JUST hours remain before all Americans will be forced to shell out more cash for a key mail essential once new regulations take effect this month.
Once the legislation officially rolls out on July 13, the United States Postal Service will bump up the cost of a number of key items, including the first-class Forever Stamp.
The United States Postal Service, or USPS, is the largest mail carrier in the world[/caption]
USPS is planning to raise the cost of key shipping services and products in just hours[/caption]
USPS is the largest mail carrier in the world, delivering more mail and packages than any other postal service.
However, the government-run mail service is not immune to inflation, which has driven up the cost of fuel, utilities, labor, and vehicle maintenance.
In response to its ongoing financial challenges, USPS is soon implementing a number of price hikes starting on Sunday, July 13.
The Post Office filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission – the federal agency that oversees the postal service – in mid April regarding the price changes.
The proposed adjustments will increase the cost of mailing services for consumers by roughly 7.4%, USPS previously announced.
Among the proposed increases is a five-cent hike on a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 73 cents to 78 cents.
The proposed price jump this month ties the record as the highest stamp increase ever and the third 5-cent increase.
It would mark the 20th time that stamp prices have change since 2000, with the rate recently increasing in July 2024, January 2024, July 2023, January 2023, and July 2022.
WALLET WOES
In addition to the Forever Stamps, a number of other USPS products, such as letters and postcards, will jump in cost.
A metered one-ounce letter, typically used by businesses or individuals sending mail in higher volumes, for example, will increase from 69 cents to 74 cents.
Under the proposed changes, a standard one-ounce letter will bump up from 73 cents to 78 cents.
Domestic postcards will likewise cost more, spiking from 56 cents to 62 cents, while international postcards will now cost five cents more at $1.70.
Consumers can expect more price increases in the coming years from the Post Office.
Following the July 2025 hike, USPS is planning to bump up the cost of key shipping services and products twice in 2026 and 2027.
USPS Price Hikes
- Forever Stamps: 73 cents to 78 cents
- Domestic postcards: 56 cents to 62 cents
- Letters (metered 1-ounce): 69 cents to 74 cents
- Letters (1-ounce): 73 cents to 78 cents
- Additional-ounce price for single letters: 28 cents to 29 cents
- International postcards: $1.65 to $1.70
- International letter (1-ounce): $1.65 to $1.70
The increases will take place in January and July of both years, the agency revealed in a document submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission in September.
WHY ARE PRICES INCREASING?
The impending price adjustments are a step for USPS to achieve the financial stability outlined in its Delivering for America plan.
Announced in 2021, the 10-year plan is guiding USPS’s transformation from an organization struggling financially and operationally to one that is self-sustaining and high performing.
“The USPS governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue,” officials said.
They will help to offset rising operating costs and ensure the Post Office’s financial stability, as it has faced major financial losses over the years.
In fiscal year 2024, USPS saw an astounding $9.5 billion net loss.
The organization generally receives no tax dollars for its operating expenses and funds its operations via the sale of mailing products and services.
Beyond the hikes at USPS, consumers are seeing price increases due to inflation and other factors at the grocery store.
For example, a common dinner staple sold at Walmart will jump in cost by 10% under a July 14 law set to hit millions of households.
At least five other grocery essentials are also expected to see price upticks later this year.
