Stamps Increasing to .45 Sunday – January 22, 2012

It’s going to cost a little bit more to mail that letter, bill or greeting card next week. On Sunday, the price of a first class postage stamp is going up a penny from 44 to 45-cents. This is the first increase in the price of a first-class mail stamp since May 2009, according to postal officials.

Prices for most postal service mailing services are changing Sunday.

• Single-piece letters additional ounce rate will remain unchanged at 20 cents, but postcards are increasing by three cents to 32 cents.
• Letters weighing one ounce going to Canada or Mexico will see a five-cent rate increase to 85 cents.
• Letters to other international destinations will increase seven cents to $1.05.
• The second ounce will be free for first-class mail presort pieces weighing between one and two ounces.

While actual percentage price increases for various products and services vary, postal officials said the overall average price increase across all mailing services is capped by law at 2.1 percent, the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

The new prices were filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission on Oct. 18, and the new prices will go into effect on Jan. 22.

Forever stamps purchased before Sunday will still be valid and are always equal in value to the current first–class mail one ounce rate.