Current USPS First-Class Mail rates took effect July 12, 2026. A 1 oz stamped letter is $0.82, a 1 oz metered letter is $0.78, a stamped postcard is $0.65, and a 1 oz large envelope or flat is $1.69.
Use this guide when you need the practical retail rates people look up most often: stamped letters, metered letters, postcards, and large envelopes/flats. For the full service table across USPS classes, compare the same facts on the USPS rates page.
Current First-Class Mail rate snapshot#
Current prices for mail accepted by USPS on or after July 12, 2026:
- 1 oz stamped letter — $0.82. USPS's standard retail price for a one-ounce letter sent with a counter stamp or a Forever stamp. Use it for everyday single letters — a check, a signed form, a note — whenever you buy stamps one at a time.
- 1 oz metered letter — $0.78. The discounted price USPS gives when postage is printed by a postage meter or an online postage account instead of a stamp. It runs a few cents under retail, so it is worth it for offices, mailrooms, and online postage workflows; skip it if you only buy stamps at the counter.
- Stamped postcard — $0.65. A separate, cheaper First-Class category for cards within USPS postcard size limits. Pick it for reminders, save-the-dates, and short notices — it is the least expensive way to send something First-Class. Go over the size limit and USPS re-rates the piece as a letter.
- Large envelope / flat, 1 oz — $1.69. USPS's "flat" price for envelopes too big to be a letter, such as a 9 x 12, or too thick or rigid to run through letter machines. Choose it for documents you do not want to fold — contracts, certificates, booklets. Do not price a 9 x 12 as a letter just because it is light; USPS rates by shape, not weight alone.
These rates apply to mail accepted by USPS on or after July 12, 2026. If USPS changes prices again, use the rate in effect on the USPS acceptance date.
Stamped letter rates by weight#
A standard retail letter starts with the 1 oz stamped price. Heavier stamped letters add the USPS additional-ounce charge to the 1 oz amount, and letters are capped by USPS letter-shape limits before they become flats or packages.
For the common 1 oz stamped letter, use the current $0.82 rate. If your letter weighs more than 1 oz, weigh the finished envelope and calculate the added-ounce postage from the current USPS rate table before mailing.
Letters that are square, rigid, unusually shaped, or otherwise nonmachinable can also need the USPS nonmachinable surcharge. If your piece is not a normal machinable envelope, price it as a real mailpiece before buying postage.
Metered letter rates for business mail#
Metered First-Class Mail remains cheaper than stamped retail mail: $0.78 versus $0.82 for a 1 oz letter.
- 1 oz metered letter: $0.78
Metered prices usually matter for offices, mailrooms, and online postage workflows. If you only buy stamps at the counter, use the stamped column instead.
Postcards and flats#
Postcards and flats are separate First-Class categories. Do not price a postcard as a letter just because it is small, and do not price a 9 x 12 envelope as a letter just because it is light.
- Stamped postcard: $0.65.
- Large envelope / flat, 1 oz: $1.69.
Large envelopes and flats are used for documents that cannot fold into a standard letter envelope, but they still have size, shape, flexibility, and weight rules. If a flat becomes too rigid or too thick, USPS can rate it differently.
How to choose the right First-Class rate#
- Identify the mailpiece shape: letter, postcard, or flat.
- Weigh the finished piece after printing, inserting, and sealing.
- Use the current USPS rate for the mailpiece on its acceptance date.
- Add any surcharge or service fee that applies to your mailpiece.
For Certified Mail, do not use these postage rows alone. Certified Mail adds a service fee on top of First-Class postage; see the Certified Mail cost guide for the total.
First-Class Mail rates for online letters#
Postmarkr sends standard First-Class letters online. You upload a PDF, Postmarkr prints it, addresses it, and mails it without a post-office trip. USPS postage is only one component of the final Postmarkr price; printing, envelopes, address handling, and mailing workflow are bundled separately.
Use this page for USPS postage facts. Use Postmarkr pricing when you need the total price to send a letter through Postmarkr.
Source and verification note#
These current rates took effect July 12, 2026 and are sourced from the USPS July 2026 Notice 123 price files.