The U.S. Postal Service intends to implement a price hike for mailing letters this summer, pending approval from federal regulators. This change, announced on April 9, would take effect on July 12 and includes an approximate 4.8 percent increase across various mailing services.
If approved, the cost of a First-Class Forever stamp would increase from 78 cents to 82 cents. Additionally, the price for a metered one-ounce letter would rise from 74 cents to 78 cents, while domestic postcards would see an increase from 61 cents to 65 cents. For international mail, both postcards and one-ounce letters would go up from $1.70 to $1.75. The charge for each additional ounce on a single-piece letter would stay at 29 cents.
The Postal Service indicated that these adjustments are necessary to tackle a significant financial crisis and rising operational expenses. It noted that it typically does not receive tax funding for operations, relying instead on revenue from postage, products, and services.
These proposed rates are not yet finalized and require review by the Postal Regulatory Commission before they can be enacted. Should they be approved, this would mark another increase in postage rates as the Postal Service seeks to stabilize its financial situation under a long-term restructuring initiative. Queen Creek residents and businesses would pay the higher rates in July, as would mailers nationwide.
