The short answer
A book of 20 Forever stamps costs $16.40 from USPS, because each Forever stamp sells for $0.82, the First-Class Mail price for a 1-ounce letter since July 12, 2026. A standard book holds 20 stamps, and a coil of 100 costs $82.00. Forever stamps never expire, so a book you bought at an older price still mails a 1-ounce letter today.
How much is a book of Forever stamps?
A book of 20 Forever stamps costs $16.40 at the Post Office and in the USPS Postal Store. That is 20 stamps at $0.82 each, the current First-Class Mail price for a 1-ounce stamped letter in USPS Notice 123. USPS says on its First-Class Mail page that Forever stamps cost $0.82 and will never expire, even if the First-Class postage rate goes up.
The price is the same whichever design you pick. In the Postal Store today, the U.S. Flag 2026 booklet, the holiday designs, and commemoratives like the Declaration of Independence stamps are all listed as Forever 82¢ at $16.40 for 20. The design changes what the envelope looks like, not what you pay or what the stamp covers.
The current price took effect July 12, 2026, when USPS raised the Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents. A book of 20 cost $15.60 at the old price. USPS’s October 4, 2026 price list keeps the same letter prices, so $16.40 is still the price of a book of 20 today.
At the Post Office, a book of 20 costs the same $16.40 as online. USPS says a Forever stamp bought today costs the same as the First-Class Mail stamp price, $0.82, and the Postal Store lists the book at $16.40. The lower $0.78 metered letter price in Notice 123 applies to letters mailed with a postage meter, not to stamps.
How many stamps are in a book of stamps?
A standard book of Forever stamps holds 20 stamps. The Postal Store describes the U.S. Flag 2026 Forever stamps as available “in panes and booklets of 20 and coils of 100, 3,000, and 10,000.” A pane, also called a sheet, has 20 stamps too, at the same $16.40.
Not every stamp comes in a book. Some designs are sold only as sheets or in smaller panes, and Global Forever stamps for international mail are currently sold in sheets of 10. If you are buying online, check the format and the stamp count listed on the product page before you add it to your cart.
How much are coils, sheets, and other stamp formats?
Forever stamps cost $0.82 apiece in every format, so a larger roll costs more only because it holds more stamps. Here are the U.S. Flag 2026 Forever stamp formats and prices listed in the USPS Postal Store today.
| Format | Stamps | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Book (booklet) | 20 | $16.40 |
| Sheet (pane) | 20 | $16.40 |
| Coil (roll) | 100 | $82.00 |
| Coil (roll) | 3,000 | $2,460.00 |
| Coil (roll) | 10,000 | $8,200.00 |
What do postcard, two-ounce, and other stamps cost?
USPS also sells stamps for mail that a single Forever stamp doesn’t fit. Like Forever stamps, these don’t show a cent value; USPS says the words on the stamp, such as “Postcard” or “Additional Ounce,” indicate what it pays for, and the Postal Store says each stays valid for that amount or weight even if postage rates increase. Prices below are from the Postal Store and match Notice 123.
For the full price of a letter by weight, see how much it costs to mail a letter, and for card sizes and postcard rules, see how much a postcard stamp is.
| Stamp | Covers | Price each | Example format and price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postcard | One standard-size postcard within the US | $0.65 | Sheet of 20, $13.00; coil of 100, $65.00 |
| Additional Ounce | Each ounce over 1 ounce on a letter | $0.29 | Sheet of 20, $5.80; coil of 100, $29.00 |
| Two-ounce | A First-Class letter up to 2 ounces | $1.11 | Sheet of 20, $22.20 |
| Three-ounce | A First-Class letter up to 3 ounces | $1.40 | 20 stamps, $28.00 |
| Nonmachinable | A 1-ounce square, rigid, or unusual letter ($0.82 plus the $0.49 surcharge) | $1.31 | Sheet of 20, $26.20 |
| Global Forever | A 1-ounce letter or a postcard to any country | $1.75 | Sheet of 10, $17.50 |
What does one Forever stamp cover?
One Forever stamp pays for a standard, rectangular letter up to 1 ounce sent by First-Class Mail anywhere in the US. The Postal Store’s product description says that includes US territories and military bases overseas, and that 1 ounce is about four sheets of regular 8½ × 11 paper in a rectangular envelope.
Heavier letters need more postage: each extra ounce adds $0.29, up to 3.5 ounces. Square, rigid, or lumpy envelopes that can’t go through USPS machines pay a $0.49 nonmachinable surcharge on top. You can add a Forever stamp plus an Additional Ounce stamp, or use any mix of stamps whose total meets the price. USPS says you may combine stamps as long as the total affixed equals at least the postage due.
A Forever stamp is for US mail only. To send a letter to another country, use a Global Forever stamp, which covers a 1-ounce letter or a postcard to any country.
How many stamps do you need for a heavier letter?
One Forever stamp is enough for most letters: a few sheets of paper in a standard business or greeting-card envelope usually stays under 1 ounce. If your envelope is heavier, weigh it first, then build the postage from the stamps you have. Using two Forever stamps on a 2-ounce letter works, but it pays $1.64 for a $1.11 letter, so an Additional Ounce stamp is the cheaper top-up.
These combinations apply to standard rectangular letters. A square or rigid envelope also needs the $0.49 nonmachinable surcharge, and anything over 3.5 ounces, or larger than letter size, is a large envelope, which starts at $1.69 for 1 ounce. For the full weight chart, see how much it costs to mail a letter.
| Letter weight | Postage | Stamps that cover it exactly |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1 ounce | $0.82 | 1 Forever stamp |
| Up to 2 ounces | $1.11 | 1 Forever + 1 Additional Ounce, or 1 Two-ounce stamp |
| Up to 3 ounces | $1.40 | 1 Forever + 2 Additional Ounce, or 1 Three-ounce stamp |
| Up to 3.5 ounces | $1.69 | 1 Forever + 3 Additional Ounce |
Do Forever stamps keep their value after a price increase?
Yes. USPS says a Forever stamp “will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.” A Forever stamp bought for 73 cents in 2024 or 78 cents in 2025 mails a 1-ounce letter today exactly like one bought at 82 cents, with no extra postage.
That only applies to stamps without a printed price. Older stamps that show a cent value, such as a 49¢ stamp, are still valid, because USPS says US postage never expires and all stamps issued since 1860 can be used, but they count only for the amount printed on them. Make up the difference with other stamps; USPS notes that 1-cent and 3-cent stamps are commonly used for that.
USPS does not exchange stamps because prices went up. If you have a drawer of older Forever stamps, just use them. Torn stamps are a different matter: a stamp with more than a minor tear or missing piece is not valid postage.
How much has the Forever stamp price changed?
USPS has raised the Forever stamp price four times since early 2024, and it skipped a January 2026 increase. Each change took effect on the date shown, and the book-of-20 price rose with it.
| Effective date | Forever stamp | Book of 20 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 12, 2026 | $0.82 | $16.40 | Up 4 cents from $0.78 |
| January 2026 | $0.78 | $15.60 | No increase |
| July 13, 2025 | $0.78 | $15.60 | Up 5 cents from $0.73 |
| July 14, 2024 | $0.73 | $14.60 | Up 5 cents from $0.68 |
| January 21, 2024 | $0.68 | $13.60 | Up 2 cents from $0.66 |
Did postcard and Global Forever stamps go up too?
Yes, on the same dates. In its 2026 filing, USPS raised the domestic postcard price from 61 cents to 65 cents and the international letter and postcard price from $1.70 to $1.75, and it kept the additional-ounce price at 29 cents. In July 2025, postcards went from 56 cents to 61 cents and international mail from $1.65 to $1.70. In July 2024, postcards went from 53 cents to 56 cents and international mail from $1.55 to $1.65.
Because postcard and Global Forever stamps are nondenominated too, the older ones you already own still cover today’s postcard and 1-ounce international prices.
Where can you buy a book of stamps?
USPS lists several ways to buy stamps: at a Post Office or an approved postal provider, online at the USPS Postal Store, by phone through Stamps By Phone at 1-844-737-7826 (weekdays 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Central), and through Stamps By Mail using PS Form 3227-A, which your carrier delivers two to three days after the order is received.
Many stores also sell books of stamps. USPS’s Stamps to Go program supplies companies that sell stamps at checkout counters, bank teller stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, and similar places. Before buying a whole book, especially online or from a third party, check that the listing says Forever and shows 20 stamps.
Can you mail a letter without buying stamps?
If you only need to send a letter or two, an online print-and-mail service is one option. IRIS, an independent print-and-mail service operated by Great Lakes Computing Office LLC (not USPS), prints the US Letter-size PDF you upload and mails it by USPS First-Class Mail to a US address. You enter the sender and recipient addresses and review the document, addresses, options, and total before paying.
The price is a $3.00 service-and-postage fee plus $0.20 per black-and-white page, so a one-page letter costs $3.20. That is more per letter than a $0.82 stamp, so for regular personal mail a book of stamps is cheaper; the trade-off is no printing, envelope, or trip to a mailbox. IRIS doesn’t sell stamps, mail packages, or send international mail.
Sources & further reading
Product details checked against the IRIS API contract when this article was published. Platform references can change; consult the linked documentation when implementing.
- USPS Notice 123: Price list
- USPS: First-Class Mail
- USPS FAQ: Postage stamps, the basics
- USPS Postal Store: U.S. Flag 2026 stamps
- USPS Postal Store: Vibrant Leaves postcard stamps
- USPS Postal Store: School Bus additional-ounce stamps
- USPS Postal Store: Elie Wiesel two-ounce stamps
- USPS Postal Store: Luna Moth nonmachinable stamps
- USPS Postal Store: Global Winter Wreath stamps
- USPS: U.S. Postal Service recommends new prices for July (April 9, 2026)
- USPS: No stamp price changes for January 2026 (Sept. 24, 2025)
- USPS: New prices for July 2025 (April 9, 2025)
- USPS: New prices for July 2024 (April 9, 2024)
- USPS: New prices for 2024 (Oct. 6, 2023)
Published by IRIS Postal Forms, operated by Great Lakes Computing Office LLC. Send a correction.