Mailing Christmas Cards Costs South Carolinians 49% More Than in 2019, Plus 7 Other Price Jumps

Sending holiday cards used to be one of the cheaper parts of the season.

But South Carolinians mailing cards and gifts this year will notice the postage adds up much faster than it did a few years ago.

Here’s how holiday mailing costs have changed, along with several other price jumps.

The Forever Stamp

The Postal Service raised the Forever stamp to 82 cents on July 12, 2026.

Before that, it cost 78 cents.

Now go back to 2019.

The 2019 prices took effect on January 27, 2019. They put the same stamp at 55 cents.

That means a stamp costs about 49% more today.

Say you mail 50 cards.

The stamps cost $27.50 in 2019.

Today they cost $41.

That is $13.50 more for the same stack of cards.

Every card needs a stamp.

A standard card that weighs 1 ounce or less takes one.

1. Additional Ounces

A thick card or a family photo can push your letter past 1 ounce.

Then the Postal Service charges 29 cents for each ounce a stamped letter weighs past the first.

In 2019, that extra ounce cost just 15 cents.

So a 2-ounce stamped letter costs you $1.11 now. In 2019, it cost 70 cents.

2. Postcards

Skip the envelope and a postcard costs 65 cents to mail. In 2019, it cost 35 cents.

The price was 61 cents until July 12, 2026.

Compared with the 82-cent stamp for a card in an envelope, a postcard saves you 17 cents.

In 2019, it saved you 20 cents.

So 50 postcards cost you $8.50 less than 50 cards in envelopes.

3. International Letters

A Christmas card to someone outside the country can go with a single Global Forever stamp.

The Postal Service says it currently costs $1.75.

In 2019, the same letter cost $1.15. Until July 12, 2026, the price was $1.70.

That means mailing a card abroad costs you 93 cents more than mailing one inside the country.

In 2019, the gap was 60 cents.

Say you send 10 cards to relatives abroad.

That costs $17.50 in postage.

In 2019, it cost $11.50, so you pay $6 more.

4. Metered Letters

Postage printed by a meter costs 78 cents for a 1-ounce letter on the Postal Service's October 4 price list.

That is 4 cents less than a stamp.

In 2019, a metered letter cost 50 cents.

Say you meter 200 holiday cards for an office.

You pay $156 in postage.

In 2019, you would have paid $100.

A metered letter still beats a stamp, but the savings shrank.

You save 4 cents on each letter today, down from 5 cents in 2019.

5. Flat Rate Envelopes

A Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope costs $13.90 on the Postal Service's price list effective October 4, 2026.

In 2019, the same envelope cost $7.35. That is about $6.55 more today.

Of that price, $1.00 comes from a temporary price change for holiday shipping.

The Postal Service says it lasts until January 17, 2027.

Before that change started on October 4, the envelope cost $12.90. That is still $5.55 above its 2019 price.

Anything you send in that envelope until January 17, 2027, costs the higher price.

6. Padded Envelopes

Priority Mail's Padded Flat Rate Envelope runs $15.00 on the Postal Service's October 4 price list.

In 2019, the same padded envelope cost $8.00.

You pay $7.00 more today.

The padded envelope costs you $1.10 more than the regular one now. In 2019, the gap was 65 cents.

The Legal Flat Rate Envelope falls between the two at $14.25, compared with $7.65 in 2019.

7. Large Flat Rate Boxes

The Large Flat Rate Box got a temporary increase of $2.10.

That is more than double the $1.00 added to other Priority Mail Flat Rate products.

The box now costs $36.10.

In 2019, it cost $19.95.

That is $16.15 more.

Before the temporary increase started, the box cost you $34.00. That is still $14.05 above its 2019 price.

The January 17 End Date

The Postal Service announced a time-limited price change for packages on March 25, 2026.

It adds 8% to base postage prices on Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select.

It started April 26 and stays in place until January 17, 2027.

The holiday increase on Priority Mail boxes and envelopes began October 4. It ends on the same day.