USPS Rate Increases Take Effect Today: Forever Stamps Rise to 82 Cents

July 12, 2026

Mailing a letter will cost a bit more starting today. The U.S. Postal Service’s planned price adjustments officially take effect Sunday, July 12, raising the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents.

The 4-cent increase is part of a broader 4.8 percent rise in mailing services product prices, which was approved by the Governors of the Postal Service and reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Under the new pricing structure that goes into effect today, a standard one-ounce First-Class Mail letter increases from 78 cents to 82 cents, while a metered one-ounce letter moves from 74 cents to 78 cents. Sending a domestic postcard now costs 65 cents, up from 61 cents. International travelers and standard mailers will also see increases, as the price for both international postcards and outbound single-piece international one-ounce letters has risen from $1.70 to $1.75.

Postal customers looking for a bit of good news will find it in the additional-ounce price for single-piece letters, which remains unchanged at 29 cents.

According to the postal service, the adjustments are a response to continued rising operational costs and the severe financial crisis facing the agency. As a self-financing independent federal establishment that generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, the USPS relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its sprawling network.

Even with the new adjustments, U.S. Postal Service officials maintain that the nation’s mailing prices remain among the most affordable in the world as the agency continues its network modernization plan ahead of its 250th year of service.

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT FEATURE 

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