Greeting card postage
Most greeting cards mail at the ordinary letter rate — one Permanent™ stamp within Canada. The exceptions are square, thick, or stuffed cards, and they catch people every December. Check yours below.
The three traps
Square cards. A square envelope doesn't fit the standard size rules, so it prices as oversize (non-standard) — from $2.61 within Canada instead of $1.24, no matter how light it is. The card companies don't print that on the box.
Thick or rigid cards. Standard mail can be at most 5 mm thick. A card with a badge, a thick embellishment, or a gift card making one corner bulge past 5 mm prices as oversize. Measure the thickest point, not the average.
Heavy cards. A plain card with its envelope runs 15–25 g — safely under 30 g. Add a gift card (+5 g), a photo or two, and a long letter, and 30–50 g ($1.75) is easy to reach. Over 50 g in a standard envelope prices as oversize automatically.
Quick answers
How much is a Christmas card to the USA?$1.75 for a standard card up to 30 g — one USA stamp, or any stamps totalling $1.75. Oversize or square: $4.29 up to 100 g.
Can I mail a card with a gift card inside?Yes, as a letter, if it stays within the size and thickness limits. The plastic card adds about 5 g and can create a rigid bulge — if the envelope exceeds 5 mm at that spot, it prices as oversize.
Do musical or battery cards cost more?Only if the weight or thickness pushes them into a higher band. Weigh the card in its envelope; the calculator above gives the exact band.
Not sure of the weight? The weight estimator builds it from the parts. Sending lots of cards at once — say, a business Christmas mailing — is exactly the case for checking first: one underpaid card in fifty comes back; fifty underpaid cards is a bad week.