How Much Is a Stamp?

A First-Class Mail Forever stamp, which is worth the 1-ounce letter price, costs 82¢ as of Notice 123 effective October 4, 2026; the stamped 1-ounce letter price rose from 78¢ to 82¢ on July 12, 2026.

Maintained by Archie Chang · Sources checked against USPS and Federal Register text on November 2, 2026 · Methodology & sources

Not an official source. FedRateCalc is independent and is not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). USPS.com and your Post Office are the authority for prices and mailing rules. The prices here are the First-Class Mail retail prices in USPS Price List Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026, and figures marked as arithmetic are our own calculations from them.

Stamp and postage prices

First-Class Mail retail prices in Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026. Rows marked arithmetic are our own calculations.
What you are mailing	Price	Basis
Forever stamp, 1-ounce letter (stamped)	82¢	Notice 123
Letter up to 2 ounces (stamped)	$1.11	Notice 123
Letter up to 3 ounces (stamped)	$1.40	Notice 123
Letter up to 3.5 ounces (stamped)	$1.69	Notice 123
Step between the 1, 2, 3 and 3.5-ounce rows (the last step is a half ounce)	29¢	Arithmetic from the rows above
Metered letter, 1 ounce	78¢	Notice 123
Postcard	65¢	Notice 123
Large envelope, from	$1.69	Notice 123, 1 ounce
Nonmachinable letter surcharge, added	49¢	Notice 123
International letter, 1 ounce (Global Forever)	$1.75	Notice 123
Book of 20 Forever stamps	$16.40	Arithmetic: 20 × 82¢
Coil of 100 Forever stamps	$82.00	Arithmetic: 100 × 82¢

The book and coil rows are arithmetic, not USPS store prices. USPS.com shows the price of a specific book or coil. Notice 123 also says:

“Letters that meet one or more of the nonmachinable characteristics in DMM 101.1.2 are subject to the $0.49 nonmachinable surcharge.”

USPS Price List Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026, First-Class Mail footnote

When the price changed

Notice 123 effective April 26, 2026 listed the stamped 1-ounce letter at 78¢, and the version effective July 12, 2026 listed it at 82¢ (Internet Archive copies of both are in the sources). The Federal Register records the review of those price adjustments:

“On May 27, 2026, the PRC favorably reviewed the price adjustments proposed by the Postal Service. The price adjustments and DMM revisions are scheduled to become effective on July 12, 2026.”

Federal Register document 2026-11003 (June 2, 2026), Postal Service final rule, Domestic Mail Manual changes (PRC Docket No. R2026-1)

The Notice 123 effective October 4, 2026 lists the same 82¢ stamped 1-ounce letter price. When we checked on November 2, 2026, the USPS.com prices page listed letter stamps from 82¢, postcard stamps from 65¢ and Global Forever from $1.75.

What “Forever” means

USPS describes the value of a Forever stamp this way:

“The postage value of each forever stamp is the current First-Class Mail single-piece 1-ounce letter price.”

USPS Domestic Mail Manual 604, section 1.10

More on the rule, the types USPS lists and Global Forever stamps is on the Forever stamps page, and the question of whether stamps expire is on the do stamps expire page.

How many stamps for a heavier letter

Stamped letter prices in Notice 123, and what is left to pay after one Forever stamp (arithmetic).
Weight not over	Letter price	After one Forever stamp
1 ounce	82¢	Nothing more
2 ounces	$1.11	29¢ more
3 ounces	$1.40	58¢ more
3.5 ounces	$1.69	87¢ more

For a letter over 3.5 ounces, Notice 123 says:

“For weights over 3.5 ounces, see Large Envelopes prices.”

USPS Price List Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026, First-Class Mail footnote

A large envelope costs $1.69 for 1 ounce and $5.24 for 13 ounces in Notice 123. The postcard stamp and Global Forever stamp prices have their own pages, and the book of stamps page shows the 20-stamp arithmetic.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Forever stamp?

A Forever stamp is worth the First-Class Mail 1-ounce letter price, which is 82¢ for a stamped letter in Notice 123 effective October 4, 2026 (DMM 604 section 1.10 for the rule, Notice 123 for the price).

How much does it cost to mail a letter?

A 1-ounce letter paid with stamps costs 82¢, a 2-ounce letter $1.11, a 3-ounce letter $1.40 and a letter up to 3.5 ounces $1.69. A letter paid with a postage meter costs 78¢ for the first ounce.

When did the stamp price become 82¢?

Notice 123 effective April 26, 2026 listed the stamped 1-ounce letter at 78¢, and the version effective July 12, 2026 listed it at 82¢. The Postal Regulatory Commission reviewed the price adjustments on May 27, 2026 (Docket No. R2026-1, Order No. 9584).

How much does each additional ounce cost?

Notice 123 lists $1.11 for 2 ounces, $1.40 for 3 ounces and $1.69 for 3.5 ounces. Each step between those rows is 29¢ by arithmetic, and the last step, from 3 to 3.5 ounces, is a half ounce. Over 3.5 ounces, Notice 123 says to see the large envelope prices, which start at $1.69.

How much is a postcard stamp?

Postage for a domestic postcard is 65¢ in Notice 123, and $1.75 for a postcard sent abroad.

What if my letter is nonmachinable?

Notice 123 says letters that meet one or more of the nonmachinable characteristics in DMM 101.1.2 are subject to the $0.49 nonmachinable surcharge, so 49¢ is added to the postage.

More stamp price pages

Mail and Post Office dates: is the Post Office open today, is mail delivered today, USPS holidays 2026 and USPS holidays 2027.