GLOSSARY
Postcard
By Justin Winter · Updated August 28, 2026
A single open-face card mailed without an envelope — cheaper than a letter, but readable by anyone who handles it, and carries no tracking.
A postcard is one printed card, First-Class only, with no envelope. That is what keeps it cheap: no folding, no sealing, no separate postage line, all bundled into one flat per-piece price.
The tradeoff is exposure and features. Anything printed on it is visible in transit, and USPS has no tracked or certified postcard product — if a piece needs proof of delivery, that has to be a letter instead.
On paperplane, postcards come in three sizes (4x6, 6x9, 6x11) and are message-only today: the text is printed straight onto the card, with no custom photo or artwork side yet — see current pricing on the pricing page.
See also
- First-Class Mail — The everyday USPS class for letters and documents — typically 3–5 business days, with no tracking unless you add it.
- Certified Mail — A USPS extra service that adds a dated mailing receipt and delivery tracking to a letter, with the delivery record kept by USPS.
- Notecard — A folded card mailed enclosed like a greeting card — First-Class only, message-only, and private in a way a postcard is not.
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