Forever stamp to cost 63¢ beginning Jan. 22

By Bill McAllister, Washington Correspodent

The price of a United States forever stamp will jump to 63¢ on Jan. 22, 2023.

That’s a 3¢ increase over the 60¢ price that became effective July 10. The price jump reflects Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s plan to boost postal revenues as quickly as possible.

The U.S. Postal Service also announced some other price changes for next year.

Metered first-class letters will also see a 3¢ increase, from 57¢ to 60¢.

Domestic postcards will rise to 48¢ from 44¢. International postcards will increase to $1.45 from $1.40.

The rate for a 1-ounce international letter will also rise to $1.45 from $1.40.

The increases, which were announced Oct. 7 by the USPS, are subject to approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

The changes reflect DeJoy’s plan to move to twice-a-year rate increases and the Postal Service’s board of governors’ endorsement of seeking the maximum return on postal rates that is allowed for the USPS.

The Postal Service is allowed up to a 4.2 percent increase on first-class mail rates, the USPS said in papers filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission.

The USPS acknowledged that its planned 63¢ stamp represents a price increase of 5 percent.

Price adjustments for other first-class mail products would keep the overall first-class increase to 4.2 percent, the USPS said.

Prices for presorted first-class letters and postcards will increase by about 3.6 percent, while large envelopes (flats) will rise by 6.2 percent, the filing said.

Collectors who make purchases through the Postal Service’s Stamp Fulfillment Services center in Kansas City, Mo., will have to pay higher fees on their orders.

The current $1.50 charge on orders up to $50 will rise to $1.55, and the fee on orders above $50 will increase 10¢ to $2.20.

The surcharge for custom stamp orders, those not listed in the USA Philatelic catalog, will rise to $2.85 from the current $2.70.

Collectors living overseas will also pay higher fees: $8.30 for orders up to $50 and $8.95 for purchases greater than $50.

DeJoy has rejected pleas from commercial mailers to go slow on future rate increases.

He wants to move quickly to implement his 10-year Delivering for America plan, which requires millions of dollars for upgrading postal facilities and the purchase of a new mail delivery truck fleet.

The Postal Service is in better financial shape than when DeJoy arrived in Washington, D.C., two years ago, but it still faces rising costs and declining letter volume, he said.

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