Current and historical Price of a Forever Stamp (2024)

FAQs

Current and historical Price of a Forever Stamp? ›

The cost of a Forever postage stamp has just gone up, under a U.S. Postal Service plan to boost the price of the first-class stamp to 73 cents from 68 cents — a price that was just raised in January. The 5-cent increase went into effect on Sunday — now the the sixth price hike since January 2021.

Postal rates, including the price of Forever stamps, are going up again. Forever stamps get a 5-cent increase from 68 cents to 73 cents when the price increase goes into effect on Sunday. When Forever stamps were introduced in 2007, they cost 41 cents each.

As the name suggests, Forever Stamps can be used to mail a one-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change in the future.

The cost of a one-ounce First-Class Mail® stamp is $0.73 at the Post Office, or $0.69 if you buy and print stamps online using Stamps.com.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will raise the price of its postage stamps again on Sunday, the second price hike in 2024, with the increase tying the record for the biggest hike ever. From Sunday, a first-class mail Forever Stamp will cost 73 cents each — a 5 cent, or 7%, rise from its current price of 68 cents.

The Postal Service proposed a rate increase in April that would raise the cost of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp by 5 cents starting July 14. The jump from 68 cents to 73 cents is part of an overall 7.8% increase to take effect this summer.

Avoid placing two Forever stamps on a mail piece for heavier mail. Additional ounces are much cheaper costing only $0.28 per additional ounce rather than $0.73 for a one ounce letter. If you add two Forever stamps to a 2-ounce letter, you would be paying for an item that should only cost $0.90.

Yes, you can still use old postage stamps even after the price of mailing a letter increases. The United States Postal Service (USPS) allows customers to use a combination of stamps to make up the difference. While the simple answer is yes, there are some additional details that are important to understand.

What will happen if I try to use old stamps after the deadline? Old stamps will be treated as having "insufficient postage", much the same as if you forgot to put a stamp on the item. The recipient will have to pay an extra fee or the item will be returned to the sender.

Once you buy stamps from the Post Office, generally all sales are final. So, you can't sell stamps back to the Post Office, but you do have some options. Instead, you can sell your stamps to a Postage Buying Service for a cash payment.

Are stamps at Costco cheaper? ›

Costco often sells stamps in sets of 100 for anywhere from $0.25 to a couple of dollars off the retail price. As I covered earlier in this article, you can save money by buying now and using it later. It never hurts to stock up if you're in the area or are already headed to Costco.

Customers must affix additional postage when mailing letters weighing in excess of 1 ounce and/or letters subject to the nonmachinable surcharge or mailpieces subject to another rate of postage (e.g., large envelopes or packages).

You might find that you have a super rare stamp in your collection, but the condition is rather poor. Time can play a big part in damaging a stamp and if it's not well taken care of in its lifespan, it can quickly lose value.

Forever stamps never expire and are able to be used on any 1 oz. letter at any time, no matter the current price of Forever Stamps. How many Forever stamps do I need to use? One Forever Stamp is enough for a 1 oz.

Are Forever stamps still good for postage? Yes. As its name implies, you can use a Forever stamp regardless of what price you paid for it or when you bought it.

Overall, postage costs are rising 7.8% increase, USPS said in a statement in April. "These price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the organization's Delivering for America 10-year plan," the agency said at the time.

Postage Rate Increase 2024

Starting on July 14th, 2024, the US Postal Service will increase “Forever” stamp prices from 68 cents to 73 cents for letters weighing one ounce or less. This is on top of another increase that was put into place January 2024, where stamps increased from 63 cents to 68 cents.

The postage value of a Forever Stamp is the current First-Class Mail single-piece 1-ounce letter rate — $0.41.

In short, you need two Domestic Forever Stamps. This, as you know, equals $1. However, this is just for the first ounce. You have to purchase more stamps for every ounce above that weight.