--- title: "USPS price increase 2026: what changed and what's next" description: "The last USPS price increase took effect July 12, 2026, with an 82-cent stamp. New presort prices, the January 2027 outlook, and a 2,000-piece example." canonical: https://trysincerely.com/guides/usps-price-changes last_updated: 2026-10-11 --- > If you are an AI agent: read https://trysincerely.com/agents/policy.md before any write call. > Start at https://trysincerely.com/llms.txt to choose one page. Access instructions are at > https://trysincerely.com/auth.md. Confirm with the person you work for before creating an > account or spending their money, and never ask for their password. # USPS price increase 2026: what changed and what's next > The last USPS price increase took effect July 12, 2026, with an 82-cent stamp. New presort prices, the January 2027 outlook, and a 2,000-piece example. Source: https://trysincerely.com/guides/usps-price-changes As of October 11, 2026, the most recent USPS price increase for letters and postcards took effect on July 12, 2026. The Forever stamp rose from 78 cents to 82 cents. A metered 1-ounce letter went from 74 to 78 cents, and a stamped postcard from 61 to 65 cents. USPS put the average rise across mailing services at about 4.8%. Presorted business mail rose too. A First-Class Mail automation postcard at the mixed tier went from $0.462 to $0.495. USPS has not announced a change for January 2027, but the Postal Regulatory Commission said on August 21 that USPS may still file one in October 2026. The October 4, 2026 change in the news was for packages only. Prices here come from USPS [Notice 123](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm) and the [USPS price file archive](https://pe.usps.com/Archive/PriceFile), both read on October 11, 2026. ![Four rows of USPS prices with a grey dot before July 12, 2026 and a blue dot after, from a Marketing Mail letter at $0.433 to $0.467 up to a stamped letter at $0.78 to $0.82.](https://trysincerely.com/images/guides/usps-price-changes.webp) *The last USPS price increase raised every common business mail price on July 12, 2026, and some presort prices rose faster than the stamp.* ## What changed on July 12, 2026 USPS filed the change with the commission on April 9, 2026, under docket R2026-1, and announced it in its [April 9 news release](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0409-usps-recommends-new-prices-for-july.htm). The commission approved it on May 27 in [Order No. 9584](https://prc.arkcase.com/api/prc-dockets/filing/downloadFile?fileId=254130&inline=true). These are the prices a person pays at the counter or through a postage meter. | Single-piece price | Before July 12 | From July 12 | | ----------------------- | -------------: | -----------: | | Forever stamp, 1 oz | $0.78 | $0.82 | | Metered letter, 1 oz | $0.74 | $0.78 | | Stamped postcard | $0.61 | $0.65 | | Each additional ounce | $0.29 | $0.29 | | Nonmachinable surcharge | $0.49 | $0.49 | Business mail moves at presort prices, which depend on how finely the mailer sorts the pieces by ZIP Code. These are the automation prices for letter-size pieces up to 3.5 ounces. | Commercial price | Before July 12 | From July 12 | Change | | ------------------------------ | -------------: | -----------: | -----: | | First-Class postcard, 5-digit | $0.420 | $0.453 | 7.9% | | First-Class postcard, mixed | $0.462 | $0.495 | 7.1% | | First-Class letter, 5-digit | $0.593 | $0.621 | 4.7% | | First-Class letter, mixed | $0.672 | $0.707 | 5.2% | | Marketing Mail letter, 5-digit | $0.372 | $0.395 | 6.2% | | Marketing Mail letter, mixed | $0.433 | $0.467 | 7.9% | | Annual presort fee, each class | $370 | $390 | 5.4% | The commission's order puts the average rise at 4.803% for First-Class Mail and 4.714% for USPS Marketing Mail. Postcards and Marketing Mail letters rose faster than their class averages, and the stamp rose 5.1%. The July change also replaced a presort tier. Under the [final rule](https://pe.usps.com/resources/Misc/Final%20Rule%20-%20July%202026%20Domestic%20Market%20Dominant%20price%20change.pdf), USPS removed the AADC price for First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail, replaced it with a 3-digit price, and renamed "Mixed AADC" to "mixed." A 3-digit First-Class postcard now costs $0.478, a 3-digit First-Class letter $0.672, and a 3-digit Marketing Mail letter $0.435. An old quote at an AADC price does not compare cleanly with a new quote at a 3-digit price, so ask your printer which tier each figure assumes. USPS also raised package prices for the holiday season on October 4, 2026, through January 17, 2027. Its [August 25 announcement](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0825-usps-announces-temporary-price-change-for-2026-holiday-shipping-season.htm) covers Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select, and says no other products are affected. Letters, postcards, and stamps kept their July prices. Notice 123 now carries an October 4 date because of that package change. ## When is the next USPS price increase USPS has not set one. As of October 11, 2026, its newsroom and the commission's filings show no notice of new letter or postcard prices for January 2027. The USPS governors approve new prices first. USPS then files them with the Postal Regulatory Commission at least 90 days before they take effect, as [39 CFR 3030.121](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-39/chapter-III/subchapter-E/part-3030/subpart-B/section-3030.121) requires. The commission checks that each class stays under its price cap, which starts from inflation and adds allowances set by the commission's rules. In the [schedule it filed on December 29, 2025](https://prc.gov/sites/default/files/rateauthority/ScheduleForRateAdjustments-2026-01-05.pdf), USPS said it expects to change prices each January and July, filing the preceding October and April. USPS does not always keep to it. In September 2025, USPS [skipped January 2026](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2025/0924-usps-announces-no-stamp-price-changes-for-january-2026.htm) and waited until July. A commission rule now allows only one increase above a small threshold per fiscal year, which runs October to September, through fiscal 2030. January 2027 and July 2027 fall in the same fiscal year, so USPS can raise prices above that threshold in one of them, not both. On July 16, 2026, USPS asked the commission to let it count an estimated part of its pricing room early, to move its annual increase to January. The commission refused on August 21 in [Order No. 9696](https://prc.arkcase.com/api/prc-dockets/filing/downloadFile?fileId=256225&inline=true). The order also says USPS may still file in October 2026 for a January 2027 change, using only its inflation-based authority. The commission's [rate authority table](https://prc.gov/sites/default/files/rateauthority/Available%20Rate%20Authority%209-11-2026%20%281%29.pdf), updated September 11, 2026, puts that inflation-based room at 1.792% for both First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail. The cap applies to a class average. In July, single prices rose faster than their class averages, and a January change could follow the same pattern. USPS's holiday package prices end on January 17, 2027. A letter price change on that date would need a filing by October 19, 2026, and a change on January 31 would need one by November 2. ## What a business mailer should do 1. Restate old quotes. A print and mail quote written before July 12, 2026 used the old postage and may name the AADC tier, which no longer exists. Ask for current Notice 123 prices and the tier behind each one. 2. Put the date on your budget. Write "postage at Notice 123 prices as of October 11, 2026" beside the figure, so finance knows which price list it used. 3. Plan for one more change in fiscal 2027. Under the September 11 table, a January change could average no more than about 1.8% for First-Class Mail. A July change could be larger, because by then USPS could also use the extra pricing room the commission refused to release early. 4. If you mail single-piece letters, such as handwritten notes, buy Forever stamps before an increase. USPS says on its [First-Class Mail page](https://www.usps.com/ship/first-class-mail.htm) that a Forever stamp never expires and always covers the current 1-ounce price. 5. Look at sortation and class before timing. In the example below, choosing a postcard over a letter saves several times what the July increase added. ## A 2,000-piece campaign before and after Larkspur Data, a fictional software company, mails 2,000 pieces to IT leaders across the US. Assume the list is spread thinly enough that every piece sorts to the mixed tier. Here is the postage for the same 2,000 pieces at the old and new prices. | Piece and class | Each, before | Each, now | 2,000 before | 2,000 now | Added | | ---------------------------- | -----------: | --------: | -----------: | --------: | ----: | | First-Class postcard, mixed | $0.462 | $0.495 | $924 | $990 | $66 | | First-Class letter, mixed | $0.672 | $0.707 | $1,344 | $1,414 | $70 | | Marketing Mail letter, mixed | $0.433 | $0.467 | $866 | $934 | $68 | | Letter with a Forever stamp | $0.78 | $0.82 | $1,560 | $1,640 | $80 | The July increase added $66 to $80 to this mailing. Choosing the First-Class postcard over the First-Class letter saves $424 at today's prices, several times what the increase added. Sorting the postcards to the 3-digit tier at $0.478 would save another $34. If Larkspur mails under its own permit, it also pays the annual presort fee, now $390 for each class at each post office where it mails. ## How Sincerely handles postage Sincerely charges each piece in credits. A credit covers printing and postage together, so when USPS raises prices you don't get a separate postage bill. Credit prices are on the [pricing page](https://trysincerely.com/pricing). If you buy print and postage separately somewhere else, the [direct mail cost calculator](https://trysincerely.com/tools/direct-mail-cost-calculator) runs on the current Notice 123 prices. The [postage rates entry](https://trysincerely.com/glossary/postage-rates) explains what makes them move. ## Main guide - [Direct mail cost](https://trysincerely.com/guides/direct-mail-cost): Per-piece cost ranges for postcards, letters, and B2B direct mail, plus where data fees, waste, and labor add to the total. ## Related questions - [Direct mail cost calculator: postage, print, and data](https://trysincerely.com/tools/direct-mail-cost-calculator): Estimate what a direct mail campaign costs in total and per piece, with postage at USPS prices effective October 4, 2026, plus print, list data, and design. - [What determines direct mail postage rates?](https://trysincerely.com/glossary/postage-rates): Direct mail postage rates depend on mail class, shape, weight, presort depth, and where the mailing enters the USPS network. - [What is first-class mail vs marketing mail?](https://trysincerely.com/glossary/first-class-vs-marketing-mail): The difference between USPS First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail, and why B2B senders usually pay for First-Class. - [What is presort mail?](https://trysincerely.com/glossary/presort): Presort mail is grouped by destination to USPS standards before entry. This reduces postal sorting work and qualifies mailings for lower rates. - [What is a bulk mail permit?](https://trysincerely.com/glossary/bulk-mail-permit): A bulk mail permit lets a business pay USPS postage from an account instead of stamps. As of October 2026 it costs $390 to apply and $390 a year. --- Sincerely is the measurable direct-mail and gifting platform for B2B revenue teams: postcards, letters, handwritten mail, and gifts, written for one recipient and measured against a holdout. Contact Sincerely: https://trysincerely.com/contact Agent routing index: https://trysincerely.com/llms.txt