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US Postal Service Price Increase for Forever Stamp and 1 oz. Letters Starts Jan. 22

By Jesse Wood

imgresPrice increases for the United States Postal Service (USPS) go into effect on Sunday, Jan. 22 and will mark the first stamp price increase since January 2014. 

Last October, the USPS filed for the rate increases with the Postal Regulatory Commission, and the agency later approved the price changes that begin next week.

The new prices include a two-cent increase for a first-class mail forever stamp from 47 to 49 cents, which according to the USPS is a return to the previous cost of the forever stamp prior to the exigent surcharge removal demanded by the PRC.

Other increases include two-cent increase, from 47 to 49 cents, for letters weighing 1 oz. The United Postal Service noted that the price change doesn’t affect postcards, letters being mailed to international destinations and additional ounces for letters. See graph below:

First-Class Mail prices for following products Current     New
Letters (1 oz.)    47 cents  49 cents
Letters additional ounces      21 cents   21 cents
Letters to all international destinations   $1.15     $1.15
Postcards    34 cents 34 cents

In a release announcing the filing for a price increase, the United States Postal Service stated that stamp prices have paralleled the average rate of inflation since the formation of the USPS in 1971.

Pricing for Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services will also be adjusted. View other price changes here: http://pe.usps.gov/PriceChange/Index.