What Are Non-Machinable Stamps? (Meaning, Value + More)

USPS mail sorting systems are an important part of its efficiency. This machine can handle up to 36,000 pieces each hour. They work great when the mail is standard-sized, but what happens when that’s not the case?

Mailpieces which don’t work in machines must be hand-canceled. That takes extra time, which is not surprising.

What are non-machinable stamps?

USPS issued non-machinable stamps, which cover First-Class domestic mailpieces not conforming to specified dimensions. Some examples of non-Machinable goods include square greeting cards, stiff letters or letters containing keys or pens. These items are too large to fit in sorting machines so they must be hand cancelled.

What exactly is non-Machinable mailing?

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.

That said, square greeting cards are the most common example. The USPS also considers standard-sized letters to be:

A minimum of 3 1/2 inches in height x 5 inches in length x 0.007 inch thick

Please limit your height to 6 1/8 inches, 11 1/2 inch length and 1/4 inch thickness.

Therefore, letters not meeting these requirements can slow down or even jam machines.

To avoid any mechanical issues, USPS employees remove unusually-sized mail and hand-cancel the stamps.

No surprise, hand sorting takes much longer than machine kindling. USPS adds a surcharge on mail that does not conform to standard size mail, i.e. non-Machinable mail, because of this.

What Is the Non-Machinable Surcharge for First-Class Mail

Like the previous paragraph, mailpieces of unusual size or shape must be handled outside the automated standard mail process.

The surcharge is due to the fact that most of these cases are handsorted in part by USPS employees.

USPS does add a Non Machinable surcharge to First Class Mail when it receives any of the following:

At the moment, there is a $0.30 Non-Machinable Surcharge.

Forever USPS Postage Stamps (Sheet of 20) $13.75 If you are strapped for time, Amazon sells a wide variety of Firstclass and Forever USPS postage stamps. Certain orders can be shipped same day or next-day. Amazon, Buy Now

What is the cost of non-machinable stamps?

Currently, Non-Machinable stamps sell for $0.88, making them $0.30 more expensive than standard-sized First-Class letters.

Are Non-Machinable Stamps Forever Stamps?

Stamps with “Non Machinable Surcharge” printed on them, like Forever Stamps will continue to be valid regardless of the applicable Non-Machinable surcharge.

Also, regardless of whether you pay less for Non-Machinable Stamps than you did today, the stamps that you bought will still work.

How can I use non-machhinable stamps on regular mail

Technically speaking, yes, you can use Non-Machinable stamps for regular mail.

These stamps, however, are non-machinable and cover the First Class postage rate of a one-ounce letter as well as any Non-Machinable surcharge.

The surcharge is not required if the letter you send is standard-sized. If you choose to use Non-Machinable ink on your letters, it will be a waste of money.

Are There Two Forever Stamps I Can Use If I Do Not Have a Non-Machinable Stamp?

You can buy two Forever Stamps in order to pay the Non-Machinable surcharge. Forever Stamps are currently $0.58. This means that if you buy two of them together, it will cover $1.16 worth postage.

Additionally, non-machinable stamps are $0.88. Therefore, two Forever Stamps is more than enough postage to cover the surcharge.

You can still use several Forever Stamps, but you will be paying more for postage.

A Non-Machinable stamp makes financial sense if one is available.

Are there any non-machinable stamps I can buy?

There are many options to purchase Non-Machinable stamped at your Post Office.

You can buy stamps individually if you are buying them in person. For Non-Machinable stamps, online and over the telephone you must purchase 20 sheets.

What Are the Costs of Non-Machinable Stamps

Current Non-Machinable stamps can be purchased for $0.88. That price includes $0.58 First-Class fee and the $0.30 Non Machinable surcharge.

For comparison, the price of a single sheet with 20 Non-Machinable stamped is $17.60

What does a non-machinable stamp look like?

Because they feature butterflies, non-Machinable stamps can sometimes be called “butterfly stamps”.

This is despite the fact that this was a joint decision between USPS & Greeting Card Assocation in 2010.

Additionally, the organizations wanted consumers to be able to see if enough was being paid for heavier envelopes or those with irregular shapes.

Therefore, USPS agreed to feature butterflies on all of its Non-Machinable stamps, while greeting card companies started printing a butterfly icon on cards requiring a Non-Machinable stamp.

Two butterfly stamps are currently available from USPS. The first features the California Dogface butterflies, while the second features the Colorado Hairstreak.

Each stamp features the image of a butterfly, along with the words “USA”, Non-Machinable Surcharge and the date of release.

If you want to know more, you can also read our posts on what are military stamps, what are priority mail stamps, and what are semi-postal stamps.

Whether you’re sending a funky birthday card or a unique wedding invitation, USPS’ Non-Machinable stamps are there to help make sure your item gets to its destination safely for an affordable price.

Is non-machinable mail more expensive?

Non-machinable mailpieces are mail pieces that cannot be processed by standard automated mail processes. This mailpiece is subject to an additional charge because processing them can be more expensive.

What is a non-machinable stamp for butterflies worth?

Current non-machinable surcharge: 20 cents

Which Non-Machinable Stamps Are Worth How Much?

2-ounces

What Is the Value of the Butterfly Stamp in 2021

The price of an extra ounce will remain unchanged at 20 cents. A surcharge of 20-30 cents will be added for square-shaped non-standard cards. So, the Butterfly Stamps will be priced at 88 cents. June 1, 2020

.What Are Non-Machinable Stamps? (Meaning, Value + More)