What Are Non-Machinable Stamps?
What Are Non-Machinable Stamps? (Meaning, Value + More)
USPS mail sorting systems are an important part of its efficiency. The machines can process up to 36,000 pieces a hour of mail! These machines work well when mail is of standard size. But what happens if that isn’t the case?
Mailpieces not fitting into the machines should be hand-canceled. It takes longer than expected, so it is more tedious.
What are Non-Machinable Stamps and How Do They Work?
USPS does not issue non-Machinable stamps. These stamps cover first-class domestic mailpieces and do not meet specified sizing criteria. You can find Non-Machinable products in square greeting cards or rigid letters. They are not compatible with sorting machines, so you will need to hand cancel them.
What is Non-Machinable mail?
It’s important to know the basics of Non-Machinable Mail before we can get into how Non-Machinable Stamps work.
Simply put, non-machinable mail refers to mail pieces that USPS cannot sort because of their irregular shape or size.
It is the most used form of greeting cards. USPS considers an ordinary-sized letter:
Maximum 3 1/2 inches high, 5 inches long and 0.007 inches thick.
Maximum 6 1/8 inch high, 11 1/2 inches in length and 1/4 inches thick.
Let’s face it, letters which don’t fit these criteria can be slowed down or jammed by machines.
USPS employees hand-cancel stamps and remove unstandard-sized mail to avoid problems.
Not surprisingly, hand sorting takes longer than machine sorting. USPS charges a surcharge for non-standard mail sizes.
What’s the Non-Machinable Surcharge on First-Class Mail
Like the previous paragraph, mailpieces of unusual size or shape must be handled outside the automated standard mail process.
In most cases, they’re hand-sorted by USPS employees, making them more expensive to process, hence the surcharge.
USPS also adds a Non Machinable surcharge onto First-Class mail with the following criteria
Current Non-Machinable surcharge: $0.30
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What Does a Non-Machinable Stamp Cost?
At the moment, non-machinable stamps are $0.88. This makes them $0.30 less expensive than regular-sized First Class letters.
Can Non-Machinable Stamps Be Used As Permanent Stamps
Stamps bearing the “Non-Machinable Sucharge” on the back will remain valid as long as they are in use.
That is, even if USPS prices rise tomorrow and you purchase Non-Machinable stamps now, you will still be able use stamps purchased today.
Are Non-Machinable stamps allowed on regular mail?
Technically speaking, yes, you can use Non-Machinable stamps for regular mail.
That said, Non-Machinable stamps cover the First-Class postage rate for a one-ounce letter plus whatever the current Non-Machinable surcharge is.
You don’t have to pay the surcharge if you are sending a standard-sized letter. Therefore, if you use a Non-Machinable stamp on your letter, you’ll be overpaying for no reason.
You can use 2 Forever stamps if you don’t own a Non-Machinable stamp
For the Non Machinable surcharge you can have two Forever Stamps. Forever Stamps now cost $0.58. That’s $1.16 of postage if you add them all together.
Additionally, non-machinable stamps are $0.88. Therefore, two Forever Stamps is more than enough postage to cover the surcharge.
Although you can buy multiple Forever Stamps rather than one Non-Machinable Stamp, this will mean that you’ll end up paying more postage.
A Non-Machinable stamp makes financial sense if one is available.
Where Can I Buy Non-Machinable Stamps?
Buy Non-Machinable Stamps from your Post Office, at the USPS site, or call 1-800-STAMP-24 (1-808-782-6724).
Individual stamps can be purchased if bought in-person. You will need to purchase a sheet 20 if buying non-Machinable stamps over the internet or by phone.
How Much Are Non-Machinable Stamps?
These Non-Machinable stamped are available at 0.88 each. Prices include $0.58 First-Class stamp postage fee, and $0.30 non-Machinable surcharge.
In comparison, a sheet of 20 Non-Machinable stamps retails for $17.60.
What do Non-Machinable Stamps Look like?
Butterfly stamps are also known as non-Machinable Stamps. They all have butterflies.
That said, this decision resulted from a 2010 collaboration between USPS and the Greeting Card Association.
The organizations wanted to provide information to consumers about whether or not they are paying enough for postage to their irregularly-shaped, heavier mail.
The USPS also agreed to include butterflies on its non-machinable stamps. Meanwhile, greeting card companies began printing an icon of a butterfly on any cards that required a non-machinable stamp.
Currently, USPS features two butterfly stamps; one features the California Dogface butterfly, the other the Colorado Hairstreak butterfly.
The stamps have the butterflies image in addition to “USA,” the “Non Machinable Surcharge”, and the year they were released.
We have posts that explain what military stamps are, how priority mail stamps work, and what semi-postal marks are.
USPS non-machinable stamps can be used to send funky wedding invites or birthday cards.
What is the cost of non-machinable postal mail?
A nonmachinable mailpiece is a mailpiece that must be sorted outside of the standard, automated mail process. They are more costly to process so a surcharge will be applied.
How Much Does a Butterfly Stamp Non-Machinable Worth?
December 31, 2009
How Many Ounces Is A Non-Machinable Stamp Good For?
2-ounces
How much is The Butterfly Stamp worth in 2021
An extra ounce of silver will cost 20 cents. An additional surcharge will apply to non-standard square-shaped card designs. It will go up from 20 to $30. Therefore, the Butterfly Stamp’s price will go up to 88 cents. Jun 1, 2021
.What Are Non-Machinable Stamps? (Meaning, Value + More)
