Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content
Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search
CLOSE ×
Search
Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

The Post Office Just Hiked Stamp Prices

Postcard prices ticked up, too


stamps with george washington on them
AARP (Source: Getty Images (2))

The U.S. Postal Service raised the price of a first-class Forever stamp by 5 cents, from 73 cents to 78 cents, on July 13. A first-class stamp covers the cost to mail a 1-ounce letter; the cost of an additional ounce rose from 28 cents to 29 cents.

Many of the post office’s smorgasbord of services became more expensive, too.

Metered letters now cost 74 cents, up from 69 cents. Domestic postcard prices also went up, rising to 62 cents from 56 cents, while international postcards increased from $1.65 to $1.70. You’ll pay a nickel extra for outbound international letters: They now cost $1.70, up from $1.65.

What did a first-class postage stamp cost?

  • Jan. 22, 2017: 49 cents
  • Jan. 21, 2018: 50 cents
  • Jan. 27, 2019: 55 cents
  • Aug. 29, 2021: 58 cents
  • July 10, 2022: 60 cents
  • Jan. 22, 2023: 63 cents
  • July 9, 2023: 66 cents
  • Jan. 21, 2024: 68 cents
  • July 14, 2024: 73 cents
  • July 13, 2025: 78 cents

Source: Historian, U.S. Postal Service

What is a Forever stamp?

A Forever stamp sends a 1-ounce letter to any U.S. address. You don't have to add additional postage. In fact, you can use an original 41-cent Forever stamp you bought 18 years ago 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.

You can even use Forever stamps for outbound international letters, but you’ll have to include additional stamps to get to the correct amount of international postage. For international letters, a Forever stamp has the value of the price of a first-class stamp on the day it is used.

A 1-ounce letter cost 6 cents to send in 1863, according to the USPS historian, and 10 cents around 50 years ago. 

The original U.S. Post Office Department, established in 1792 as part of the federal government, was reorganized in 1970 as the U.S. Postal Service, a separate agency, and generally receives no taxpayer money for operating expenses. 

Unlock Access to AARP Members Edition

Join AARP to Continue

Already a Member?

Most Popular