You probably know about pen pals – people that exchange letters with each other. But did you know that you can also exchange postcards online?
Why Exchange Postcards instead of Letters
There are many reasons you might want to mail a postcard instead of a letter. For one, you can only write so much on a postcard. Second, postcards are less expensive than letters. It only costs 40 cents to mail a postcard within the United States, and just $1.30 to mail one = anywhere else in the world. On top of that, you don’t need to use any envelopes!
Lastly, postcards are beautiful. Sending a postcard to someone is like sending them a miniature painting.
How to Exchange Postcards
The easiest way to start exchanging postcards is by joining a website called Postcrossing. It’s free to join, and there are almost a million other users from 260+ countries on there.
After you setup your account, you’ll be able to send up to five postcards at a time. Once one of your recipients registers your card, you can send another postcard. The more postcards you send the more postcards you’ll receive.
Getting Started with Postcrossing
Time needed: 25 minutes
How to setup your Postcrossing account
- Visit postcrossing.com to sign up for an account
- Read the Postcrossing FAQ
It’s common to feel a bit overwhelmed when you first join Postcrossing. How to you send a postcard overseas? How to you write an address in Japanese?
Don’t panic! The best thing to do is to take a few minutes to read the Postcrossing FAQ. - Request an Address
Now it’s time to actually send a postcard! Postcrossing chooses the person you send to at random – so you never know where your postcard will go to.
To request an address log into Postcrossing, click “Postcards” in the top menu bar, the click “Send a Postcard”
- Write your postcard – and don’t forget to add the Postcrossing ID on the card!
After you request a new address, Postcrossing will show you two very important pieces of information: The address where you should send your Postcard and a Postcrossing ID
Don’t forget to write the Postcrossing ID on your postcard. If you forget, the recipient won’t be able to register their card! - Mail your Postcard
Finally, the last step is to mail your postcard! You can leave it in your mailbox, drop it in a blue USPS collections bin, or even take it to the post office. Just don’t forget to send it!
Don’t forget to buy some postcards!
Once you get into the swing of Postcrossing, you’ll probably find that you need more postcards. Check out my online store to stock up on some extra cards, or read about cool places to find postcards
Are you on Instagram? Show me the postcards you’ve sent or received. You can find me at @surprisepostcards
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[…] Big congratulations to the Postcrossing team on this huge milestone! I can’t wait for the postcard number 80,000,000 – maybe you’ll be the luck sender! […]