Commission OKs adding new forever stamps

The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved the idea of adding five new “Forever” first-class stamps to the offerings of the United States Postal Service.

In an April 9 order the panel commended USPS for pushing the concept and said it agreed that the new stamps “will enhance customer convenience.”

It agreed with a suggestion from its public representative that each of the new stamps should carry a reference to the specific type of mail for which it is designed.

That “would provide added clarity for potential customers,” the commission said.

“To ensure successful implementation of its Forever stamp offerings, the Commission encourages the Postal Service to continue to educate its employees and the public regarding these stamps’ usage and value,” the panel said.

The commission also endorsed a suggestion by Stamps.com to expand forever stamp status to computer-generated postage. It called the idea “worthy of consideration by the Postal Service,” but said it is up to the Postal Service to decide whether to make that product available.

On March 25, USPS proposed to create the following new stamp designations to add to the already existing single-ounce forever stamps and international first-class forever stamps:

1. A forever postcard stamp

2. A forever two-ounce letter stamp

3. A forever three-ounce letter stamp

4. A forever additional-ounce stamp

5. A forever first-ounce nonmachinable surcharge stamp.

The Postal Service had planned to implement the new forever stamps on April 26, the same time as other new rates were to be imposed. But those rates have been delayed, along with other changes, to a future date when a number of rate changes can be made effective.

That date has not been announced.

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