US Postal Service Wants to Raise Stamps to 82 Cents
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service has filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of mailing services price changes to take effect on July 12. The new rates include a 4-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents.
USPS says it is facing a severe financial crisis as operational costs continue to rise, especially with gas prices soaring over the past six weeks.
The proposed postage adjustments, approved by the governors of the Postal Service, would raise mailing services product prices approximately 4.8 percent. If favorably reviewed by the Commission, the price changes would include:
| Product | Current prices | Planned prices |
|---|---|---|
| Letters (1 ounce) | 78 cents | 82 cents |
| Letters (metered 1 ounce) | 74 cents | 78 cents |
| Domestic postcards | 61 cents | 65 cents |
| International postcards | $1.70 | $1.75 |
| International letter (1 ounce) | $1.70 | $1.75 |
The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters will remain at 29 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for other First-Class Mail products, Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, Package Services and selected Special Services products.
The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect.
USPS is also temporarily raising prices by 8% for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select.
