The price of a First-Class Forever stamp went up again in 2026, rising from 78 cents to 82 cents effective July 12 — part of a broader roughly 4.8% increase across USPS mailing service products. * Other everyday postage moved too: a domestic postcard now costs 65 cents, up from 61 cents, and an international postcard or letter costs $1.75, up from $1.70. * USPS frames these increases around its finances rather than general inflation: the agency posted a $9 billion loss in fiscal 2025, with operating costs rising by $1.8 billion against only $1 billion in new revenue. This is the sixth Forever stamp price increase in five years — the price has climbed 34% since 2021, from 58 cents to the current 82 cents. * The name "Forever stamp" does what it says on this front: any Forever stamps you already own, purchased at 78 cents or any earlier price, still mail a standard First-Class letter after the July 12 increase with no need to add extra postage. That's the entire point of the product — it locks in the postage rate at the time of purchase, regardless of future price hikes. * If you mail letters regularly, buying a supply of Forever stamps before a scheduled increase is a legitimate, if modest, way to lock in the lower rate before it disappears.