You will mail rent checks, forms, birthday cards and sometimes immigration papers. US envelopes follow a simple layout.
Your address (the return address) goes in the top left corner.
The receiver's address goes in the center.
The stamp goes in the top right corner.
Write clearly in capital letters, with the apartment number:
JOHN SMITH
450 PINE AVE APT 12
DENVER CO 80203
For mail abroad, write the country name in capital letters on the last line, in English.
A Forever stamp pays for a standard 1-ounce letter inside the US. It stays valid even after prices rise.
Heavier, thick, square or rigid envelopes need more postage. Ask at the post office counter or weigh it at a self-service kiosk.
A Global Forever stamp pays for a 1-ounce letter to any country.
Buy stamps at the post office, usps.com, and many grocery stores and pharmacies (at the checkout or customer service desk).
Drop letters inside the post office or in a blue USPS collection box. Check the pickup time on the box.
For anything with checks or personal information, dropping it inside the post office is safest.
Never mail cash. Use a check, money order or a bank transfer.
When a letter matters (a lease notice, a deadline, a legal reply):
Certified Mail gives you a receipt and online tracking showing when it was delivered.
Add Return Receipt to get the signature of the person who received it.
Certificate of Mailing is a cheap proof that you mailed it on a certain date.
Keep a copy of what you sent and all receipts.
Immigration filings sent to USCIS by mail should go to the exact address in the form's instructions. Many people use a service with tracking.
Putting the return address in the center and the receiver's address in the corner. The letter can come back to you.
One stamp on a thick envelope. It is returned for more postage.
Mailing an important notice without proof of mailing.