Stamp Cost: Current Prices & Fees

The price of a stamp depends on what you are mailing and how much it weighs. A standard rectangular letter goes out with a Forever stamp, while postcards, heavier letters, square envelopes and international mail each have their own rate.

Every figure on this page comes from the official USPS price list (Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026) and the USPS postage prices page, checked on Oct 11, 2026. USPS adjusts postage a few times a year, so confirm the current rate at the Post Office or on usps.com before a large mailing.

A standard letter weighing 1 ounce or less costs $0.82 with stamps. That is the same price as one Forever stamp, which is why most people simply stick one on and drop the envelope in a mailbox.

Heavier letters pay more for each extra ounce. A 2-ounce stamped letter costs $1.11, a 3-ounce letter costs $1.40, and a letter at the 3.5-ounce limit costs $1.69. Past that weight, USPS treats the piece as a large envelope (a "flat"), which has its own price scale.

If you are unsure about weight, a kitchen scale works for most letters. A Post Office clerk can also weigh the envelope and sell you the exact postage.

A Forever stamp has no price printed on it. It is always worth the current price of a 1-ounce First-Class letter, even after USPS raises rates. A stamp you bought years ago still mails a 1-ounce letter today with no extra postage.

That makes Forever stamps a practical choice if you mail letters only now and then. If you buy a supply before a scheduled price change, you pay the old price for stamps that still mail a 1-ounce letter after the increase.

Global Forever Stamps

The Global Forever stamp covers a 1-ounce international letter to any country USPS serves. It costs $1.75. Like the domestic version, it keeps its value when prices go up. Heavier or oversized international mail needs additional postage.

A postcard stamp costs $0.65. The postcard has to be a standard rectangular size to get this rate; an oversized card is charged as a letter.

Square, oversized or unusually shaped envelopes cost $1.31. These envelopes cannot run through USPS sorting machines, so they are handled by hand and carry a nonmachinable surcharge. Greeting cards and wedding invitations in square envelopes often fall into this group. Rigid items, clasps and lumpy contents can also trigger the higher rate.

Businesses that use a postage meter or an online postage service pay a lower rate for First-Class letters. A 1-ounce metered letter costs $0.78, compared with $0.82 using a stamp.

For a household that mails a few bills a month, the difference is small and a meter is not worth it. For an office sending invoices or notices in bulk, metered postage adds up to real savings. Check the terms and monthly fees of any meter or postage service before signing up, since those fees are not part of USPS postage.

USPS sells Forever stamps individually, in books and in rolls (coils). Books are sold at face value, so the total depends on how many stamps the book holds. Check the count printed on the booklet, or ask at the counter. You can also order stamps on usps.com.

Be careful with heavily discounted "Forever stamps" sold by unknown online sellers. Counterfeit stamps circulate, and mail carrying fake postage can be returned or held. Buying from the Post Office, usps.com or a major retailer avoids the problem.