Minted’s Guide to Holiday Card Postage Rates for 2026

Save yourself a trip back to the post office by understanding the 2026 postage rates. The 2026 Forever Stamp price is $0.82 for standard one-ounce letters. As your card gets heavier, postage increases:

• 1-2 ounces: $1.11
• 2-3 ounces: $1.40
• 3-3.5 ounces (maximum letter weight): $1.69

Postcards, which skip an envelope entirely, are less expensive, requiring $0.65 cents worth of postage for standard size. Larger, letter-sized postcards mail at standard letter rates ($0.82).

Cards that require hand-processing receive an additional $0.49 surcharge on top of the base rate (the surcharge amount did not change along with the Forever Stamp price increase earlier this year). This means even a lightweight square card starts at $1.31 total ($0.82 + $0.49). We’ll dive deeper into non-machinable cards in the next section, but for now, know that the surcharge applies to:

• Square cards
• Rigid embellishments like wax seals
• Cards that are too thick or lumpy for machine sorting

Cards that can’t go through USPS sorting machines are classified as non-machinable mail because they require hand-processing by postal workers. Below are the most common reasons why a card is non-machinable.

• Square shape. Any square-shaped card needs special handling because of its shape, regardless of size or weight. Additionally, unusually sized or shaped envelopes (oval envelopes, for example) require hand-processing.
• Rigidity. Any paper type or embellishment (such as a wax seal) that makes your card too thick to bend around an 11-inch cylinder will cause your card to be classified as non-machineable.
• Uneven thickness. Cards wrapped with ribbons, wax seals, or that include a small object inside of them that can cause lumps need to be processed by hand.
• Closures. Any closure device that creates an uneven surface, such as wax seals, buttons, clasps, strings, etc., can’t be processed by USPS’s machines.

The non-machinable designation means that each card costs an extra $0.49 to mail. According to current USPS rates, a 1-ounce non-machinable card costs $1.31 to mail. So, if you're choosing cards with wax seals or square shapes, budget for the extra $0.49 per card. Check your postage requirements before ordering stamps in bulk to avoid surprises at the post office.

Planning your holiday card budget just got easier with this holiday card postage chart. No more guessing at the post office or dealing with returned mail.

Quick Budget Tips:

• Choose rectangular cards (5x7, Tall, or Petite) for standard postage rates.
• Square cards automatically add $0.49 extra due to hand-processing requirements.
• Budget an extra $0.49 per card when selecting square designs or special embellishments.
• Budget an extra $0.49 per card if using an all-script addressing font.

Classic 5x7 cards remain the most popular choice for holiday greetings. They're elegant, budget-friendly, and require just a single Forever Stamp at $0.82. Rectangular designs fit through postal sorting machines, so you'll never pay non-machinable surcharges.

Paper thickness is the only factor that affects your postage costs:

• Signature paper: $0.82 (under 1 oz)
• Double thick: $1.11 (1-2 oz)
• Triple thick: $1.40 (2-3 oz)

All rectangular formats — including classic 5x7 cards , compact petite 4.25x6 cards, and tall 4x8.25 designs — avoid the $0.49 surcharge that square cards require.

Square cards look stunning, but they come with a postage reality check. USPS treats all square mail as non-machinable, which means even lightweight cards need $1.31 in postage ($0.82 base + $0.49 surcharge).

This applies to all square sizes, whether you choose 5.25" or 6" designs, as well as our Ornament cards, which ship in square envelopes. The shape alone triggers the surcharge, regardless of weight.

Budget accordingly: Factor in an extra $0.49 per card compared to rectangular options when calculating your total mailing costs.

Because our Photo Mount™ cards include a hand-mounted photograph, they tend to be slightly heavier than our classic cards. Photo Mount™ cards printed on our Premium 100% Recycled paper or luxe DoubleThick paper weigh in at just over an ounce, requiring $1.11 in postage.

If you’ve chosen a standard rectangular shape, you won’t need to worry about paying the non-machineable surcharge for our Photo Mount™ cards. That said, if you’ve fallen in love with a square Photo Mount™ card, the surcharge will bump your total postage to $1.60.

Wax seals and ribbons make your cards non-machinable, adding the $0.49 surcharge. An A7 card with a wax seal requires $1.31 to $1.60, depending on total weight. For square cards with ribbons, you'll pay the standard $1.31. (The ribbon doesn't add extra cost since the square shape already requires hand-processing.)

Weight vs. Shape Surcharges

Some embellishments affect postage through weight rather than shape. Envelope liners add minimal weight and won't trigger surcharges on their own. TripleThick cardstock, however, can push rectangular cards into higher weight tiers — from $0.82 to $1.11, or even up to $1.40 if you’ve paired a TripleThick card with an accessory like an envelope liner.

Before ordering embellished cards, weigh the visual impact against the additional postage costs to see if that elegant finishing touch fits your budget.

Keep in mind that the mail-by dates we’ve outlined above are when your completed and addressed holiday cards should be mailed out to your recipients. That means you need to have ordered your holiday cards with plenty of time to assemble and address them!

At Minted, our holiday cards typically take about 5 days to be mailed to you once your design is finalized and production is complete. We recommend placing your orders no later than the first week of December to ensure your cards arrive with plenty of time for you to get them mailed out to your recipient list. As the holidays approach, we’ll update this page with our ordering cutoff dates.

Understanding postage requirements means your cards actually reach the people you care about. No returned mail, no post office surprises. Whether you choose rectangles that need just a Forever stamp, squares requiring $1.31, or Photo Mount™ cards requiring $1.40, planning your postage budget and mail-by timeline makes sending holiday cards stress-free.

Armed with this information, you can choose cards that fit your budget and style. Check USPS deadlines for your mailing timeline, and send your Minted holiday cards with confidence.

A 5x7 holiday card printed on standard-weight paper should not require any additional postage outside of a Forever Stamp. If you’ve opted to print your card on a heavyweight cardstock like Minted's DoubleThick or TripleThick, expect to pay $1.11 and $1.40, respectively.

A standard 5x7 greeting card should only require one Forever Stamp, currently priced at $0.82 per stamp. If you’ve personalized your greeting card with accessories like ribbons or wax seals, you’ll also need to pay the non-machinable surcharge, which is $0.49 per card.

USPS shipping cutoff for December 25 delivery is December 17, 2026. That said, we recommend aiming to get your Christmas cards in the mail before the week of December 14 to ensure they arrive on time.

Yes, because our Photo Mount ™ cards are slightly heavier than a standard card, they require extra postage. Expect to pay $1.40 to ship each card.