Postage for Heavy Invitations
Each ounce after the first adds $0.29: $1.11 at 2 oz, $1.40 at 3 oz, $1.69 up to 3.5 oz. Past 3.5 oz an invitation is priced as a large envelope, from $2.56.
Your answer
Large envelope (flat)
Costs more than a letterPriced as a large envelope, which costs more than a letter.
- Postage per piece
- $2.56
- 100 invitations
- $256.00
Stamps for each one
1 × Three-Ounce + 4 × Additional Ounce
Why
- At 3.6 oz this is over the 3.5 oz letter limit, so it pays the large envelope (flat) price. USPS rule
Save money: You are 0.1 oz over 3.5 oz. Trim that much weight and save $87.00 on 100 pieces.
Rates last verified on
100 invitations: $256.00 in postage ($2.56 each, large envelope (flat))
Ounces are steps, not a slope
USPS rounds every fraction of an ounce up. An invitation at 1.01 oz pays the 2 oz price, and one at 2.9 oz pays the 3 oz price. There is no credit for being barely over.
That makes the lines at 1, 2 and 3 oz worth knowing. If a finished suite weighs 2.1 oz, shaving a tenth of an ounce saves $0.29 on every piece, or $29.00 per 100. A lighter envelope liner, one fewer insert, or a thinner stock for the details card is often enough.
The cliff at 3.5 ounces
Letters stop at 3.5 oz. The step from 3 oz to 3.5 oz costs the usual $0.29. The step after that is different in kind: at 3.6 oz the invitation is priced as a large envelope, and the 4 oz large envelope price is $2.56. That is a jump of $0.87 per piece for a tenth of an ounce.
If you are anywhere near 3.5 oz, weigh several finished invitations, not one. Paper weight varies from sheet to sheet, and you want the heaviest of the batch under the line.
Heavy and rigid is the expensive combination
Once an invitation is priced as a large envelope it must be flexible and evenly thick. A heavy suite built on an acrylic card or a thick board is charged as a package instead. See rigid invitations.
The nonmachinable surcharge, by contrast, goes away above 3.5 oz. It applies only to letters.
What makes a suite heavy
In rough order of how much they add:
- Double-thick or duplexed card stock for the main invitation
- Pocket folds and folios
- An inner envelope, and liners in either envelope
- Extra insert cards: details, map, accommodation, weekend schedule
- The reply card and its stamped envelope
Compare the options
| Option | Mail class | Each | For 100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | Standard letter | $0.82 | $82.00 |
| 2.1 oz | Standard letter | $1.40 | $140.00 |
| 3 oz | Standard letter | $1.40 | $140.00 |
| 3.5 oz | Standard letter | $1.69 | $169.00 |
| 3.6 oz | Large envelope (flat) | $2.56 | $256.00 |
| 5 oz | Large envelope (flat) | $2.85 | $285.00 |
Questions and answers
How much does a 3 oz invitation cost to mail?
$1.40 as a standard letter, or $1.89 if it is also square, sealed with wax or otherwise nonmachinable.
What is the maximum weight for a letter?
3.5 oz, which costs $1.69. Heavier pieces pay large envelope prices, starting at $2.56 for 4 oz.
How many Forever stamps for a heavy invitation?
Forever stamps are worth $0.82 each. It is cheaper to use one Forever stamp plus Additional Ounce stamps at $0.29 each than to stack Forever stamps.
Is postage rounded up to the next ounce?
Yes. Any fraction of an ounce counts as a full ounce, so 2.1 oz is charged as 3 oz.