How Much Does It Cost to Send a Letter? (Price Guide)

Sending a letter looks simple until you have to decide how much postage to put on it. The price depends on weight, the size and shape of the envelope, where it is going, and whether you want proof of delivery. Most people only need one stamp, but a thick letter or a special service can change the answer.

The prices below come from the USPS Notice 123 price list, effective October 4, 2026. We last checked them on Oct 14, 2026. USPS changes mail prices on a schedule, so look for a newer notice if you are reading this later.

A domestic letter in a standard envelope costs $0.82 for the first ounce when you buy stamps. Each added ounce raises the price. Metered postage, which is printed by a postage meter or an online postage service, costs a little less for the same weight.

To know which row applies, weigh the finished envelope. Two or three sheets of ordinary paper and a standard envelope are usually light. A greeting card with a thick insert, a check plus several pages, or an envelope with padding can exceed one ounce quickly. A kitchen scale or a postal scale takes the guesswork out.

1. Put the contents in an envelope and seal it.
2. Write the delivery address in the center and your return address in the upper left corner.
3. Weigh the envelope if it feels heavy.
4. Attach enough stamps to cover the postage for that weight.
5. Drop it in a blue collection box, leave it for your carrier, or hand it to a clerk at the Post Office.

If you are not sure what the postage should be, a clerk can weigh the letter and sell you the right stamps. Self-service kiosks at Post Offices can also print postage.

Letters are not the only common shape. A postcard has its own lower price, and a large envelope, which the Postal Service calls a flat, costs more than a letter of the same weight. If the envelope is square, rigid, lumpy, or closed with a clasp, USPS can add a nonmachinable surcharge.

An international letter has a separate price from domestic mail. A one-ounce letter abroad costs $1.75, and the price rises with weight. Letters to some countries cost more than letters to others, so check the country listing before you buy postage.

Some letters need more than delivery. USPS sells extra services you can add for a fee, all charged on top of postage.

Certified Mail gives you a mailing receipt and a record of delivery, and it costs $5.55 plus postage. A Certificate of Mailing, at $2.45, only proves you mailed something on a specific date and says nothing about delivery. An electronic return receipt, which shows who signed for the letter, costs $2.91. These are common choices for legal notices, tax correspondence, and other letters where you may need to show what you sent and when.

A letter that arrives with insufficient postage may be returned to the sender or delivered with the recipient asked to pay the difference. Either outcome delays the letter, and some recipients refuse to pay. Adding the right postage up front avoids both problems.

If you have a few stamps with odd values, you can combine them to reach the total. The exact combination does not matter as long as the total meets the rate.

Postcards cost less than letters, so a short message can go on a card instead of in an envelope. Metered postage is cheaper than stamps for the same one-ounce letter, though it requires a meter or an online postage account. Bulk mailing options exist for large runs of identical letters, but they carry volume and preparation rules.

Skipping extra services also keeps costs down, since most routine letters travel fine with just a stamp.