The price of stamps is going up soon. How much will you pay?
New prices on stamps and other postage will roll out soon, marking the first of multiple rate hikes planned by the U.S Postal Service.
The changes, announced in April, would raise the cost of a first-class stamp by a nickel from 73 cents to 78 cents starting July 13, according to the USPS. Pricing on letters, postcards and international mail will see similar increases.
The adjustments will increase the cost of mailing services by approximately 7.4 percent, according to the agency’s website.
The USPS has proposed similar hikes on shipping services including Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage. Those changes will also take effect July 13, raising the cost of each by 6.3 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively, officials said in a May 9 news release.
The cost of Priority Mail Express won’t change, however.
“The USPS governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue,” officials said.
The adjusted postal rates are the first in a series of planned price hikes — five in all — on first-class “forever” stamps set to roll out over the next two years, McClatchy News reported. Pricing changes will occur “each January and July thereafter” through December 2027, the USPS said.
The latest adjustments will include a 6-cent increase on domestic postcards and a 5-cent hike on international letters, according to the agency’s website.
Despite the changes, the Postal Service said its mailing and shipping rates “remain among the most affordable in the world.”