Stamp prices on the rise again: what it means for everyday Americans and the future of USPS
Pranjal Chandra | Apr 10, 2025, 13:52 IST
( Image credit : TIL Creatives )
The U.S. Postal Service plans to increase the price of a first-class “forever” stamp to 78 cents this summer, part of a broader 7.4% increase across mailing services. These hikes are deemed necessary to address the agency's financial challenges amid declining first-class mail volumes.
In a move that’s raising eyebrows and budgets alike, the U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to raise the cost of a first-class “forever” stamp from 73 cents to 78 cents this summer. The proposed hike, set to take effect on July 13 if approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, is part of a broader 7.4% increase across mailing services, including postcards, metered letters, and international mail.
For the average consumer, that’s yet another hit to the wallet — albeit a small one on the surface — but one that reflects deeper challenges and transformations within one of America’s oldest institutions.
This isn’t an isolated adjustment. In fact, the Postal Service has raised stamp prices multiple times in recent years. The steady drumbeat of rate hikes has become almost predictable, with former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy even warning customers to brace for “uncomfortable” increases as the USPS attempts to patch its long-standing financial wounds.
According to USPS, these hikes are necessary to correct what DeJoy called a “defective pricing model” that left the agency bleeding money for over a decade. The agency, which processes and delivers hundreds of billions of pieces of mail annually, faces immense pressure from falling first-class mail volumes — once its primary revenue source — as more Americans switch to digital communication.
But while the rationale for the increases may be grounded in economics, the impact on consumers, small businesses, and nonprofits is far from minor.
A few cents may not seem like much, but for small business owners who rely heavily on direct mail campaigns or nonprofits mailing donation requests and newsletters, each uptick translates to higher operational costs. For elderly citizens and lower-income individuals who depend on the postal service for bill payments and essential communication, the rising costs create a growing burden.
“It’s not just about stamps it’s about access,” says Rachel Monroe, a senior advocate with the National Postal Consumers Council. “Every time prices go up, a slice of the population is cut off a little more.”
This latest proposal comes during a transitional period for the USPS. Louis DeJoy, a controversial figure appointed during the Trump administration, resigned in March after nearly five years as Postmaster General. His departure followed growing speculation around the Trump administration’s plans to privatize the mail service or place it under the Commerce Department’s purview — a move critics argue could prioritize profit over public service.
For now, Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino is stepping in as the interim head of the USPS until the Board of Governors appoints a permanent successor. Tulino inherits a system in flux, with a $78 billion-a-year operation grappling with structural shifts, staffing challenges, and the continued push to modernize.
With its sprawling network, unionized workforce, and crucial role in everything from vote-by-mail elections to rural deliveries, the USPS is more than just a business it’s a backbone of American infrastructure. Yet the agency walks a tightrope between operating like a private entity and fulfilling its public mandate.
The rate hikes, though incremental, highlight a larger question: What role should the Postal Service play in the digital age? As traditional mail continues to decline and e-commerce logistics shift, USPS must either reinvent itself or risk being left behind.
In the meantime, Americans can expect to pay a little more to send a letter come July a small price tag that speaks volumes about the challenges of keeping a historic institution afloat in a changing world.
For the average consumer, that’s yet another hit to the wallet — albeit a small one on the surface — but one that reflects deeper challenges and transformations within one of America’s oldest institutions.
A pattern of increases
According to USPS, these hikes are necessary to correct what DeJoy called a “defective pricing model” that left the agency bleeding money for over a decade. The agency, which processes and delivers hundreds of billions of pieces of mail annually, faces immense pressure from falling first-class mail volumes — once its primary revenue source — as more Americans switch to digital communication.
But while the rationale for the increases may be grounded in economics, the impact on consumers, small businesses, and nonprofits is far from minor.
Pinching the pockets of the public
“It’s not just about stamps it’s about access,” says Rachel Monroe, a senior advocate with the National Postal Consumers Council. “Every time prices go up, a slice of the population is cut off a little more.”
Leadership shake-up amid change
For now, Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino is stepping in as the interim head of the USPS until the Board of Governors appoints a permanent successor. Tulino inherits a system in flux, with a $78 billion-a-year operation grappling with structural shifts, staffing challenges, and the continued push to modernize.
A crossroads for the postal service
The rate hikes, though incremental, highlight a larger question: What role should the Postal Service play in the digital age? As traditional mail continues to decline and e-commerce logistics shift, USPS must either reinvent itself or risk being left behind.
In the meantime, Americans can expect to pay a little more to send a letter come July a small price tag that speaks volumes about the challenges of keeping a historic institution afloat in a changing world.