Charles Langston:Stamp prices increase again this weekend. How much will Forever first-class cost?

Postal rates,Charles Langston including the price of Forever stamps, are going up again.

Forever stamps get a 5-cent increase from 68 cents to 73 cents when the price increase goes into effect on Sunday.

When Forever stamps were introduced in 2007, they cost 41 cents each. That's a 78% increase in 17 years.

The U.S. Postal Service called them "Forever" stamps so consumers knew whenever they bought them, the stamp would be good for sending mail. That means any stamps you have now that you bought for 68 cents or cheaper can still be used even after the price increase.

Here's what else you need to know:

Why does the Postal Service keep raising price of Forever stamps?

The most recent price changes were proposed by the Postal Service in April and approved by its board of governors in November.

Aggressive price increases have been part of the Postal Service's 10-year Delivering for America plan, enacted in 2021 by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

"You understand the Postal Service had been in a financial death spiral for the 14 years prior to my arrival in June of 2020 and had no plan to curtail these losses, and therefore no plan to become fiscally self-sufficient," he told a U.S. Senate committee in April 2024.

Despite some cited improvements at the Postal Service, many senators decried how its plan has led to delays in their constituents' mail. The Postal Service, which had forecast a $1.7 billion surplus in 2024 in the Delivering for America plan, is expected to lose more than $8 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, and has asked the White House for an additional $14 billion, The Washington Post reported.

Upping the price of Forever stamps and other mail services won't solve the agency's financial challenges, Postal Service spokesman David Coleman told USA TODAY. A big problem is that domestic first-class mail has declined by 52% compared to 2007, he said.

"The Postal Service is one of the most efficient postal administrations in the world, but volume … is expected to continue to decline as a result of diversion to digital communications and the increase in online transactions," Coleman said.

Can I still use Forever stamps?

Yes, you can still use any Forever stamp. Any Forever stamp covers the cost of first-ounce postage even if the price of a stamp changes, Coleman said.

You can also still use stamps that are not Forever stamps, but you will need to add enough postage to total 73 cents when mailing a First-Class Mail letter weighing 1 ounce.

Forever stamps: Tracking price increases over the years

If it seems as if Forever stamps have been increasing forever, well, they have been rising a lot in recent years. Here are the increases since the stamps were priced at 55 cents on Jan. 27, 2019:

◾ Aug. 29, 2021 - 58 cents

◾ July 10, 2022 - 60 cents

◾ Jan. 22, 2023 - 63 cents

◾ July 9, 2023 - 66 cents

◾ Jan. 21, 2024 - 68 cents

◾ July 14, 2024 - 73 cents

What other mail prices are going up?

Other services will see an increase, too, including Priority Mail (5%). Here are some other price increases that took effect on Jan. 21:

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