Mailing a letter will soon cost a little more as the U.S. Postal Service prepares to increase the price of a First-Class Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents beginning Sunday, July 12.

The four-cent increase is part of a broader 4.8% average increase in mailing service prices that also affects postcards, international mail, periodicals, marketing mail, package services and certain special services. The Postal Service says the changes are necessary to help address rising operating costs and ongoing financial challenges while maintaining service nationwide.

In testimony before Congress earlier this year, Postmaster General David Steiner warned that the Postal Service continues to face serious financial difficulties and could exhaust its available funds by early 2027 without additional financial assistance or operational improvements. USPS has reported net losses exceeding $9 billion in each of the past two fiscal years.

Consumers who purchase Forever Stamps before Sunday can continue using them indefinitely, even after the price increase takes effect. Forever Stamps always retain their full value for mailing a one-ounce First-Class letter, regardless of future price increases.

Other changes taking effect Sunday include an increase in the price of a domestic postcard from 61 cents to 65 cents, while the cost to mail an international letter or postcard will rise from $1.70 to $1.75. The additional-ounce charge for First-Class letters will remain unchanged at 29 cents