processing equipment. So make sure your mail is small enough when possible.
2. Write down the address. Write or print your return address and the address of the recipient. Make sure the address is pasted in the right location and easily readable to avoid problems during delivery.
3. Calculate postage. As mentioned above, please calculate and apply the correct postage. How many stamps you are going to need will depend on the destination, size, and weight of your letter. Read above for more information regarding the costs.
4. Send your letter. Now all you need to do is send your letter. Just leave it for your mail carrier to pick up or drop it off in various locations.

Summary

To summarize the costs of stamps, please read this section. First-class or one-ounce letters will cost between $0.47 to $0.49 when purchased at a post office. Each additional ounce will cost you an extra $0.21. For first mail flats or one ounce, the cost will increase from $0.94 to $0.98. And again, each additional ounce will cost $0.21.

Obviously, the more pages you have in the envelopes, the more it will weigh and the more stamps or postage you are going to need. So the cost will increase the heavier the mail gets. Keep in mind that if you don’t have enough postage, your mail will be sent back. So make sure you weigh your mail first before proceeding with the delivery.

To give you a better view of how many first-class stamps you are going to need, here is the explanation. If your letter is 100g or less, you will need one stamp. But if your letter is between 251g to 500g, you will need three stamps. Second-class stamps are generally worth less than first-class, so you will need more of them.

Conclusion

We trust this answers the question of how many stamps do I need to send letters within the United States. Here you have it, the procedure you should know to send letters within the US. If you have the correct number of stamps for your letter, I am sure it will reach its destination in no time.