(NEXSTAR) – Sending a piece of mail or a postcard will soon be more expensive in response to inflation, marking the fourth price hike in roughly a year and a half.
Mailing prices most recently rose in January when the United States Postal Service increased the costs of some postage by more than 4%.
Less than four months later, the USPS requested price changes for multiple services, including Forever stamps. The agency asked the Postal Regulatory Commission to increase certain prices by roughly 5.4% “to offset the rise in inflation.” That request was approved as of Wednesday.
Among those price changes are a 3-cent increase to Forever stamps, pushing them to 66 cents each. The iconic stamps were previously raised to 63 cents each in January. If you purchased Forever stamps at a cheaper price, have no fear — Forever stamps are always accepted, hence the name.
Sending a 1-ounce letter will also require 66 cents in postage. Here’s what will become more expensive starting on July 9:
| Product | Current Prices | New Prices |
| Letters (1 oz.) | 63 cents | 66 cents |
| Letters (metered 1 oz.) | 60 cents | 63 cents |
| Domestic Postcards | 48 cents | 51 cents |
| International Postcards | $1.45 | $1.50 |
| International Letter (1 oz.) | $1.45 | $1.50 |
Price changes were also sought for Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees, and insurance purchased when mailing an item.
“As operating expenses fueled by inflation continue to rise and the effects of a previously defective pricing model are still being felt, these price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan,” USPS said in an April press release.
In addition to the price increases, the Postal Regulatory Commission approved USPS’s plan to implement Ground Advantage on July 9. It brings multiple USPS services — Retail Ground, First-Class Package, and Parcel Select Ground — into one service.
