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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.
The USPS announced the 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.
The USPS has struggled for years with high costs and shrinking mail volumes, while policy changes implemented by Congress also weakened the agency’s finances.
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA) — which, among other changes, created a fund that required the agency to prepay health care benefits for postal service retirees — contributed to the agency’s losses in subsequent years and sharply increased its debt load, according to a 2025 report by the USPS Office of the Inspector General.
“[T]he passage of PAEA in December of 2006 fundamentally altered the Postal Service’s financial results by limiting revenue growth and adjusting retiree healthcare costs. Following 2006, the Postal Service recorded net losses each year,” the agency watchdog stated.
The Postal Regulatory Commission, the federal agency that oversees the USPS, approved the postage rate hike in May. However, it flagged concerns with the agency’s financial situation, its delivery performance and shrinking mail volumes. In fiscal 2025, the USPS recorded a $9 billion loss.
How much are stamp prices increasing?
Forever stamps will increase in price on Sunday to 82 cents each, up from their current 78 cents.
Other postage products are also set to see price hikes on Sunday:
- Domestic postcards will cost 65 cents, up from 61 cents
- International postcards and letters will run $1.75, up from $1.70
Why is the Postal Service raising prices?
The USPS has pointed to its financial losses as the impetus for the latest postage rate hike.
According to a May analysis 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.
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.
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 investigation into “ongoing mail service failures plaguing Missouri.” In November, Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, also flagged delivery delays in the El Paso, Texas, area.
Are stamp prices likely to keep rising?
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.
“As you all know, there are only three things that any company can do to improve financial performance — sell more products, raise prices or cut costs,” Steiner said in congressional testimony. “On the pricing side, we need to look for higher prices on both our package and mail products.”
Steiner also told the House panel that the USPS was at risk of running out of cash in 12 months.
But raising the price of first-class stamps to as high as 95 cents “would largely solve our controllable loss,” he said.
Will older Forever stamps still work after the latest price hike?
Yes, any lower-cost Forever stamps purchased before July 12 will continue to work after that date. The USPS notes that Forever stamps are non-denominated “to save customers time and money, especially when first-class mail prices change.”
According to the agency, “The Forever Stamp always represents the current price of a one (1) ounce First-Class Mail postage.”
