# # # Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news. An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation, 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
FAQs
What are the rules for forever stamps? ›
As the name suggests, Forever Stamps can be used to mail a one-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change in the future. Forever Stamps are always sold at the same price as a regular First-Class Mail stamp.
How do I know if a forever stamp is enough? ›A USPS Forever stamp is valid to use on a normal-sized, one-ounce letter sent within the United States. If you're looking to mail an international letter, you may face additional shipping costs. Likewise, if your letter is more than one ounce, it may need additional postage.
How do I know if my stamps are still good? ›As mentioned above, postal stamps do not expire and can be used indefinitely. In the event of a price increase, customers can purchase Denomination Stamps to make up the price for postage or use Forever Stamps. Can I purchase 1-cent or 3-cent stamps to makeup the increase in postage? Yes.
Can I use old stamps after price increase? ›That means any stamps you have now that you bought for 68 cents or cheaper can still be used even after the price increase.
What are the rules for using stamps? ›If your letter is a standard-sized envelope and weighs 3.5 ounces or less, you will need one stamp. Large envelopes. This includes 9x12, legal, and manila envelopes, Two stamps are needed for the first ounce, and postage will be an additional $0.20 cents after.
What happens if a letter weighs over 1 oz? ›Customers must affix additional postage when mailing letters weighing in excess of 1 ounce and/or letters subject to the nonmachinable surcharge or mailpieces subject to another rate of postage (e.g., large envelopes or packages).
Are forever stamps from 10 years ago still good? ›A Forever stamp, as its name suggests, can be used to mail a letter regardless of when it was purchased. That means if you bought a book of Forever stamps 10 years ago, when the price was 49 cents each, you can still use them to mail letters now, even though prices have climbed.
How do I know if my envelope needs extra postage? ›If the envelope is over either 6⅛″ in height, 11½″ in width, or ¼″ in thickness, it gets bumped into the large envelope category (which requires extra postage and different rules apply to large envelopes).
What happens if I use 2 forever stamps? ›Avoid placing two Forever stamps on a mail piece for heavier mail. Additional ounces are much cheaper costing only $0.28 per additional ounce rather than $0.73 for a one ounce letter. If you add two Forever stamps to a 2-ounce letter, you would be paying for an item that should only cost $0.90.
How does the Post Office know that a stamp has been used? ›Most stamps are coated with a substance that may be detected by cancellation machines which verify that postage is affixed. These machines reject letters on which a stamp cannot be detected. If the stamp affixed is torn, the cancellation machine may not be able to detect its presence.
Why is forever crossed out on stamps? ›
A: The United States Postal Service requires a line through the word "Forever" when the stamp is pictured. This is done to prevent counterfeit copies. The stamps you receive do not have the line through the word.
How do they know if you reuse stamps? ›Mute cancellation (killer)
After use, many stamps are marked with a cancellation by the postal system, which defaces the stamp and prevents its reuse. The cancellation usually includes a killer placed on the stamp that has black bars, cork impressions or other obstructive shapes to deface the stamp.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will raise the price of its postage stamps again on Sunday, the second price hike in 2024, with the increase tying the record for the biggest hike ever. From Sunday, a first-class mail Forever Stamp will cost 73 cents each — a 5 cent, or 7%, rise from its current price of 68 cents.
What happens if you post a letter with an old stamp? ›What will happen if I try to use old stamps after the deadline? Old stamps will be treated as having "insufficient postage", much the same as if you forgot to put a stamp on the item. The recipient will have to pay an extra fee or the item will be returned to the sender.
Can I swap old stamps at the Post Office? ›You are unable to directly swap stamps at the Post Office. You must complete and return the 'Stamp Swap Out' form along with any unused stamps to the Royal Mail freepost address provided.
How long do forever stamps expire? ›Benefits of Using Forever Stamps
The United States Postal Service (USPS) clearly states on its website that these stamps do not expire, making them a wise investment for long-term use. This means you can purchase the stamps at the current price and use them even if postal rates increase in the future.
Avoid placing two Forever stamps on a mail piece for heavier mail. Additional ounces are much cheaper costing only $0.28 per additional ounce rather than $0.73 for a one ounce letter. If you add two Forever stamps to a 2-ounce letter, you would be paying for an item that should only cost $0.90.
Do permanent stamps expire? ›The PERMANENT™ stamp, identified with the letter P in place of a value, is always accepted at the current domestic postage price. If you buy a PERMANENT stamp today, you can use it anytime in the future.
How many forever stamps do I need to mail a card? ›If you are mailing a card inside a standard-size envelope weighing less than one ounce, you only need one Forever Stamp or current postage.