With less than a week before the 1-cent price hike in stamps starting on May 12, 2008, the U.S. Postal Service is reporting brisk sales of the Forever Stamp, with sales topping 60 million stamps a day. A First-Class Mail stamp will cost 42-cents starting Monday, but customers can continue to use the Forever Stamps that they purchased prior to May 12 at 41-cents, even after the price change.
Select pricing highlights:
No change in the First-Class Mail single-piece additional-ounce price.
Lower additional-ounce price for presorted First-Class Mail letters.
Lower pound price for Standard Mail saturation and high-density flats.
Shape-based pricing for First-Class Mail International letters, flats, and parcels.
First-Class Mail International price groups expand from five to nine groups.
Select prices:
First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.)
$0.42
First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.)
$0.59
Postcard
$0.27
First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.)
$1.00
Certified Mail
$2.70
First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.)
$0.72
First-Class Mail International to all other countries (1 oz.)
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a postal rate increase just two weeks away, Americans are buying 30 million Forever stamps a day.
The cost of sending a first-class letter will rise a penny to 42 cents on May 12, but the Forever stamps — currently selling for 41 cents — will remain valid for full postage after the increase.
“It’s may now be viewed as snail mail, but the U.S. Postal Service has managed to hit on a winning strategy for selling stamps: Announce an increase in price, then offer a “Forever Stamp” that never goes up. Since its introduction last year, Americans have found the stamp such a bargain they’ve snapped up $2.3 billion worth, including $95 million since the Postal Service announced stamps are going up again.”