Last Updated on July 10, 2026 5:44 pm
WASHINGTON, DC — The price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp is rising from 78 cents to 82 cents starting Sunday, July 12, part of a broader U.S. Postal Service price increase of about 4.8 percent that the Postal Regulatory Commission approved on May 27.
Other prices are changing as well:
- Letters (1 ounce): 78 cents to 82 cents
- Letters (metered 1 ounce): 74 cents to 78 cents
- Domestic postcards: 61 cents to 65 cents
- International postcards: $1.70 to $1.75
- International letter (1 ounce): $1.70 to $1.75
The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters will remain at 29 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for other First-Class Mail products, Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, Package Services and selected Special Services products.
The Postal Service proposed the increase on April 9, citing a “severe financial crisis” and rising operational costs. “The Postal Service is using all available tools, including available regulatory pricing authority, to ensure we can continue to fulfill our universal service obligation and serve the American public,” the agency said at the time. The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
In approving the increase, the Postal Regulatory Commission said the Postal Service used essentially all of its available pricing authority for First-Class Mail and cautioned that the agency still faces significant long-term challenges, including declining mail volume, service performance issues and a deteriorating financial outlook, though it found no legal basis to reject the filing since it complies with current law.
A commission report released May 21 found the Postal Service posted a net loss of $2.7 billion for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2025, and has not had a profitable year in the past decade. A separate commission analysis found the Postal Service's revenue rose about $1 billion in fiscal year 2025 while its costs increased by $1.8 billion.
The Forever stamp was introduced in 2007 at 41 cents. Sunday's increase to 82 cents marks a 100 percent rise over its first 19 years, and it will be the second straight year of a sizable increase, following a jump from 73 cents to 78 cents in July 2025. Over just the past five years, the stamp's price has risen six times, up 41 percent from 58 cents in 2021.
Forever stamps never expire and remain valid for a 1-ounce First-Class Mail letter no matter how many times postage rates increase after they are purchased, so stamps bought at 78 cents or less can still be used after Sunday. They can be used for domestic mail, including U.S. territories and military bases overseas, and combined with additional postage when a piece exceeds 1 ounce.
The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is celebrating its 250th year of service to customers amidst a network modernization plan aimed at restoring long-term financial sustainability, improving service, and maintaining the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.
