The U.S. Postal Service on Sunday will raise the price of a first-class Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents, the latest in a series of increases aimed at stemming the agency’s mounting financial losses.<\/p>\n
The USPS\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0the increase in April, saying the higher price was intended to bolster its finances. Over the past five years, the agency has raised the price of a first-class stamp six times, increasing the cost 34% from 58 cents in 2021 to 78 cents before the hike set to kick in on July 12.<\/p>\n The USPS has struggled for years with high costs and shrinking mail volumes, culminating in a $9 billion loss in its fiscal 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Postal Regulatory Commission, the federal agency that oversees the USPS, approved <\/a>the rate hike in May. However, it flagged concerns with the postal agency’s financial situation, its delivery performance and shrinking mail volumes.\u00a0<\/p>\n How much are stamp prices increasing?<\/p>\n Forever stamps will increase in price on Sunday to 82 cents each, up from their current 78 cents.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other postage products are also set to see price hikes on Sunday:\u00a0<\/p>\n Domestic postcards will cost 65 cents, up from 61 cents The USPS has pointed to its financial losses as the impetus for the latest postage rate hike.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to a May analysis<\/a> of the USPS’s finances by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the agency’s operating expenses are rising faster than its revenue. For fiscal year 2025, USPS costs rose by $1.8 billion, while revenue increased by only $1 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the same time, U.S. mail volume fell 3.7% during the last fiscal year, the report said. It added that USPS prices increased by about 15% between July 2024 and the end of FY 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have recently criticized the USPS for delayed mail deliveries. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in June that he was launching an\u00a0investigation<\/a> into “ongoing mail service failures plaguing Missouri.” In November, Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, also\u00a0flagged<\/a> delivery delays in the El Paso, Texas, area.<\/p>\n Are stamp prices likely to keep rising?<\/p>\n USPS officials have signaled that additional price increases are likely. Postmaster General David Steiner said in March that first-class stamps should be raised to between 90 cents and 95 cents to help stabilize the USPS financially.\u00a0<\/p>\n “As you all know, there are only three things that any company can do to improve financial performance \u2014 sell more products, raise prices or cut costs,” Steiner said in congressional\u00a0testimony<\/a>. “On the pricing side, we need to look for higher prices on both our package and mail products.”<\/p>\n Steiner also told the House panel that the USPS was at risk of running out of cash in 12 months.\u00a0<\/p>\n But raising the price of first-class stamps to as high as 95 cents “would largely solve our controllable loss,” he said.<\/p>\n Will older Forever stamps still work after the latest price hike?<\/p>\n Yes, any lower-cost Forever stamps purchased before July 12 will continue to work after that date. The USPS notes<\/a> that Forever stamps are non-denominated “to save customers time and money, especially when first-class mail prices change.”<\/p>\n According to the agency, “The Forever Stamp always represents the current price of a one (1) ounce First-Class Mail postage.”<\/p>\n
International postcards and letters will run $1.75, up from $1.70
Why is the Postal Service raising prices?<\/p>\n