AARP Eye Center
Stock up on “Forever” stamps: The U.S. Postal Service will hike the price of a first-class stamp 4.8 percent, from 63 cents to 66 cents, on July 9. A first-class stamp covers the cost to mail a 1-ounce letter. An additional ounce will remain 24 cents.
Forever stamps aren’t the only item whose price is rising on the U.S. Postal Service’s menu.
AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
Metered letters will rise to 63 cents from 60 cents. Want to send a postcard? It will cost a bit more. Domestic postcards will rise to 51 cents from 48 cents. Outbound international letters will rise to $1.50 from $1.45. The Postal Service also seeks price adjustments for Special Services products, including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money orders and insurance when mailing an item.
The postage price increases must be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission. If approved, overall postal prices will increase approximately 5.4 percent.
How much do Forever stamps cost?
Since Jan. 22, Forever stamps have cost 63 cents apiece. The “Forever” in their name means that even after the price rises in July, a Forever stamp you paid 63 cents for will still send a 1-ounce letter to any U.S. address. You won’t have to add postage to make up for the price increase. You can still use an original Forever stamp purchased 15 years ago for 42 cents to mail a first-class letter today without additional postage.
Forever stamps, introduced in 2007, are always equivalent to the current price of a first-class stamp. Since 2011, virtually all first-class stamps sold are Forever stamps.