Forever Stamps Go to 82 Cents on Sunday

The U.S. Postal Service will raise the price of a first-class Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents on Sunday, July 12, the latest in a string of increases meant to slow the agency's mounting financial losses.

Other postage products go up the same day. Domestic postcards will cost 65 cents, up from 61 cents. International postcards and letters will cost $1.75, up from $1.70.

The USPS announced the increase in April, and the Postal Regulatory Commission, the federal agency that oversees the mail service, approved it in May. The commission signed off while flagging concerns about the agency's finances, its delivery performance and shrinking mail volumes.

"Notwithstanding the adjustment, the Postal Service's mailing prices remain among the most affordable in the world," a USPS spokesperson told CBS News.

Over the past five years, the agency has raised the price of a first-class stamp six times, a 34% increase from 58 cents in 2021 to 78 cents before this week's hike.

The agency recorded a $9 billion loss in fiscal 2025. According to a May analysis by the Postal Regulatory Commission, USPS operating expenses are rising faster than revenue: costs climbed $1.8 billion in fiscal 2025 while revenue rose only $1 billion. Mail volume fell 3.7% over the same period, and USPS prices rose roughly 15% between July 2024 and the end of the fiscal year.

A 2025 report by the USPS Office of the Inspector General attributed part of the long-term shortfall to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, which created a fund requiring the agency to prepay retiree health benefits. "Following 2006, the Postal Service recorded net losses each year," the watchdog said.

More increases appear likely. Postmaster General David Steiner told a House panel in March that first-class stamps should rise to between 90 and 95 cents, which he said "would largely solve our controllable loss." He also warned the agency risked running out of cash within 12 months.

Lawmakers in both parties have criticized delivery delays. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said in June he was investigating "ongoing mail service failures plaguing Missouri," and Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, flagged delays in the El Paso area in November.

Forever stamps bought before July 12 remain valid. The USPS says the stamps are non-denominated and always cover the current price of one-ounce first-class mail.