Sending mail will get more expensive next week.
The big picture: On Jan. 21, the U.S. Postal Service is increasing the cost of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp by two cents to $0.68.
- Domestic postcard stamps will also see a two cent increase, raising their price to $0.53.
- International postcards will have a higher price hike, increasing from $1.50 to $1.55.
- Further, USPS Ground Advantage prices are being raised by 5.4 percent, Priority Mail prices by 5.7 percent and Priority Mail Express by 5.8 percent.
What they’re saying: In a statement proposing the price increases last October, the USPS pointed to inflation as the driving force behind the measure.
- “As inflationary pressures on operating expenses continue and the effects of a previously defective pricing model are still being felt, these price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan,” the USPS said. “The prices of the Postal Service remain among the most affordable in the world.”
