USPS announces stamp price to increase three cents

Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, January 11, 2023

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The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect on Jan. 22, 2023.

The new rates include a three-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 60 cents to 63 cents.

If favorably reviewed by the Commission, the proposed increases will raise First-Class Mail prices approximately 4.2 percent to offset the rise in inflation. The price changes have been approved by the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service.

The price for 1-ounce metered mail will increase to 60 cents, and the price to send a domestic postcard will increase to 48 cents. A 1-ounce letter mailed to another country would increase to $1.45. There will be no change to the single-piece letter and flat additional-ounce price, which remains at 24 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees, and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.

As operating expenses continue to rise, these price adjustments provide the Postal Service with much-needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan. The prices of the U.S. Postal Service remain among the most affordable in the world.

The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the PRC website under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily.

The United States Postal Service announced several new stamp subjects for 2023 in October and December last year.

The USPS generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund.