USPS Raises Stamp Prices Again: What It Costs Now
The postal service is hiking postage rates again July 12 — its eighth increase in five years. Here's how fast prices have climbed.
Your forever stamp is about to cost more. Again. The U.S. Postal Service rolls out yet another price hike this Saturday, July 12, and if you've lost count, you're not alone — this is the eighth postage increase in just five calendar years. That's not a typo.
Think about that cadence for a second. Eight hikes in five years means the USPS has been raising prices faster than most Americans get annual raises. Each individual bump might feel small, but the compounding effect on stamp prices over this stretch has been significant. If you've been buying forever stamps in bulk ahead of each increase, you've quietly been making one of the better low-risk inflation trades available to everyday consumers.
Read more Bank of America Says the U.S. Has Split Into Two Economies →
The forever stamp was famously designed so you'd never get caught short — buy now, use later, no surcharge. That mechanic still works in your favor here. Stock up before Saturday and you're locking in today's rate for every piece of mail you send down the road, no matter how many future hikes the USPS announces. It's not glamorous, but it's a real, tangible hedge against postal inflation.
The broader story here is what this signals about the USPS's financial health and operating costs. Eight increases in five years suggests the agency is under sustained pressure — rising labor costs, declining first-class mail volume, and infrastructure expenses don't fix themselves. Expect this trend to continue. There's little reason to believe postage costs have found a ceiling.
Bottom line: if you send any mail at all, get to the post office or shop online before July 12. After that, the new rate is locked in and the next hike is probably already being planned. Continue reading at MarketWatch.com
