US Postal Service proposes new postage stamp price hikes set to begin in 2024

If you enjoy mailing letters or postcards, you may have to pay a little more to do so starting next year.

The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services Friday for price changes to take effect in 2024, the agency announced in a news release.

The proposed price hikes, approved by the governors of the USPS, would raise mailing services product prices about 2%, according to the release, and would increase the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 66 cents to 68 cents.

The USPS is also seeking price adjustments for special services products such as Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item, the agency said in the release.

There will be no change to the additional-ounce price, which will remain at 24 cents.

The changes will be reviewed by the PRC and, if approved, would take effect Jan. 21, 2024.

NEW UBER FEATURE:New Uber package delivery feature lets you send, return with USPS, UPS or FedEX

What products do the USPS price hikes cover?

If favorably reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the price changes would include:

According to the news release, the price hikes are due to "inflationary pressures on operating expenses" and the "effects of a previously defective pricing model" still being felt.

Can I use Uber to send and return packages?

Need to return a disappointing online purchase? Uber's newest feature will let you do it without a trip to the post office.

The ride-hailing company last week launched a new “Return a Package” feature that allows users to send up to five prepaid and sealed packages to a nearby post office, UPS or FedEx for a flat $5 fee, or $3 for Uber One members. The service is available on the Uber and Uber Eats apps in nearly 5,000 cities.

The launch comes as retailers institute more stringent return policies with shorter time frames. With nearly 80% of shoppers under 30 finding mail returns somewhat or very annoying according to a National Retail Federation poll, Uber expects its new tool to be a “huge" value proposition to consumers, according to Wendy Lee, director of delivery product management at Uber.