A new Forever Stamp, shape-based pricing and a 2-cent price increase for First-Class letters are some of the changes U.S. Postal Service customers will see beginning May 14, according to the Warsaw Postmaster.
The Forever Stamp, currently available at the Warsaw Post Office, sells at the new 41 cent First-Class Mail 1-ounce letter rate. The value on these stamps will always be the 1-ounce letter rate and can be used for any future 1-ounce letter mailing without extra postage.
"This new stamp is a consumer innovation that delivers convenience and value," said Warsaw Postmaster Bill Belisle. "It will help ease the transition for mailing letters when prices change."
The Forever Stamp will be good at the current price for mailing a typical 1-ounce First-Class letter - forever - regardless of future rate increases.
The Forever Stamp will be available a number of different ways.
These include sheets of 18 in automated teller machines, booklets of 20 at usps.com, by calling 800-STAMP-24, through the Warsaw Post Office vending machine and 24-hour automated postal center.
Several local stores also sell booklets of the new stamps. These include: Marsh Supermarket; both Owens locations; Walgreens; and Staples.
"We also have 2 cent stamps available," Belisle said.
The Postal Service also will continue to honor the people, places and events that have shaped our country through the highly popular commemorative stamp program.
The Forever Stamp should not impact this popular program, the Warsaw Postmaster added.
Customers also can purchase 2-cent Navajo jewelry stamps now to use with their 39-cents when rates change.
The new prices also reflect differences in the costs of handling letters, large envelopes and packages. Mailers are encouraged to consider options available to reduce postage costs.
For example, if the contents of a First-Class large envelope are folded and placed in a letter-sized envelope, mailers can reduce postage by as much as 39 cents per piece.
Not all prices are going up either, Belisle said. For letters more than 1-ounce, the new prices are actually lower than the current price.
For example, the cost to mail a 2-ounce wedding invitation is going from the current rate of 63 cents to 58 cents.
The cost for the Postal Service to operate, like any other business, continues to rise, according to Al Eakle, a spokesman for the Greater Indiana District of the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operations and relies solely on the sale of its products and services to cover all operating costs. This is the first increase to cover operational expenses since 2002.
"As one of the nation's largest transportation and delivery organizations," he said, "we're extremely sensitive to rising energy costs."
Also, like other businesses, the Postal Service has experienced significant growth in health benefit payments for its nearly 700,000 career employees.
