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Things used to be simpler...
Aug. 3rd, 2010 11:45 amI don't mail a lot of letters, so I'm not really sure if the first class rate is 42 cents, or 44 cents, or whatever. Having just looked up my correspondent's ZIP code at the USPS site, I figure it should not be much of a problem to find out how much an ordinary letter costs to mail.
It turns out it takes a while to figure out if you actually have an ordinary letter.
I am presented with a form in which the destination is already filled out ('United States (Domestic Mail)'), which is good, but things go downhill from there.
I am required to enter the "from" and "to" ZIP codes. This doesn't matter for ordinary mail (at least not yet) so it's a bother.
I must select one of ten radio buttons describing flat rate services and envelope shapes. I select the 'Letter' shape and click on 'Continue'.
On the next page, I must additionally select a letter property from among the following:
I select the 'Letter' radio button and click on 'Continue'.
On the next page of what now seems like an odyssey, my eye is scans down the various services, listed in descending order by cost, to the line for first class mail. Bingo!
My letter will cost 44 cents to mail, and that's going up soon, I'm told.
I can't imagine why.
Cheers...
P.S. One of the neat things about Google is that if you can't put your hands on a calculator, you can enter a mathematical expression into the Google search field, e.g.
P.P.S. One can avoid this problem (at least for first class mail weighing less than an ounce) by purchasing so-called "forever" stamps, which the post office says it will accept indefinitely as adequate postage for the first ounce of first-class mail.
It turns out it takes a while to figure out if you actually have an ordinary letter.
I am presented with a form in which the destination is already filled out ('United States (Domestic Mail)'), which is good, but things go downhill from there.
I am required to enter the "from" and "to" ZIP codes. This doesn't matter for ordinary mail (at least not yet) so it's a bother.
I must select one of ten radio buttons describing flat rate services and envelope shapes. I select the 'Letter' shape and click on 'Continue'.
On the next page, I must additionally select a letter property from among the following:
- Letter
- Square envelope
- Envelope containing a rigid object
- Odd shaped envelope
The length divided by the height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5.I break out my ruler. My envelope's length is 5-7/8 inches; height is 4.5 inches. The ratio is a hair over 1.3.
I select the 'Letter' radio button and click on 'Continue'.
On the next page of what now seems like an odyssey, my eye is scans down the various services, listed in descending order by cost, to the line for first class mail. Bingo!
My letter will cost 44 cents to mail, and that's going up soon, I'm told.
I can't imagine why.
Cheers...
P.S. One of the neat things about Google is that if you can't put your hands on a calculator, you can enter a mathematical expression into the Google search field, e.g.
(5+7/8)/4.5Google will spit out an answer (1.30555556).
P.P.S. One can avoid this problem (at least for first class mail weighing less than an ounce) by purchasing so-called "forever" stamps, which the post office says it will accept indefinitely as adequate postage for the first ounce of first-class mail.
