Time to stock up on stamps

For all you traditional snail-mailers, now is the time to stock up on stamps because come July 14 the Forever Stamp will go from 68 cents to 73 cents as part of the U.S. Postal Services “Delivering for America Plan.”

 

The five-cent increase is part of a broader adjustment that will raise mailing services by more than 7 percent nationwide.  

 

According to the U.S. Postal Service, as the changes in the mailing and shipping world continue, price adjustments are needed to achieve financial stability.

 

The owner of Qwik Pack & Ship on Daniel Island, Tom Pomposelli, said it’s part of a 10-year plan to help the postal service break even and become profitable.

 

“This plan has been in the works for a while now,” Pomposelli said. “The post offices are losing money, and this is part of the plan to get some of that back.” 

 

Data from the USPS shows this price hike matches the largest increase in history and follows steady price increases in recent years. Rates went up by a nickel in 2019 from 50 cents to 55 cents, and increases have continued since.

 

“As the price continues to increase, it will drive more people to do electronic payments. People will elect to not be using postage and will pay for things online,” Pomposelli said.

 

He believes that although people will start paying e-bills and making technological choices, the “personal touch” items will never go away.

 

“People will never stop sending birthday cards, baby announcements, and packages to kids away at camp and school,” he said.

 

Qwik Pack & Ship is still busy as normal and has not seen an impact as far as shipping items out; however, Pomposelli says that he is low on Forever stamps and will be restocking the shelves every few days.

 

“People seem to be aware. It’s in the news, and everything is going up, so it’s not a huge surprise. Maybe we are just immune to inflation,” he said.

 

Customers can expect other services to get more expensive, too, according to the USPS. Metered letters will soon cost 69 cents to send, domestic postcards will soon cost 56 cents, international post cards will increase to $1.65, and the additional ounce price for a single-piece letter will go up to 28 cents.