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WALL STREET TALKS ABOUT POSTAGE FOR SQUARE ENVELOPES
Did anyone see today's Wall Street Journal? There is a rather lengthy artical that starts on the front page "Don't be Square at the Post Office--There's a Surcharge." It talks about the popularity of square cards and the frustration with the extra postage. It explains how postal sorting machines can not recognize where the address is on square card thus requiring extra handling.
Some retail card makers are creating oblong envelopes for square cards eleminating the need for extra postage. This looks like a creative opportunity for all of these imaginative SCS minds.
Did anyone see today's Wall Street Journal? There is a rather lengthy artical that starts on the front page "Don't be Square at the Post Office--There's a Surcharge." It talks about the popularity of square cards and the frustration with the extra postage. It explains how postal sorting machines can not recognize where the address is on square card thus requiring extra handling.
Some retail card makers are creating oblong envelopes for square cards eleminating the need for extra postage. This looks like a creative opportunity for all of these imaginative SCS minds.
Yeah. That should work?? Anything that gets away from the square/extra postage envelope. Stamp on it, dress it up, make it look like it belongs with the card instead of a misfit envelope. Or, what if you used a #9 or 10, taped pocket for the card in one side, cut a window somewhere on the other side, and taped in an acetate or vellum something--stamped image, short message. That could be fun. I wonder what the post office would think of that?
Julie, I love your idea, but I wanna send those awesome 5" square cards - more room for stamping on them! So is it an extra 17 cents??
__________________ ~ Susan - Celebrating 19 years as an SU demo! Grammy to Anna 15, Elizabeth 14, Nora 12, Abigail 12, Kendall 10 , Isaac 10, Evan 7, and Hudson 3 with me in my avatar Proud to be SCS Fan Club Member since the beginning!
Julie, I love your idea, but I wanna send those awesome 5" square cards - more room for stamping on them! So is it an extra 17 cents??
Susan - you can buy greeting card envelopes (I think I got mine at Wal-Mart, but it might have been Office Max) that are 5-3/4" x 8-3/4" and do the same thing as Julie and still not have to pay the extra 17 cents. I've double-checked these against the postal regulations and they are within the height/weight/aspect ratio that qualifies for the 41 cent stamp; a 5" square card (or even 5-1/2", from an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock) would fit just fine.
What else is the post office going to nickel and dime us for? That is crazy!
I know everyone is in an uproar about this, but there's been an extra charge to mail square cards for quite some time now. I have a rate sheet from July of 2002 (why I keep these things, I do not know) that shows a non-machineable surcharge for square letters. So it's been part of their rate schedule for at least 5 years already. I think it's just that square cards have exploded in popularity recently so folks are noticing it more.
Susan - you can buy greeting card envelopes (I think I got mine at Wal-Mart, but it might have been Office Max) that are 5-3/4" x 8-3/4" and do the same thing as Julie and still not have to pay the extra 17 cents. I've double-checked these against the postal regulations and they are within the height/weight/aspect ratio that qualifies for the 41 cent stamp; a 5" square card (or even 5-1/2", from an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock) would fit just fine.
Tne Nov 6 entry on my blog has links to the pages on the USPS site with the size regulations (rates & standards in USPS speak), and a template to use for measuring envy thickness.
Tne Nov 6 entry on my blog has links to the pages on the USPS site with the size regulations (rates & standards in USPS speak), and a template to use for measuring envy thickness.
Tne Nov 6 entry on my blog has links to the pages on the USPS site with the size regulations (rates & standards in USPS speak), and a template to use for measuring envy thickness.
Here's the direct link to my blog entry with a picture and instructions for making the template, in addition to links to the USPS pages and another site with mailing info.
Julie, thanks so much for the tutorial on how to make a square card fit snug in a normal envy - brilliant!
Regarding the template for checking your card to see if it meets postal regulations. Instead of making a template, go to the post office and ask for one of their official templates. There is no charge for this, though they will no doubt have to order one in for you and it will require you to stop back in to pick it up. It is worth the fuss in my opinion - it has all the lines with measurements marked right on the template, as well as the slot that the envy need to fit through to qualify for normal postage. It is well worth the extra effort to get this official post office template - you will find yourself using it a lot once you have it!
How kewl is that?!? You rock, Nancy!! Thanks so much for the idea and info! :mrgreen:
Quote:
Originally Posted by craftdesigns
Here's the direct link to my blog entry with a picture and instructions for making the template, in addition to links to the USPS pages and another site with mailing info.
I know everyone is in an uproar about this, but there's been an extra charge to mail square cards for quite some time now. I have a rate sheet from July of 2002 (why I keep these things, I do not know) that shows a non-machineable surcharge for square letters. So it's been part of their rate schedule for at least 5 years already. I think it's just that square cards have exploded in popularity recently so folks are noticing it more.
It definitely goes back farther than that. I worked in stationery stores from 1996-1999, and there was a square envelope surcharge even back then.
Funny that it took creative types so long to find a way around it!
WALL STREET TALKS ABOUT POSTAGE FOR SQUARE ENVELOPES
