While the newer generation may view snail mail as a communications tool of the past, most of us (Gen Z included) will need to mail something in an envelope with a stamp at some point.
When you need to mail an important document, you probably don’t want to make a special trip to the post office just to purchase a single stamp.
Where can you buy stamps and maybe pick up a few essentials for the home as well?
Does the popular retailer Walgreens sell stamps?
We will go into detail about whether Walgreens sells stamps and whether you should buy from them or go to the post office.
Does Walgreens Sell Stamps?
Yes, you can buy stamps at Walgreens stores.
All locations sell standard “first-class forever” 20-stamp booklets (currently priced at $11.60).
These stamps are what you will need for your standard letter weighing less than one ounce to be mailed from one domestic location to another.
What if you only need one stamp for a particular piece of mail and don’t want to buy twenty stamps?
Some but not all Walgreens locations will sell a single stamp for 58 cents.
Call in advance to learn if your local Walgreens sells individual stamps or not.
Is It More Expensive To Buy Stamps At Walgreens Than At The Post Office?
Even better, Walgreens sells stamps at the same price as the post office, so you aren’t paying extra to buy stamps at Walgreens instead of the post office.
Can You Buy Stamps From Walgreens Online?
You can buy stamps on Walgreen’s website, but you cannot have stamps delivered to you.
If you choose to buy stamps in advance online, you will need to pick the stamps up at your local Walgreens in person.
Why Should I Buy Stamps At Walgreens?
There are numerous reasons a person would buy stamps at Walgreens as opposed to the post office.
1. Accumulate “myWalgreens” Rewards
Walgreens has a competitive rewards program specifically designed to encourage repeat business.
Despite selling stamps at cost, Walgreens generously allows you to accumulate points when you purchase stamps.
You gain points by buying qualifying products, and stamps happen to be a qualifying product.
Once you sign up for the myWalgreens rewards program, you get 1% cash back on qualifying products (including stamps) and 5% cash back on Walgreens branded products.
Sure, it will take about 10 books of stamps to earn a dollar, but that is on top of the rewards you receive from the other items you buy.
If you shop at Walgreens often, you may even consider applying for a myWalgreens credit card that accumulates even more points when you make purchases:
- 5% cash back on all qualifying products
- 10% cash back on Walgreens branded products
- 3% cash back on health and wellness purchases outside of Walgreens
- 1% cash back on all purchases outside of Walgreens
You also get a $25 reward for getting approved and additional benefits, such as rewards for reaching personal health goals, credit monitoring, and the ability to donate your rewards to the charity of your choice.
When you have a myWalgreens account, you simply enter your phone number at the register when you make a purchase in-store, or you will automatically get the rewards when you make a purchase through the Walgreens app on your smartphone once you connect your account.
2. Numerous Locations To Choose From
There are over 9,000 Walgreens locations in the United States and their territories, and about 75% of residents have a Walgreens within five miles.
For many people, a Walgreens is closer than a post office.
The states with the highest amount of Walgreens locations are:
- Florida: 820
- Texas: 701
- California: 586
- Illinois: 574
- New York: 564
People in the following states may not have the luxury of a nearby location but should still check the website’s store locator to see the nearest store to them:
- North Dakota: 1
- Wyoming: 10
- Alaska: 11
- Montana: 13
- South Dakota: 14
- Washington DC: 14
For people not in the continental United States, you may wonder about the international reach of Walgreens.
There are 105 Walgreens stores in Puerto Rico but only one store in the US Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, Guam has no Walgreens stores.
Walgreens is also extremely popular in the United Kingdom and Mexico with 2,276 stores in the UK and 1,100 in Mexico.
Walgreens also has a presence in Chile (302), Thailand (253), and Ireland (90).
Keep in mind that you cannot buy US postage stamps outside of the United States.
3. Buy Additional Household Items On Your Shopping List
The post office exclusively sells stamps and other shipping materials.
You can get shipping materials and stamps at Walgreens as well as a large range of additional products you can’t find at the post office.
Some of the departments at Walgreens include:
- Beauty
- Personal care
- Medicines and treatments
- Vitamins and supplements
- Home health care solutions
- Pet
- Home goods
- Electronics and office
- Household essentials
- Fall and winter
- Grocery items
- Toys, games, and books
- Baby and kids
- Gift cards
- Sexual wellness
- Fitness and nutrition
Where else can you buy stamps, foundation, diapers, milk, headphones, sponges, and a birthday card all in one place?
Not the post office.
4. Elevated Customer Experience Compared To The Post Office
When it comes to going to the post office, many people prefer to go to the DMV or the dentist’s office.
The post office is associated with lines and general unpleasantness that makes a quick trip feel like an eternity.
The lines get especially bad around the holidays, and there seems to be a lack of urgency on the post office’s end.
If something goes wrong, the customer service also has a lot to be desired.
Walgreens stores smell better, look better, and have a better atmosphere to them.
If lines get busy, Walgreens will open up a register at the makeup department or the photo department instead of ignoring the issue.
On the chance that something doesn’t go quite right, you’ll also experience better customer service at Walgreens.
When you only need stamps, it’s better to go to Walgreens than the post office.
When Should I Buy Stamps At The Post Office Instead Of Walgreens?
You should go to the post office to buy stamps when you aren’t sure about the postage required for your letter.
You should also go to the post office if you need to drop the letter off at the post office instead of a typical mailbox due to its importance or it being part of a large bulk commercial order.
Finally, you should go to the post office if you need one stamp when your Walgreens only sells books of 20.
Your post office can sell you individual stamps and odd denominations of stamps so that you don’t end up with more stamps than you need.
Your post office also sells unique stamps for specialized situations, such as letters that weigh more than normal or international mail and postcards.
Types Of Stamps
Walgreens sells the standard first-class forever stamp recommended for most standard letters.
However, you may need or prefer a different type of stamp that may take you to the post office as opposed to Walgreens.
Here are some of the different stamps available at the post office:
- First Class Mail® One-Ounce Price Forever Stamps ($0.58): Standard domestic stamp for envelopes one ounce in weight or less that maintains its value even if the price of stamps goes up after you buy it.
- First Class Mail® Additional Ounce Price Forever Stamps ($0.20): When you know that your envelope weighs more than one ounce, this stamp covers the cost of the additional weight. Keep in mind that standard envelopes should not exceed 3.5 ounces in weight.
- First Class Mail® Global Forever Stamps ($1.30): Similar to standard forever stamps but appropriate for outgoing international mail. You cannot use this stamp if you are mailing items from outside of the United States. However, you can use these stamps to mail from the United States to anywhere else in the world.
- Postcard Stamps ($0.40): Inexpensive stamps specifically designed for both domestic and international postcards.
- First Class Mail® Presorted Stamps ($0.42+): Designed for business mail and top priority mail, discounted presorted stamps are specifically for customers with Mailing Permit and Business Mail Entry (BME) induction.
If transporting a document in a flat envelope instead of a standard envelope, the post office charges more due to the increased size of the letter.
You will pay $1.16 (two standard forever stamps) for one ounce and the typical additional $0.20 per additional ounce.
Snail Mail Vs. Email And Digital Communications
There are undoubtedly a lot of advantages to using email over the post office.
With email, you can send communications instantly, reach multiple people at once, and save money on postage.
When would you want to send something through the post office?
There are only a few situations where you may want to send a written letter instead of an email.
A handwritten piece of mail adds a personal touch, which can infuse a special element to Christmas cards and birthday cards that can promote meaningful personal relationships.
People will appreciate the fact that you took the time to write the letter by hand and mail it to them, and it’s a special treat since most people don’t send letters anymore.
You may also want to send something physical inside of the envelope that you can’t send over the internet, such as a small family heirloom, like a brooch, or a signed/notarized document that you can’t sign online.
Direct Mail Marketing
Another greatest use of snail mail is direct mail marketing for your company.
You can send a letter to people in your area who match your target demographic to inform them about your company and entice them with a coupon.
Direct mail marketing is especially effective for customers in the 45–54 age demographic who may engage better with a letter than an email.
Oversized envelopes have a higher response rate, so you may need to plan your stamp budget appropriately.
A direct mail marketing campaign costs more than an email marketing campaign on average, but when done properly and appropriately for your target audience, it can be the best choice for your business.
Great direct mail campaigns grab the customer’s attention, are aesthetically pleasing, properly represent your brand, offer something of value, and include a direct call to action.
Work hard to create an effective campaign and monitor its success and adjust as necessary to get the best results.
It can also be a good idea to try both an email campaign and direct mail campaign to see which one your customers best respond to.
For an easy way to monitor response, use unique promo codes for each campaign.
If you plan to start a direct mail campaign, talk to your local post office associate to learn more about their programs for businesses.
Additional Places You Can Buy Stamps
Walgreens is a great option if you need to buy a book of stamps.
However, you have more retail options, too.
Additional retailers that sell stamps include:
- CVS
- Rite Aid
- Target
- Walmart
- Office Depot
- Office Max
- Publix
- Kroger
- Staples
- Costco
- WinCo
- Wegmans
- Meijer
These retailers sell books of stamps like Walgreens and are not guaranteed to sell individual stamps.
Many of these retailers also offer coils of 100 stamps.
You can also find stamps on Amazon and at different ATMs throughout the country.
Saving Money On Postage
If you want to save money on postage, you can take certain steps to accomplish your goal.
Here are some simple ways to save money on postage.
1. Only Mail Important Items
Not everything needs to be mailed.
Talk to the recipient to learn about alternative digital solutions when possible.
You may have the ability to fax paperwork or sign documents online.
2. Verify The Weight Of Your Letter
You may end up paying too much if you don’t weigh your letter.
Weigh your letter on a small scale to ensure you don’t double up on postage unnecessarily.
You should also keep additional smaller denomination stamps handy so that you aren’t forced to use a second stamp that costs twice as much.
3. Use Discount Services
If you mail letters often, you should look into discount services that may save you money.
You can find discount services exclusively for business mail or business mail and personal mail.
The service may cost you a small fee up front, but the savings over time will make up for the fee and then some.
4. Keep Stamps Well Maintained
It can save you time and money to buy stamps in bulk, but you won’t reap the benefits of those savings if you allow the stamps to become destroyed after months of being stuffed into the back corner of a junk drawer.
Keep stamps in a safe space where they won’t rip or get wet.
Store the stamps in a place that you won’t forget (possibly in your desk drawer next to the envelopes you bought at Walgreens when you bought the stamps).
Conclusion
Walgreens sells stamps for when you don’t want to stop at the post office for the sole purpose of picking up a stamp.
You can also buy stationery, envelopes, and other shipping materials.
While you should have stamps on hand for those special occasions, you can usually get away with an email these days.
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