“How many stamps do I need on a large envelope?” – To be short, it depends on weight, size, and the class of the item you are about to mail.
It is required in several post offices that you must affix sufficient stamps. Otherwise, your mail will be returned or delivered in the “postage due” tag. Worse, you might even be charged the shortfall.
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Why The Number of Stamps Matters?
How many stamps do I need on a large envelope?
Simply put, stamps are to determine the destination and also used as a way of paying for the postage fees.
You buy stamps issued by post offices or postal systems, then stick some onto the envelope, indicating that you have already paid for the mailing. From those stamps, the post office can figure out the size, weight, and how fast they must handle the parcels or letters.
Thus, if you pay less than what you are supposed to pay, in other words, you place the wrong number of stamps onto the package, then the parcels are likely to be returned into your mailbox. At that time, you waste both time and money!
A Brief on Large Envelopes
Depending on specific mailing items, for example, letters, documents, invitations, or booklets, you might need different envelopes. The chosen sizes and weight will directly affect the cost of mailing; therefore, the number of stamps.
Therefore, knowing how many stamps to place on the envelope not only saves the cost of postage, but it also ensures that the parcels or letters are sent to the right destination.
As you search for “how many stamps do I need on a large envelope?” and end up here, you might be confused with the large envelopes.
Here is some information you need to know.
Dimensions
Large envelopes, so-called “flats” by many postal services, are often greater than 6-1/8 inches high x 11-½ inches long x ¼ inch thick and less than 12 inches high x 15 inches long x ¾ inch thick. These envelopes are used for sheaves of photos or papers that cannot be folded.
The standard large envelopes are often 9’’x12’’.
USPS large envelope rates
The cost of mailing large envelopes varies from countries to countries, and from postage providers to postage providers, in which the US Postal Service (USPS) is the most commonly used.
Recently, USPS has increased rates of its services in 2019 and also estimated for 2020. Here, we bolded in the font for the Flat Envelope rates.
| Flat Rate Envelopes | 2019 Postage Rates |
| Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope | $25.50 |
| Priority Mail Express Padded Flat Rate Envelope | $26.20 |
| Priority Mail Express Legal Flat Rate Envelope | $25.70 |
| Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope | $7.35 |
| Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope | $8.00 |
| Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope | $7.65 |
*Notes: It is the best practice of USPS that large envelopes are flexible and sortable by machine. Otherwise, the shipping rate is extra-surcharged.
How Many Stamps Do I Need on A Large Envelope?
As I mentioned above, stamps are considered a way of paying for the postage fees. Thus, to figure out how many stamps you should place on a large envelope, you must know what you are mailing and how much does it cost.
The USPS table of rates will help, plus with some calculations, as follows:
Take 9’’x12’’ envelopes, for example:
For the first ounce of such envelopes, you need two first-class postage stamps. And, each additional ounce will require one more stamp. Interesting enough, USPS has issued forever stamps as an alternative of first-class postage. These stamps neither expire nor decline in value. Instead, they are always valued at the price of first-class postage in the current time of use.
However, 9-by-12 envelopes, which are thicker than ¾ inch, need package-rate postage rather than the first-class one.
Two Ways to Calculate The Number of Stamps
Online postage calculator
The postage rates change once in a while. Thankfully, you do not need to remember all of those complicated. For people in the U.S, USPS provides a helpful online postage calculator. All to do is to input information on the large envelopes and wait some seconds to get the estimated fees.
Then, divide the postage fee by the price of stamps you have at hand. For example, the price of postage is $2.32, and you have some forever stamps of $0.50.
2.32/0.50 = 4.64
The round-up result is five. In other words, you need to place five forever stamps on your envelope.
Going to Post Office
If you are not very busy, you should head for the nearest post office and have them calculate the cost of postage for you, as well as apply the stamps.
To save time, please take care of stuff inside the envelope, seal, and address them beforehand.
Have staff at the post offices weigh and calculate the correct postage. They will also recheck information such as the postal code, the destination, and shipping class to ensure that your envelope is destined correctly and timely.
Since you are at the post office, you can pay the postage on cash or by credit card. Otherwise, you should buy some at the post office and require the staff to affix the stamps for you.
It’s Time to Send Your Envelopes!
Now you have already had all the information to answer “how many stamps do I need on a large envelope?” If you have valid stamps at home, affix the right number of stamps onto the envelope and place it on your mailbox. If you do not have any stamps at hand, you can buy some – online or at the post offices at the convenience.
