There’s no need to stress if you’ve been looking for a dependable method of shipping and packing your items. Even though bubble mailers have been around for a while, they are still the best and safest way to send mail today. The number of stamps required for a bubble mailer is discussed in this article along with other useful details.
What’s a Bubble Mailer?
An envelope or mailing package with a waterproof and sticky interior is called a “bubble mailer.” Because of its style and protective attributes, a bubble mailer is used today for business, industry, and private purposes.
The cost of shipping used to be a concern for people whose mail needed extra protection. That isn’t the case anymore, though. There are inexpensive bubble mailers that are an excellent option for protecting the contents of your mail. To buy bubble mailer supplies, keep in mind that you should go to USPS online or to your local office. Supplies for bubble mailers are also available in shops that sell office supplies.
How Many Stamps for a Bubble Mailer?
In 2023, the size and weight of the envelope will determine how many stamps are required to send a bubble mailer through the USPS. Small and lightweight mailers might qualify for First-Class Letter postage or one Forever stamp. Those who don’t fit the criteria will need to pay extra postage.
Is a Bubble Mailer Considered a Flat?
Now let’s look at what USPS defines as a “Letter” and the dimensions it uses for flats.
From there, you can determine whether your bubble mailer qualifies as a Letter, Flat, or something else.
That said, the dimensions for a Flat are:
Minimum: 6 1/8″ high; 11.5″ long; ¼” thick
Maximum: 12″ high; 15″ long; ¾” thick
Moreover, the dimensions for a Letter are:
Minimum: 3/5″ high; 5″ long; .007″ thick
Maximum: 6 1/8″ high; 11.5″ long; ¼” thick
Additionally, First-Class letters must weigh no more than one ounce in order to be mailed with just one $0.58 Forever stamp.
So, if you have a bubble mailer—which come in a variety of sizes—on hand, get a ruler or tape measure and check which dimensions fit.
Additionally, if your bubble mailer is classified as a Flat, you are aware that you will require more postage than just a single Forever stamp.
Additionally, a bubble mailer can be sent as a Flat by using stamps up to 13 ounces in weight (or seven Forever stamps); if the weight were four ounces, the postage would be $1.76.
What if your bubble mailer satisfies the height and length requirements but not the width; for example, if it is thicker than three-fourths of an inch?
After that, you are in possession of a package. Thankfully, you can still send it First-Class; just use First-Class Package rather than First-Class Letter and skip the stamps.
In the end, if you have any inquiries about your bubble mailer, you can always take it to your local post office and speak with the counter clerk there.
What Should I Mail in a Bubble Mailer?
It’s not always necessary to ship an entire box when you have small goods or products. The use of bubble mailers is advised for compact, mainly flat products or items that don’t require a lot of padding or protection.
In a bubble mailer, you can ship items like electronics, jewelry, small books, and handcrafted home goods. If you want to give your product even more protection, we advise adding an additional layer of bubble wrap or packing paper.
How to Ship a Bubble Mailer?
You must first put everything in your bubble mailer and seal it before you can ship it.
The information in the preceding section can then be used to determine whether you can send it as a First-Class Letter or if a package class is required.
As a result, if it meets the requirements for a First-Class Letter or a Flat and you already have stamps, you can simply determine the postage required and apply it.
You’re finished when you place it in your mailbox, USPS box, or post office.
Always keep in mind that if the bubble mailer is too large or heavy to count as a Letter or a Flat, you have a parcel.
If it weighs less than 13 ounces, you can send it via First-Class mail; if it does, you’ll need to select one of the other, slightly more expensive package options.
Bring your bubble mailer to the post office and an employee will assist you at the counter if you don’t have a scale at home.
You can weigh the package at home and use Click-N-Ship to print a label, though, if you have a scale and a business account.
The package must be taken to the post office for the postage if you don’t have a business account.
How to Determine the Cost of Mailing a Bubble Mailer?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to say, “It costs ‘x’ dollars to mail a letter using USPS.” In reality, the cost of shipping a bubble mailer depends on three things:
1. How much it weighs.
2. How big is it?
3. How far it must travel.
Any package can be shipped using USPS, not just bubble mailers, and the cost depends on these three factors.
In general, a lighter and smaller mailer will be less expensive to ship. Additionally, if the item only needs to travel a short distance, the cost of sending it will be lower.
Calculating the cost of mailing your bubble mailer is simple. The things to consider are listed below.
Bubble Mailer: An Envelope Vs. a Package
How thick your bubble mailer is will determine this. If your packed bubble mailer is less than 3/4 of an inch thick, it is an envelope. Your bubble mailer is regarded as a package if its thickness exceeds 3/4 of an inch.
Your bubble mailer will probably be a package.
Bubble Mailer: Envelope
1. You only need one $0.60 postage stamp or one Forever Stamp if your bubble mailer is less than 3/4 of an inch thick and weighs under 1 ounce.
2. In the event that the bubble mailer weighs more, you must pay $0.24 for each additional ounce that your package weighs.
Bubble Mailer: Package
If your bubble mailer is thicker than 3/4 of an inch, it counts as a package. The USPS offers you four options for mailing packages:
1. If your personal item weighs less than 16 ounces, ship it using USPS First Class.
2. Use USPS Priority Mail if your bubble mailer weighs more than 16 ounces but less than 70 pounds (as an eCommerce business owner, you’ll probably have the choice between this and the Retail Ground option).
Calculating How Many Stamps You Need for a Bubble Mailer
The number of stamps needed for a bubble mailer and the cost of mailing them depends on the following factors.
Whether it is an envelope or a package makes a difference most significantly.
Accordingly, if the bubble mailer weighs no more than 1 ounce and is regarded as an envelope, you must postage the mailer with a Forever stamp or $0.60 in order to send it.
On the other hand, if it falls under a package category, look into your situation’s options.
1. USPS First Class
2. USPS Retail Ground
3. Priority Mail
4. Media Mail
Determining which option is best for you:
1. Select USPS First Class if you are sending a personal item in a bubble mailer that weighs less than 16 ounces.
2. Use USPS Retail Ground to send retail items that weigh less than 70 pounds.
3. Use USPS Priority Mail if the weight is under 70 pounds. It’s important to know that you have the choice to use this option in addition to USPS Retail Ground if you run an online business.
4. If it is less than 70 pounds, send it via USPS Media Mail, but make sure the contents are books with at least eight pages. The media could be printed music, CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, videotapes, or anything else.
Conclusion
Although bubble mailers that qualify as Flats are larger or heavier than those that qualify as Forever stamps, they may still be so small and light that they only need one.
Furthermore, bubble mailers are sufficiently large to count as packages, but the benefit is that those shipping classes, including First-Class, include tracking.