Price of a US stamp rises to 66 cents, the second hike this year and the 5th increase since 2019

The price of a postage stamp in the United States has once again increased, marking the second hike this year and the fifth increase since 2019. This change is part of several adjustments being implemented by the U.S. Postal Service this month.

Effective from Sunday, the cost of a first-class “forever” stamp will rise from 63 to 66 cents. This latest price adjustment comes just a few months after forever stamps increased from 60 to 63 cents in January, following a series of similar increases in recent years.

The decision to raise forever stamp prices to 66 cents was motivated by rising operating expenses due to inflation and the repercussions of a defective pricing model. The USPS emphasized the need for these changes to generate much-needed revenue for the Postal Service.

In addition to the forever stamp increase, other mail services will also experience price hikes starting Sunday. The cost of sending a one-ounce metered letter will rise to 63 cents, while domestic postcards will jump to 51 cents. International postcards and one-ounce letters will both be priced at $1.50.

Alongside these price adjustments, the Postal Service will introduce a new package shipping service called USPS Ground Advantage on Sunday. This service replaces and consolidates previous plans, and the pricing for Ground Advantage will reflect a 3.2% reduction in retail prices and a 0.7% decrease for commercial customers, as stated by the Postal Service.

The Postal Regulatory Commission and the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service have approved both the price changes and the implementation of Ground Advantage prior to this month’s adjustments. The Postal Service’s April notice also indicated the approval of these price changes.

This Sunday’s increase in forever stamp prices marks the fifth such jump since the beginning of 2019, when postage cost 50 cents each. When adjusted for inflation, 50 cents in January 2019 is equivalent to approximately 60 cents in the spring of 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator.

Despite a decline in volume by 1.7 billion pieces or 4.8% compared to the same period last year, the Postal Service’s operating revenue for the first quarter of 2023 amounted to $21.5 billion, an increase of $206 million. Although the Postal Service reported a net loss of $1 billion for the first quarter, it represents a $519 million improvement compared to the $1.5 billion net loss during the same period last year.

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More about stamp price increase

• U.S. Postal Service
• Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator
• Postal Regulatory Commission
• USPS Ground Advantage