USPS postage calculator: letter, envelope or package

A USPS postage calculator for any piece: say what you send and its weight, add ZIP Codes for a package, and read the postage and the stamps.

Independent site, not the Postal Service: prices read in its own price files.

Packed, box included. Up to 70 lb

0 to 15.9; 16 oz make 1 lb

Packages only: letters cost the same everywhere

Packages only

Example: a 1 lb package from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours

Package postage at the Post Office, Ground Advantage

$13.65

zone 8 · charged as 1 lb

Same label printed online$11.22
Priority Mail, faster$17.95
Ground Advantage from Jan 17, 2027$14.04
How this is computed

Compiled by Radif Partners · How the prices are built

A USPS postage calculator has to start with the shape of the piece, because the Postal Service prices letters, large envelopes and packages on different scales. Letters and large envelopes pay First-Class Mail postage by the ounce, the same anywhere in the United States: $0.82 for a 1-ounce letter, $1.11 for 2 ounces and $2.56 for a 4-ounce large envelope, in the Notice 123 list read on November 13, 2026. Packages pay by weight and by zone, the distance band read from the two ZIP Codes. A 1-pound package from New York to Los Angeles, zone 8, costs $13.65 by Ground Advantage at a Post Office counter and $11.22 with a label printed online; the same pound costs $10.05 between two nearby ZIP Codes. Stamps can pay postage on any piece, but a package is easier to pay with a label. From January 17, 2027 the proposed package price of the example becomes $14.04, fuel surcharge included; letter postage does not change.

USPS postage calculator results for common pieces

The table runs the calculator on six usual cases. Postage for letters and large envelopes does not depend on distance; the two package lines use the New York to Los Angeles example.

Counter prices of Notice 123. Packages: Ground Advantage, the lowest domestic service.
What you sendPostageDistanceHow to pay
Card or letter, 1 oz$0.82any distance1 Forever stamp
Letter, 2 oz$1.11any distance2 Forever stamps
Postcard$0.65any distancepostcard stamp
Large envelope, 4 oz$2.56any distance4 Forever stamps
Small package, 4 oz$10.20zone 8label or counter
Package, 1 lb$13.65zone 8label or counter

Postage for your piece

Example: a 1 oz letter· change a figure to see yours

Letter postage

$0.82

1 Forever stamp, any distance in the United States

Forever stamp$0.82
Price from Jan 17, 2027$0.82 (no change filed)
Back to the full calculator at the top →

Three steps to the right postage

First the shape: a standard envelope is a letter up to 3.5 ounces; a bigger flat one is a large envelope up to 13 ounces; anything stiff, thick or heavier is a package. Then the weight, rounded up. Then, for a package only, the two ZIP Codes, which give the zone. The calculator follows the same order. For a package, the shipping cost page compares Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Express; for letters, the stamps page counts stamps on odd envelopes.

Stamps or a label

Stamps suit letters and large envelopes: they never expire, and a Forever stamp follows the letter price. For a package, a label is the better tool. Bought online, it is charged the Commercial price, lower than the counter, and it carries tracking from the first scan. Bought at the counter, the clerk weighs the package and reads the zone for you, which avoids paying too little and seeing the piece come back. The calculator gives both prices for a package so you can decide before leaving home.

Questions people ask before they mail

Tap a question to see the answer.

Can I pay package postage with stamps?

Yes. Stamps are postage like any other, and their total must cover the price of the service. Since a Forever stamp is worth $0.82, a $13.65 package would need 17 of them and overpay $0.29. A label printed online or bought at the counter pays the exact price, and online it is cheaper.

Why does my letter cost the same to any state but my package does not?

First-Class Mail letters and large envelopes have a single national price by weight in Notice 123, whatever the distance. Packages are priced by zone, from the first three digits of each ZIP Code, because transport cost grows with distance. That is why the calculator asks for ZIP Codes only for a package.

How do I weigh mail without a postal scale?

A kitchen scale that reads ounces is enough. Weigh the piece ready to mail, with envelope or box, padding and tape, and round up: 1.2 ounces pays the 2-ounce price. A sheet of printer paper weighs about 0.2 ounce, so a few sheets in a standard envelope stay near 1 ounce.

Next steps

Postal Service price files, manual chapters and filings behind this page (5)

Each price, rule and zone was read in these documents on November 13, 2026.

Compiled by

Independent publisher of US parcel price tables built from the Postal Service's Notice 123 price files and its domestic zone chart. Paid by no carrier: no commission, no affiliate link, no paid placement.

Checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

Prices are read from the Postal Service price files, never estimated. They leave out pickup, special handling, hazardous material and any extra service you add at the counter. The January 17, 2027 prices are proposed and await review by the Postal Regulatory Commission.