Postage Increase: How Much Does It Cost to Mail a Letter Now?

By Patch Editor Judy Putnam 

On Sunday, Jan. 26, the cost to mail a first-class single-piece letter jumped from 46 cents to 49 cents.

The U.S. Post Office's 3-cent increase is the largest hike for consumer postage in more than a decade.

The cost of mailing a postcard will also go up to 34 cents, a 1-cent increase.

The announcement of the increase in postage rates came Dec. 30. The increase will help the budget deficit that the USPS has been dealing with in recent years.

An announcement on the USPS website said that "The Governors of the Postal Service voted Sept. 24 to seek price increases above the typical annual increases associated with changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)."

If you've got a stock of Forever Stamps stashed away, you're in good shape. Beginning Jan. 26, a book of (20) stamps rises from $9.20 to $9.80.

Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 26, 2014 include:

• Letters (1 oz.) — 3-cent increase to 49 cents
• Letters additional ounces —  1-cent increase to 21 cents
• Letters to all international destinations (1 oz.) — $1.15
• Postcards — 1-cent increase to 34 cents