U.S. Postal Service wants to hike stamp prices to 63 cents

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said Friday it wants to raise the price of first-class Forever mail stamps from 60 to 63 cents to account for inflationary costs.

USPS filed notice of the proposed hike with the Postal Regulatory Commission and wants the increase to take effect Jan. 22. U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in August that inflation would cause USPS costs to exceed its 2022 budget plan "by well over $1 billion."

There will be no change to the single-piece letter and flat additional-ounce price but other prices will rise including the cost of an international letter by five cents to $1.45.

Overall first-class mail prices will rise 4.2%, USPS said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-postal-wants-4-2-203054402.html

[DemocraticPatriot]

1. Good things I hardly ever mail anything anymore....

but I think I will stock up a few more books of "Forever" stamps...

[El Supremo]

2. I quit mailing my bill payments earlier this year.

I do virtually all on line and save the postage fees. That was not just because of the price but because many of my payments were not delivered on time.

When I was born, a letter cost 3¢. That's a 2,100% increase.

[Igel]

4. Hence the issue. n/t

[El Supremo]

5. The issue started because of e-mail...

ending the demand for plain letters and post-cards. When it got to mailing checks, it ruined the USPS.

[CatWoman]

9. however, some utilities use vendors who charge fees

such as my water department; vendor charges $4.95 to process payments.

[James48]

3. Should be more.

Fuel accounts for a significant portion of the USPS budget.
I think it should go up more to reflect actual costs of fuel. Make it at least a nickle, to $0.65.

[UTUSN]

6. Waal, my 1-2 snails per year should cover the deficit.

[Ferrets are Cool]

7. If the price of ONE stamp is $5, it will still be cheaper than mailing it by any other means.

[CatWoman]

8. question: if they hike the price

are "forever" stamps still accepted?

[dalton99a]

10. Yes, they are always good for one ounce first class no matter what

[CatWoman]

11. ....

ty

i bought several books a couple years ago and don't want to see my money wasted.

[W_HAMILTON]

30. That's why they are called "forever."

Regardless of the price you purchased them for, as long as they are "forever" stamps, they will always be considered to equal the value of whatever a normal stamp costs at the time.

[Genki Hikari]

15. Yes.

That's the point of the forever stamps--that you won't have to buy new or +3 cent stamps if you want to mail something. Just use your forever stamps.

[CatWoman]

22. one would assume that

but in these times you never know

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

12. Zzzzzz, last time I sent anything with stamps was over 10 years ago....just lick two to be sure

[Genki Hikari]

19. Stamps haven't required licking

For decades now.

Really.

Some of it was to conform to Jewish/Muslim dietary requirements. Most of it was adhesive advances + convenience and to reduce the risk of spreading diseases to postal workers who had no choice about handling the mail.

[Bucky]

25. But legally you CAN still lick them if you want to, right?

I'm not saying I want to, but I'm not saying I don't want to.

[TxGuitar]

29. They'll stick to your tongue

Of course, that may be what you want so...

[Mr.Bill]

33. Can we still put a hit of blotter LSD under one

and send it to our friend in jail?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Forever stamps are a great investment.

And in reality, our stamp/postal prices are much less than in most of the rest of the world. I have a good friend who has lots of correspondents in other countries, and he periodically updates me on stamp prices elsewhere. I can't actually quote any specifics, but in most European countries postage is as much as double what it is here.

[DFW]

18. You are correct

Germany simplified its letter prices a few years ago. Domestic is now 85¢ and international is €1.10, and that is for all countries, whether for Holland (an 80 minute drive from my house) or New Zealand at the other end of the world. Increases are currently bring contemplated.

I make a LOT of contributions, whether to political campaigns or to causes I believe in (e.g. Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Doctors Without Borders, SPLC, and a lot of etc.). I hate giving 3% to 4% to credit card companies, PLUS an additional 3.95% to Act Blue, in the case of political contributions, so i send checks through the mail as often as I can. If I send $1000 to some campaign I feel strongly about, I’d rather spend €1.10 on the stamp than do it through Act Blue, knowing that $80 ($40 for the credit card company and $39.50 for Act Blue) get deducted before my candidate sees the first cent.

[Genki Hikari]

14. Not a surprise

Gas price increases always hit the USPS quite hard.

Until the new fleet is in service, they're still using the old trucks. Those aren't horrible about gas usage, but they're not the greatest, either. For an individual truck, it's not a big deal, but some of these postal facilities have 40 or more vehicles to keep filled. And that's one station. Multiply it by all the other vehicles/post offices, and that's a lot of gasoline getting used.

As for going to 63 cents? That's not bad to have someone take a letter anywhere in the country for you, even Alaska and Hawaii. Go check the prices for Fed Ex to deliver a letter in three days. Here, I'll do it for you:

A one ounce envelope from Bangor, ME to Honolulu, HI for Tuesday delivery will cost you $83.87 to ship via FedEx. The letter shipped by USPS for 63 cents will probably get there on Tuesday if mailed today.

Yeah, 63 cents looks really good about now, doesn't it?

[Samrob]

16. It's still the best bargain anywhere. A letter goes where the Internet doesn't. nt

[GoodRaisin]

17. My mailbox has become like my old landline 20 years ago...

A depository for spam. I rarely get anything in it that is real mail, and I don’t use it to send mail or pay bills anymore. With a few small tweaks, it could go the way of my landline so many years ago. But it still collects my smaller amazon deliveries, and this past week, my absentee ballot.

I don’t buy stamps anymore and haven’t for some time. Many stamp price increases ago. But these increases still drive all our transport costs up even though we’re not licking stamps anymore.

It’s amazing how technology advances have changed our old routines so much.

[Genki Hikari]

20. I'm unspammed with mail

I removed my mail receptacle and got a PO Box. My local PO lists all boxes as "businesses," which reduces spam mail considerably, but you can check it off as a business address when you apply as well. Because it's a business, you don't get put on mailing lists when you get the box.

If I start getting some junk mail because companies I do business with put me on lists, then I change PO Boxes at renewal time. I usually tell USPS the reason for the new box is that I want one that I can reach better, or I need a bigger size for a while.

They'll usually accommodate me.

I also get USPS to receive FedEx and UPS parcels for me. If you want to know how that works, ask. I've been using it for over a decade.

[newdayneeded]

23. I check my mail every 4 or 5 days at most,

I usually walk from the mail box past the recycle bin and toss 98% of it out. I pay all of my bills through online banking.

[GoodRaisin]

34. I usually wait for a visitor to come by and they grab the mail for me.

That can be 4 or 5 days sometimes. I don’t get around too well anymore so a trip to the end of the driveway is a long walk for me that I try to avoid taking. 4-5 days worth can bring quite a spam haul. No bills though. They are all on line and all paid using automatic withdrawal.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. 2 local post offices are closed, February package arrived today

I understand they have staffing issues. One guy runs 3 post offices when there's no personnel. But they don't post WHEN they'll be open for services or to pickup packages, nor when the outgoing mail goes .... OUT! Poor customer service.

Yes February's package arrived today. Better late than never. Looks like it has been crushed under something or other for awhile. The laser ink is worn thin.

[Bucky]

24. 63 cents to send a piece of paper to literally ANY spot in America within a week?

Just 63¢ honestly sounds like an incredibly good deal.
Almost unbelievable, when you consider the logistics

[a kennedy]

26. Curious, what's it cost in Canada, England, Ireland, Africa and other countries to mail a first,

or whatever they call it, class letter??

[Bucky]

27. Google tells us...

Ireland - €1.25 ($1.21 @current exchange rate)
UK - £0.95p ($1.06)
Canada - CAN$1.20 (87¢)

Africa is complicated. Nigeria just quintupled it postal rates last year (400% increase) so we can assume their postal service was already operating at a loss. But it's now 250 nairas, which is 58¢ in the US.

[a kennedy]

32. Thanks .....

[GoCubsGo]

28. Still a bargain.

Less than sixty-five cents to send a letter or card anywhere in the country,and a just under a buck and a half to send it halfway around the world? Cheap.

Now, what's it going to take to finally get rid of that godawful Postmaster General? He's driving it into the ground.

[Wingus Dingus]

31. Now I don't have to ask an old person:

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