It's actually kind of wild how much we still rely on physical mail. You’d think by 2026, with every single person having a supercomputer in their pocket, we would have collectively stopped licking envelopes. But nope. Taxes still come in the mail. Jury summons show up in that distinct, slightly threatening font. And your grandmother definitely isn’t sending a "Happy Birthday" GIF via DM—she’s sending a card. If you've been standing in your kitchen holding an envelope and wondering how much is a US forever stamp these days, the answer depends entirely on how recently you’ve been to the post office.
As of right now, the price for a single First-Class Mail Forever stamp is 73 cents.
Wait. It was just 68 cents not that long ago, right? Exactly. If you feel like the price of postage is climbing faster than your grocery bill, you aren't imagining things. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been on an aggressive "Delivering for America" plan, which is a fancy way of saying they are raising prices twice a year to try and dig themselves out of a massive financial hole. Honestly, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster.
Why the Price of Forever Stamps Keeps Changing
The whole point of the "Forever" stamp, which was introduced back in 2007, was to save us from the annoyance of those tiny 1-cent or 2-cent stamps. You remember those? You’d have a drawer full of old stamps that weren't quite enough, so you’d have to plaster three or four of them on a letter like a collage. Forever stamps fixed that. Once you buy them, they are valid for a one-ounce letter forever, regardless of how high the price goes.
But why the hikes?
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has been pretty vocal about the fact that the USPS was losing billions. To fix it, they’ve moved to a "frequent and predictable" rate hike schedule. Typically, these price adjustments happen in January and July. So, if you are asking how much is a US forever stamp in the middle of the year, you might get a different answer than you did on New Year’s Day.
Here is the breakdown of how we got to 73 cents:
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- Early 2023: 60 cents
- July 2023: 66 cents
- January 2024: 68 cents
- July 2024: 73 cents
It’s a steep curve. If you’re mailing a wedding invitation or a thick stack of holiday cards, that extra 13 cents per envelope adds up fast.
What You’re Actually Paying For
When you hand over your 73 cents, you aren't just buying a piece of adhesive paper. You’re paying for a massive logistical miracle. The USPS processes roughly 116 billion pieces of mail annually. They have to get your letter from a blue box in rural Montana to a doorstep in downtown Miami. It’s a labor-intensive process involving thousands of sorting machines, planes, long-haul trucks, and those iconic white LLVs (the mail trucks) that look like they haven't been redesigned since the 1980s.
Inflation is the real killer here. Fuel costs for the fleet are astronomical. Labor costs are rising. The USPS is also trying to modernize its infrastructure, which includes buying a whole new fleet of electric delivery vehicles. All of that money has to come from somewhere, and since the USPS doesn't actually run on taxpayer dollars for its daily operations, it comes from your stamps.
The Strategy: Should You Stock Up?
Is it worth it to buy a "coil" of 100 stamps right now?
Let's do the math. If you buy 100 stamps at 73 cents, you’re out $73. If the price jumps to 76 cents in six months—which is a very real possibility given the current trend—you’ve essentially "earned" a 4% return on your money. That’s better than some high-yield savings accounts.
If you send a lot of mail, stocking up is a no-brainer. If you only mail one letter every three months to pay your water bill because their website is from 1998, it probably doesn't matter. But for small business owners or anyone still doing "snail mail" marketing, these pennies are significant.
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Don't Get Scammed on "Cheap" Stamps
This is a huge issue lately. You’ll see ads on social media or random websites claiming to sell "Discount Forever Stamps" for 40 cents or 50 cents.
It is a scam. Every single time.
The USPS does not "wholesale" stamps to random third-party websites at a 50% discount. These sites are either selling high-quality counterfeits or they are just going to steal your credit card info. If the price is significantly lower than the official 73-cent rate, walk away. The only place to get real stamps is the Post Office, their official website, or authorized retailers like your local grocery store, CVS, or Costco. Costco used to be the go-to for "bulk" savings, but even there, the discount is usually only a few cents off the total roll, if any.
Beyond the Standard Letter: Other Costs
Sometimes a Forever stamp isn't enough. If your letter is heavy or weirdly shaped, you're going to need more than 73 cents.
- The Heavy Letter: A standard Forever stamp covers the first ounce. If you're sending a 10-page manifesto or a bunch of photos, you’ll pay an "additional ounce" fee. Currently, that's about 24 cents per extra ounce.
- The "Non-Machinable" Surcharge: This is the one that catches people off guard. If your envelope is square, or if it's really stiff (like it has a wooden ornament inside), it can't go through the automated sorting machines. The postal worker has to process it by hand. That luxury costs you extra—usually around 46 cents on top of the base price.
- Postcards: If you’re just sending a quick "Wish you were here," you don't need a full Forever stamp. Postcard stamps are cheaper, currently sitting at 56 cents.
- International: Sending a letter to Europe or Asia? You’ll need a Global Forever stamp. Those are currently $1.65.
The Philosophy of the Stamp
There’s something weirdly sentimental about the postage stamp. In an era of instant gratification, a stamp represents a commitment. You wrote something. You put it in an envelope. You paid for its journey.
While the question of how much is a US forever stamp is a practical one, it also points to a shifting landscape in how we communicate. We are willing to pay more for the physical touchpoint of a letter, even as the "free" digital alternatives become more pervasive.
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The USPS knows this. They are pivoting toward packages and "premium" mail services because that’s where the growth is. But the humble letter remains the backbone of the service. Even at 73 cents, it’s still arguably one of the cheapest services in the country. Think about it: for less than the price of a candy bar, you can send a physical object across a continent. That’s actually a bargain when you think about the fuel and human effort involved.
Practical Steps for Your Next Mailing
Don't just guess. If you have an old stack of stamps and you aren't sure if they are "Forever" stamps, look at the face. If it says "Forever" and doesn't have a denomination (like 45c or 50c) printed on it, you are good to go. It doesn't matter if you bought it in 2012 for 45 cents; it will still get your letter delivered today.
Check your "junk" drawer. Most Americans have about 10-15 random stamps scattered in drawers or stuck to the back of old bills. Use those first.
If you are planning a big event—like a wedding—buy your stamps now. If your wedding is in August and you’re buying stamps in June, you might beat the July price hike. It’s a small win, but in this economy, we take what we can get.
Lastly, always weigh your mail if it feels thick. There is nothing worse than having a "Return to Sender" notice because you were short a few cents on postage. It delays your mail by days and makes you look a bit disorganized. Most post offices have a self-service kiosk where you can weigh your envelope and buy the exact postage you need without even talking to a human.
Actionable Summary for 2026:
- Check the date: If it’s after July, the price might have just ticked up again.
- Buy in bulk: If you use more than 20 stamps a year, just buy a book or a coil now to hedge against the next inevitable increase.
- Verify your source: Only buy from the USPS, banks, or major grocery chains.
- Mind the weight: Anything over one ounce needs an extra stamp or "additional ounce" postage.
- Use "Forever" logic: If you find an old Forever stamp from five years ago, use it! It's worth exactly 73 cents today.