US Postal Service says it could raise first-class stamp prices
US Postal Service says it could raise first-class stamp prices
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAYWed, March 18, 2026 at 9:42 PM UTC
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A first‑class stamp could soon cost nearly $1, as the U.S. Postal Service warns it may run out of money by 2027 and looks to raise prices to stay afloat.
During a Tuesday, March 17 appearance before Congress, Postmaster General David Steiner said the price of a first‑class stamp could rise to 90 to 95 cents, up from 78 cents.
Steiner said higher prices are one of the few options available as the agency faces mounting losses. Raising stamp prices to as much as 95 cents, he told lawmakers, "would largely solve our controllable loss."
The warning comes as USPS says it is running out of financial runway.
In interviews with Reuters and The , Steiner said that without congressional action to lift the agency’s $15 billion statutory debt limit, USPS could struggle to pay vendors or employees by February 2027. The borrowing cap was set in 1990.
The United States Postal Service logo is seen on a mailbox outside a post office in Los Angeles, California on Aug. 17, 2020.
More: What could happen if Trump orders takeover of troubled US Postal Service?
Trump’s push to overhaul USPS
As financial pressure builds, President Donald Trump has revived calls to revamp the Postal Service.
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Last year, Trump said he was considering moving USPS — currently an independent agency — under the Commerce Department, bringing it under direct executive branch control.
"We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money," Trump said.
Why USPS is struggling
USPS has posted losses in nearly every year since 2007, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, totaling about $109 billion through fiscal year 2024.
Mail volume has fallen sharply as Americans move online. USPS delivered 112 billion pieces of mail in fiscal 2024, down nearly 50% from its 2006 peak, according to the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Contributing: Reuters; Michelle Del Rey, USA TODAY.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Postal Service could raise first-class stamp prices to 95 cents
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