The price of a “forever stamp” could rise this weekend. Here’s what you need to know so you don’t get sticker shock next time you post a letter.
What’s happened?
Back in April, the United States Postal Service (USPS) revealed that it had filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) regarding intended price changes it plans to implement. That notice states that, should the PRC approve, the price of a forever stamp would increase this month.
A forever stamp is the term the USPS uses for stamps it sells that will always cover the cost to post a standard letter, even if the price changes in the future. Buying a forever stamp today means you lock in the price of posting the letter down the road, even should that price increase.
Currently, the cost of a forever stamp is 78¢. But likely not for long.
USPS intends to raise the price of a forever stamp to 82¢
In the USPS’s April notice, the agency said that it intends to charge 82¢ for a forever stamp from July 12.
That represents a price rise of about 4.8%.
The reason for the price rise, according to the USPS, is that the Postal Service is facing a “severe financial crisis” as well as “continued rising operational costs.”
The agency says it 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.”
However, the Postal Regulatory Commission still needs to approve the price rise for it to take effect as planned this Sunday. As of this writing, neither the USPS nor the PRC has posted a notice that the price increase has been approved.
Can I still buy forever stamps for 78¢?
The good news is that, yes, you can still purchase forever stamps at their current price of 78¢. Even if the PRC approves the USPS’s price hike, you’ll also still be able to purchase 78¢ forever stamps until the price hike goes into effect on July 12.
That means that if you send a large amount of letters that require forever stamps, it’s better to stock up on the stamps today. Come Sunday, you may be paying the new 82¢ price.