Price of a US stamp rises to 66 cents, the second hike this year and the 5th increase since 2019

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Stamps prices are on the rise, again — one of several changes the U.S. Postal Service is rolling out this month.

Starting Sunday, the cost of the first-class “forever” stamps will jump from 63 to 66 cents. The latest price comes just months after forever stamps climbed from 60 to 63 cents in January, following a series of similar increases in recent years.

When announcing its intention to raise forever stamp prices to 66 cents earlier this year, the USPS cited rising “operating expenses fueled by inflation” and the impacts of “a previously defective pricing model” — noting that changes to mail service costs “are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue.”

Beyond forever stamps, a handful of other mail services will also see price increases starting Sunday. The cost of sending a first-class one-ounce metered letter, for example, will rise to 63 cents and domestic postcards will jump to 51 cents. International postcards and one-ounce letters are both set to move to $1.50.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/stamp-price-usps-july-2023-postal-85bd9a4b82d250e7ff727dd0243d85cb

[Oopsie Daisy]

1. All things considered... it's still a good deal.

[jimfields33]

13. Extremely good deal. To be able to mail a letter across the country for under a dollar is

Remarkable and a privilege really.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

2. It's cheap at twice the price.

The USPS excels compared to the rest of the world in moving mail.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Because their "CEO" doesn't insist on

A bigger Christmas bonus every year. Our small town post office with about a dozen employees operates like a well oiled machine with a smile on everyone’s face.

[Stuart G]

3. Thanks for informing us of the increase now in affect.

I just bought some stamps at the old price.

[eggplant]

5. Being able to send up to an ounce (heh) to Hawaii for less than a buck is a pretty good deal.

[marble falls]

10. Shouldn't that ounce be coming FROM Hawaii? Asking for a friend.

[eggplant]

17. I've said too much.

[Gore1FL]

6. I have a roll of stamps I bought years ago. I have no idea the value.

I just put two on it, and call it a day. It's still a bargain.

[jimfields33]

14. You can use one. The price you bought them is still honored.

[Gore1FL]

19. I don't know what the price I paid or mhow many 1 centers I would need to add.

It's simply easier and worth the extra 30-something cents to add the second flag-stamp. What is weird is that when I bought them, they had "forever" stamps in stock; they simply didn't sell me them and went with a roll of $0.3x or $.04x stamps.

I hardly ever mail anything, unlike the old days whe I put a handful of bills in the mail each month. Now I just I mix and match with some extra unknown-value post-card stamps to kill my surplus.. At some point all of it will be gone and I'll replace them with "forever" stamps.

[MichMan]

32. They have to say forever on them. Not all did

[LymphocyteLover]

7. OK, but can we PLEASE get rid of DeJoy???

[essaynnc]

8. Aren't we still dealing with an old rule change?

Didn't they have to self fund their retirement for many many years which put them in the hole for billions of dollars?

[moose65]

12. That was repealed

They no longer have to worry about that.

[marble falls]

9. And still a bargain.

[Journeyman]

11. A friend of mine who collects stamps has a "History of the Postage Stamp" poster . . .

It shows the progression of the stamp from Revolutionary times to the present and beyond.

In the early years, stamps were larger and very ornate. The price was measured in 1/4 pennies.

As the years pass, however, the stamps get smaller and less ornate while the price keeps rising, until you get to the present day of generic "Forever Stamps" and prices measured in quarters and dimes.

The final image is that of the stamp of the future: A $20 bill stapled to the envelope.

[jimfields33]

15. I have close to 1,000 stamps. My future generations can have them when I kick it

They will be paying 53 cents well into 2100. Lol.

[BigmanPigman]

16. Meanwhile, a hand made Christmas card I sent to my niece in Nov, 2021

just got returned to me in May...1 1/2 years later!!!!! I just gave it to her today since I can't trust the mail anymore as well as a birthday card which never got to her in April. I never received two Covid Stimulus checks, and every few months I discover another letter or card sent by me to someone (from INSIDE the post office) never getting delivered. I even read an article that advised against mailing anything in a big, blue public mailbox since they are often stolen or destroyed. The IRS and USPS need a total overhaul.

[GenThePerservering]

18. I run a mail order business

The USPS does a great job, despite dejoyless. It's amazing. Someone always wants to scream about that one thing that happens and say ITS COMPLETELY SCREWED. I mail thousands of packages a year. Few to no problems.

[Rhiannon12866]

20. That explains it. I pre-ordered a sheet of the John Lewis stamps and they were 66-cents

The last stamps I bought (for Christmas) were 63-cents. I'd totally lost track...

[BaronChocula]

21. I can't remember the last time I bought stamps

yet I still have 12 left. Should last me the rest of my life.

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Forever Stamps have deprived them of current revenue so they must raise prices faster

Fortunately I mail about 4 letters a year.

Local retail counters have been very uncooperative in selling stamp denominations other than Forever Stamps. I need 3, 4, 10, 23, 32 cents to make up the sheets of 29's I have .... zilch. "We don't have any stamps" or "We would have to order them."

USPS rental boxes have risen about 20% this year.

[Vinca]

23. I think I'm the only person in the country happy about this. Years ago I bought a giant

stamp collection at a yard sale for $20 (always looking for the "Inverted Jenny&quot . Among the stamps were thousands of unused postage stamps. Every time a new one came out, they got added to the collection. 99% of them are worth nothing more than face value, so I'm trying to get them used up. Lots of people don't know you can use them even if they're old. And I didn't find the "Inverted Jenny."

[roamer65]

30. I use the old ones the same way as well.

Pretty much any stamp after WW2 is just worth postage.

I get comments on my colorful envelopes.

[twodogsbarking]

24. Stop asking me if I want paperless. Send me the fucking statement.

I would rather write a check and send it than prove I am not a robot, get a confirmation text or fuck around with your website when you change everything. It is worth $ .66 to avoid the bullshit.

[XanaDUer2]

25. This nt

[wryter2000]

26. I wish they'd raise it to 70 cents

And stop all the increases for a while.

[roamer65]

29. +10000

[area51]

27. "operating expenses fueled by inflation"

Well, considering this isn't actual inflation & is corporate greed for the rising prices everywhere.

[peppertree]

28. +1

Good ol' Greedflation.

[CTyankee]

31. NO WONDER the gop has always wanted to privatize it!