The United States Postal Service will increase the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 49 cents to 50 cents on Jan. 21.

Postcard stamps will also have a one cent increase. The increase will raise postage prices approximately 1.9 percent, and most Shipping Services products will average a 3.9 percent price increase.

The price changes include:

Product	Current	New
Letters (1 oz.)	49 cents	50 cents
Letters additional ounces	21 cents	21 cents
Letters (metered)	46 cents	47 cents
Outbound International Letters (1 oz.)	$1.15	$1.15
Domestic Postcards	34 cents	35 cents

The new Shipping Services product prices would increase Priority Mail Retail an average of 0.8 percent. As in the past, the U.S. Postal Service will not include any surcharges for fuel, residential delivery, or regular Saturday delivery.

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Retail price changes are:

Product	Current	New
Small Flat Rate Box	$7.15	$7.20
Medium Flat Rate Box	$13.60	$13.65
Large Flat Rate Box	$18.85	$18.90
APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Box	$17.35	$17.40
Regular Flat Rate Envelope	$6.65	$6.70
Legal Flat Rate Envelope	$6.95	$7.00
Padded Flat Rate Envelope	$7.20	$7.25

The U.S. Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

For questions contact Doug Norwood dwnorwo@uark.edu.