The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently announced it wants to increase the price of a stamp by two cents.
On Oct 12, the USPS filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes for mailing services products beginning next year after the end of the holiday mailing season. The new prices, if approved, include a two-cent increase in the price of a first-class mail Forever stamp, reverting the price to 49 cents, which was the cost before the postal service was forced to reduce prices by the PRC as part of the exigent surcharge removal this past April.
The last time stamp prices increased was in January 2014. Today’s price change filing does not include any price change for postcards; for letters being mailed to international destinations; or for additional ounces for letters.
The first-class mail prices for these products are:
| Product | Current | New |
| Letters (one ounce) | 47 cents | 49 cents |
| Letters additional ounces | 21 cents | 21 cents |
| Letters to all international destinations | $1.15 | $1.15 |
| Postcards | 34 cents | 34 cents |
According to the USPS, stamp prices have remained consistent with the average annual rate of inflation since the postal service was formed in 1971.
Pricing for U.S. standard mail; periodicals; package services; and extra services will also be adjusted next year and can be found at prc.gov. The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to become effective on Jan. 22, 2017.