GLOSSARY
Forever stamp
By Justin Winter · Updated August 28, 2026
The short answer
A First-Class stamp that always covers the current one-ounce letter rate, whatever it cost when you bought it.
Forever stamps carry no printed denomination. They are sold at the current one-ounce First-Class price and stay valid for that rate afterwards, so a stamp bought before an increase still mails a letter after it.
They cover one ounce of First-Class letter postage and nothing more — extra weight, extra services, and other classes still need additional postage.
See also
- First-Class Mail — The everyday USPS class for letters and documents — typically 3–5 business days, with no tracking unless you add it.
- Permit imprint — Printed postage indicia used instead of stamps or a meter, drawn against a prepaid account held under a USPS mailing permit.
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