Sending mail will soon cost more as the U.S. Postal Service plans yet another round of price hikes on postage.
The cost of Forever stamps and other postage is set to increase on Jan. 22, 2023, USPS announced in an Oct. 7 news release. Affected postage will see a 4.2% jump in price, a move officials said is necessary to keep up with inflation.
For instance, the price of a first-class Mail Forever stamp will increase by 3 cents to 63 cents by early next year, the postal service said. Consumers can also expect to pay 60 cents for 1-ounce metered mail and 48 cents to send a domestic postcard.
The news comes months after the USPS hiked the price of stamps in July from 58 cents to 60 cents, McClatchy News reported.
“The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item,” USPS said, though it did not detail how much more those items could cost.
The new rates include:
Letters (1 ounce): 63 cents
Letters (metered, 1 ounce): 60 cents
Domestic postcards: 48 cents
International postcards: $1.45
International letter: $1.45
Changes aren’t expected on the single-piece letter and the flat additional-ounce price, which is 24 cents, according to the postal service.
Earlier this year, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy warned that Americans would see “uncomfortable” hikes in postage rates as the USPS works toward becoming self-sustaining, Fortune.com reported.
“I believe we have been severely damaged by at least 10 years of a defective pricing model which cannot be satisfied by one or two annual price increases, especially in this inflationary environment,” DeJoy said during a Board of Governors meeting, the news outlet reported.
The Governors Board has OK’d the latest price increases, and the Postal Regulatory Commission is set to review the proposed changes.