Non-Machinable Stamps: The Basics
Being in the postage industry, and specializing in vintage postage, we often deal with non-machinable stamps, and we know many people have a lot of questions about them. As experts in all things postage and mailing, we are always looking to share our knowledge to make your life easier, so we put together this post to answer all your questions about non-machinable postage!
Also, if you’re looking for some incredible vintage postage, you should see our shop! We also offercuration servicesso you don’t have to stress over surcharges and postage fees - we’ll put everything together for you!
What is a Non-Machinable Stamp?
A non-machinable stamp is a type of postage stamp that is designed for letters that are “non-machinable”. Non-machinable mails are letters that are not able to be processed by postal machines. These letters may be irregular in size or shape, or they may be too thick, rigid, or have unusual contents. Given that non-machinable mail has to be hand processed, USPS requires extra postage to take this extra work into account.
When Should You Use Non-Machinable Stamps?
You should use non-machinable stamps when you are sending a letter that is too large, too thick, too heavy, or too rigid to be processed by postal machines. Some examples of items that require that you pay the non-machinable surcharge include:
Square envelopes (under 6 1/8” x 6 1/8” in size)
Envelopes that are too rigid or have clasps, buttons, or other non-paper closures (or a wax seal on them)
Irregularly shaped envelopes
Envelopes with contents that can be damaged by postal machines, such as books or CDs
How much is the non-machinable surcharge?
The pricing breakdown of postage, including the cost for non-machinable stamps, from one of our previous blog posts
As of April 2023, the cost of the non-machinable surcharge is 40 cents. So if you are sending out a letter that weighs one ounce, USPS will require $1.03 (it’s the 63 cent postage rate for a 1 ounce letter plus the 40 cents for the non-machinable surcharge). Note that although postage rates are increasing in July, 2023, the nonmachinable surcharge is keeping the 40-cent rate from January, 2023.
How Much Do Non-Machinable Stamps Cost?
As of April 2023, the cost of non-machinable stamps for domestic first-class mail that weighs under one ounce is $1.03. If your letter weighs over 1 ounce and is non-machinable, you will need more postage beyond the amount covered by a non-machinable stamp.
For international non-machinable items, the cost varies based on the destination and weight of the item.
How do I know if a stamp covers the “non-machinable” surcharge?
Non-machinable stamps are larger than regular stamps and feature a specific design to indicate that they are intended for non-machinable items. They usually say “non-machinable” instead of “forever” to indicate that they are worth enough in postage to cover the 1 ounce standard letter rate plus the non-machinable surcharge.
Conclusion
Non-machinable stamps are a special type of postage stamp used for letters that cannot be processed by postal machines, and these stamps come with a specific surcharge due to the process they go through at USPS. Although it can be a lot to keep up with, at Little Postage House we offer postage curation services to help take the stress out of the mailing process while giving you some incredible options to use unique postage to tell your story. See our curation services or shop our whole collection of vintage postage below!
