How Much Is a Postcard Stamp? 65 Cents as of July 2026
A US postcard stamp costs $0.65. That rate took effect July 12, 2026, up from $0.61, and one stamp mails one standard postcard anywhere in the United States. The catch: your card only gets that rate if it measures no more than 4.25 x 6 inches. Bigger than that — including every 5x7 — and USPS charges the $0.82 letter rate instead.
Rates here come from USPS Notice 123 and the USPS price announcement of April 9, 2026, checked July 27, 2026. USPS pre-announces changes — re-check Notice 123 if you're reading this after the next increase.
What does a stamp cost in 2026?
Every current First-Class retail rate, so you can find the one you need without hunting:
| What you're mailing | 2026 rate |
|---|---|
| Standard postcard (up to 4.25 x 6 in) | $0.65 |
| First-Class letter, 1 oz | $0.82 |
| Each additional ounce | +$0.29 |
| Square or rigid envelope | $0.82 + $0.49 surcharge = $1.31 |
| International postcard or 1 oz letter, any country | $1.75 |
One stamp covers one standard postcard, and there is no scenario where a normal postcard needs two. If you only have Forever stamps, one works — it's worth $0.82, which more than covers $0.65, and USPS keeps the difference. Fine for a holiday card; on 50 postcards it throws away $8.50.
Never put two stamps on a standard postcard. Two Forever stamps is $1.64 of postage on a 65-cent item; even two postcard stamps is $1.30.
For anything that isn't a plain postcard — a 5x7 in an envelope, a square invitation, a card heavy enough to tip into a second ounce — the arithmetic changes by format, and our stamp calculator works out the exact postage and stamp count for each at current rates.
What size does a postcard have to be for the postcard rate?
Between 3.5 x 5 and 4.25 x 6 inches, and 0.007 to 0.016 inches thick. USPS also requires the card be rectangular, with four square corners and parallel opposite sides (DMM 101, which carries the retail size and shape rules). Miss any one of those and the card mails as a First-Class letter at $0.82.
The most common miss by far is size: a 5x7 card is not a postcard as far as USPS is concerned. It's the default size for wedding and photo cards, it looks like a postcard, and it mails at the letter rate.
Thickness fails at both ends, differently. Card stock thinner than 0.007 inches — ordinary printer paper is around 0.004 — isn't mailable at all, at any rate, which is why you can't cut up a sheet and stamp it. Thicker than 0.016 and it simply loses the postcard rate and mails as a letter.
A square card can never qualify, at any size — nothing satisfies "at least 5 inches long" and "no more than 4.25 inches high" at once. Squares 5 inches or larger are also nonmachinable, so they carry the $0.49 surcharge on top of the letter rate: $1.31 all in, more than double a postcard. Smaller than 5 inches on a side and a bare square isn't mailable — it needs an envelope.
Why was my postcard charged the letter rate?
Almost always size. A card taller than 4.25 inches or longer than 6 inches is not a postcard as far as USPS is concerned, whatever the packaging says. Four things push a card out of the postcard rate:
- It's too big. 5x7, A6, and most "oversized postcard" formats sold for marketing exceed 4.25 x 6 inches. Letter rate, $0.82.
- It's too thick. Over 0.016 inches it mails as a letter. (Under 0.007 it isn't mailable at all — see above.)
- It's square. Nonmachinable, so $0.82 + $0.49 = $1.31.
- Something's attached. Anything that makes the card rigid, lumpy, or uneven pushes it into nonmachinable territory.
If you're designing a card and want the cheap rate, 4x6 is the safe default: comfortably inside the maximum on both dimensions with room for trim variance.
Do old postcard stamps still work?
Yes — postcard stamps you already own are still good. USPS now issues them the same way it issues Forever stamps: with no printed cents figure, valid for whatever the postcard rate is when you use them. A postcard stamp bought at $0.61 in June still mails a postcard at $0.65 today, with nothing added.
The exception is older denominated stamps — the ones printed with an actual number like 34¢. Those are worth exactly their printed value, so you top up to $0.65 with make-up postage.
Worth knowing given how many pages get this wrong: the rate has moved twice recently. It was $0.56 until July 12, 2025, $0.61 until July 11, 2026, and $0.65 since July 12, 2026. USPS has raised prices each July for several years running, so expect the next change around July 2027.
How much does it cost to mail a postcard internationally?
$1.75, to any country. International postcards don't use the $0.65 domestic rate — they take a Global Forever stamp, which covers a postcard or a 1 oz letter to every destination at the same flat price. There is no cheaper international postcard rate and no per-country table to look up.
Global Forever stamps work like domestic Forever stamps: they never expire and are always worth the current international rate, so ones bought before the July increase still mail a card today.
Is it cheaper to mail a postcard or a card in an envelope?
A postcard, on both counts. You save 17 cents of postage ($0.65 against $0.82) and you skip the envelope entirely. On a 50-card batch that's $8.50 in postage plus whatever the envelopes cost.
That's not the whole picture on what a stack of cards costs, though — the card itself ranges from about $0.16 out of a boxed set to well over a dollar for a photo card, which is a far bigger swing than 17 cents. We put real numbers on the full comparison, DIY against every mail-it-for-you service, in the cheapest way to mail thank-you cards.
Postcard stamp FAQ
How much is a postcard stamp right now?
A US postcard stamp costs $0.65. That rate took effect July 12, 2026, up from the $0.61 that had been in place since July 13, 2025. It is 17 cents cheaper than the $0.82 First-Class letter rate.
Do my old 61-cent postcard stamps still work?
Yes. Current USPS postcard stamps carry no printed cents figure and stay valid for the current postcard rate, the same way Forever stamps do. A postcard stamp bought at $0.61 still mails a postcard today with nothing added. Only older denominated stamps — the ones printed with a number like 34¢ — need make-up postage.
Can I put a Forever stamp on a postcard?
Yes. A Forever stamp is worth $0.82 and always covers a $0.65 postcard. USPS does not refund the 17-cent difference, so on 50 postcards you throw away $8.50. Buy actual postcard stamps if you're mailing more than a handful.
Why do other sites say a postcard stamp is 56 or 61 cents?
Because they haven't been updated. 56 cents was correct until July 12, 2025, and 61 cents until July 11, 2026. Several widely-cited postage pages still show one of those, sometimes under a recent "updated" date. Check the figure against USPS Notice 123 before trusting any page, including this one.
Where do I buy postcard stamps?
USPS sells them directly at store.usps.com — sold in panes and coils at the current rate. Post office counters carry them too, though branches sometimes only stock Forever stamps and will sell you those instead.
If the reason you're pricing postcard stamps is a stack of thank-yous, there's a version of this where you buy no stamps at all: ShipNote prints, addresses, stamps, and mails each card for $1.99 at 10 or more — postage included, correct rate applied, usually in the mail the next business day.
Ready to mail your thank-yous?
First batch ships next business day. From $1.99 per card. No subscription.
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