The United States Postal Service (USPS) increased the price of its First-Class Mail Forever stamps to 78 cents per unit starting this Sunday, July 13, as part of the agency’s financial stability plan for the next decade.
The hike, which raises the rate for this essential product by 7.4%, is part of the agency’s strategy to address its financial crisis and transform into a self-sustaining organization, according to FOX Business.
The increase doesn’t only affect permanent stamps. The cost of each additional ounce for single-piece mail also rose, from 28 to 29 cents.
Other products, such as postcards and international letters, were not exempt: the price of a domestic postcard increased to 61 cents from the previous 56 cents, while the cost for international letters and postcards weighing one ounce rose to $1.70 from $1.65.
The increase is part of the strategic plan known as Delivering for America, introduced by the USPS in 2021, an initiative aimed at reversing more than $160 billion in losses accumulated in recent years.
“The goal is for the Postal Service to become a self-sufficient, high-performance entity,” the agency explained in its presentation to the Postal Regulatory Commission.
The plan includes key investments: $20 billion for modernizing the mail and package processing network, $19 billion to strengthen the retail and delivery network, and another $2 billion for technological improvements, including central computer systems.
The USPS aims to improve its responsiveness to the rise of e-commerce and the sustained decline in traditional mail volume.
Last December, the agency had already announced several price increases in the short and medium term. According to the latest statement, the first price update will take effect on July 13, 2025, affecting all “market-dominant classes,” which include products like First-Class Mail, advertising mail, periodicals, and certain special services.
The agency also indicated it expects “to adjust prices for all market-dominant classes in January and July of 2026 and 2027.” As a result, commercial and residential users should prepare for a gradual rise in costs over the next two years.
“Even with these increases, USPS prices remain among the most affordable in the world,” the agency stated in an official release regarding the price hike.
New USPS Prices Starting July 2025:
- Letters (1 oz): 78 cents (previously, 73)
- Metered letters (1 oz): 74 cents (previously, 69)
- Domestic postcards: 61 cents (previously, 56)
- International postcards: $1.70 (previously, $1.65)
- International letters (1 oz): $1.70 (previously, $1.65)
- Additional ounce for single-piece letters: 29 cents (previously, 28)
The implementation of these updates is part of the USPS’s effort to balance its finances after a decade marked by losses. According to the agency, the planned investments are “aimed at strengthening infrastructure” and “enabling an efficient and reliable experience for customers and businesses.”
The price increase for Forever stamps and other postal products will require millions of users, businesses, and organizations to adjust costs for traditional mailings, magazines, and printed advertising.
The official strategy, in addition to periodic price increases, includes investments in the renewal of delivery vehicles and improvements to the service network, with a special focus on technological modernization to streamline processes and adapt to current market demands.
The policy of periodic rate adjustments will be monitored by the Postal Regulatory Commission and communicated in advance to consumers and businesses to facilitate the transition and adoption of the new prices.
Image: Infobae
