USPS Postage Stamps

Stoking up on a few USPS postage stamps in times of need is a great idea, especially for Forever stamps. Having a pack of postage stamps is quite beneficial while you are mailing those important packages overseas or domestically. There are times when you are in urgent need to mail a package, and you do not have enough time to run to the local post office or any store/outlet that sells stamps. Well, in such situations, you can always order them online. Read on to find out more about the USPS postage stamps, the types, rates, and much more below…

USPS Postage Stamps

A postage stamp is an adhesive/non-adhesive tiny paper that you stick to your packages while mailing them. These stamps indicate the postage you have paid for your package, and they are affixed to the letters or packages that you are mailing to the destination. Every stamp has a certain value(postage) imprinted on it. Although stamps are commonly offered by the postal authority, many retail outlets also sell stamps as single pieces or in batches.

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USPS Postage stamps are commonly sold as booklets, sheets, coils, sheetlets purchased from the self-service kiosk at the USPS post office, or just single stamps.

Where to Buy USPS Postage Stamps

The advantage of stamps is that they are available everywhere. You don’t always have to head over to the post office to get yourself a few packs. However, post offices do sell single stamps if you are not looking forward to buying an entire pack. Here are a few alternatives to buying USPS postage stamps from the post office.

Banks

Many banks and ATMs sell postage stamps to customers regularly. While making a transaction at the bank or the ATM, you can buy a few stamps at the same time. To find the nearest ATM, you can download the app of the bank that you use and look for all the possible nearby ATMs. Once you locate the nearest ATM, you can buy a few stamps. Popular banks that also sell postage stamps are Bank of America, Well’s Fargo, Key Bank.

Retail Outlets

The next time you visit the grocery store or the pharmacy, you can get a fair amount of stamps as well. Many popular retail outlets sell packs or booklets of stamps. The only disadvantage of buying stamps from retail outlets is that you cannot buy individual stamps. You can only buy sheets, booklets, or coils while purchasing in-store. If you barely have any idea of what postage stamp you might need, then you can use the package weight scales to measure the package and then buy the postage stamp for the package.

Some of the popular places that sell postage stamps are Kroger, Walmart, Target, Costo, Publix, etc. A few retail stores also offer individual stamps as well, but such stores are limited in number.

Buy Stamps Online

You can always switch to buying postage stamps from the online USPS market anytime, anywhere. There is a wide collection of postage stamps for every season, every theme, and much more. You can filter the stamps based on the color, themes, events, etc, and order them online in the comfort of your homes.

Self-service Kiosk at the USPS Post Office

Not many people prefer to buy USPS postage stamps from the self-service kiosk as the queue line can get pretty long and tiring. Additionally, sometimes the kiosk is closed down or the number of working hours is shortened, which is why this isn’t a great option. Anyway, if you come across buying stamps from a self-service kiosk then you can do so if it’s worth the wait or else there are many alternatives.

Stamps.com

This website is basically a post office that is brought to your doorstep. Although there is a membership associated with this website, you can take advantage of the free supplies it offers before paying for the subscription. The membership costs $17.99 per month along with the option to cancel anytime during the membership without any long-term contracts.

Types of Postage Stamps

When looking for stamps, we come across many such categories of stamps that are very different from one another. Some of the common categories of stamps are as follows:

Airmail Stamps

Airmail stamps are the postage stamps that are used as payment for airmail services. This kind of mail delivery is only used for shipping packages via airmail. It cannot be used for any other shipping services via ship, train, etc.

Certified Mail Services

A certified mail stamp is given to the sender through the mailing receipt. This stamp acts as a proof for mailing the package which the sender receives. The sender can use this stamp to show that he has mailed the package and it is in transit. These stamps have their own labels numbers and are specially used for this purpose only.

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Commemorative Stamps

These kinds of stamps are only used as a means of honoring the historical figures, events, and every aspect that shaped the history of the United States. Commemorative stamps have a special significance, and they are not commonly used as postage stamps for sending packages. It is mostly used by auctioneers and collectors.

Personalized Stamps

Not many people have heard of customized stamps. You can select any image of your choice and have it printed on a stamp. Most of the personalized stamps are not true stamps.

Definitive Stamps

This is the most used stamp when compared to other stamps. Definitive stamps are basically referred to as everyday stamps which are used for mailing letters and parcels. These stamps are abundant in quantity and are issued to postal services every year. Unlike commemorative stamps, definitive stamps do not have great designs and details. The design of definitive stamps may or may not change every year. However, the denominations on the postage stamp are likely to change.

Express Mail Stamp

The express mail stamps are a special kind of stamps. These stamps guarantee that the package will be delivered to the recipient as early as possible without any delays. People use this postage stamp to indicate that they want to deliver the package asap. The sender usually pays an extra fee for buying these stamps.

First Day Covers

These stamps are also called FDCs. As the name implies, these stamps are issued on a particular date as the envelope. The envelopes have a postage stamp which indicates the first date of issuing the stamp.

Forever Stamps

The forever stamps were first issued in the year 2007. The cost of Forever Stamps is the same as First Class Definitive Stamps. A unique feature about these stamps is that you can use forever stamps for as long as you want, i.e., forever. These stamps can be used as a first class USPS postage stamp for the standard mail that weighs 1 ounce or less. Forever stamps are non-denominated and are also referred to as permanent stamps. That’s because you can use these stamps even if their price increases. You do not have to pay the current value of the stamp as these stamps do not lose their value.

International and Local Postage Stamps

As the name implies, a country can print a stamp on behalf of any other country. The local postal stamp refers to those stamps which can only be used within a specific geographical location and not anywhere else.

Military Stamp

These stamps are made for the country’s military forces. Military stamps were introduced during World War II as they were used by soldiers to send letters to their families. These letters were carried by the military personnel to the destination. As of now, the military stamps are not popularly used as they did at one point in time. However, many hobbyists have a wide collection of military stamps to show off.

Postage Due Stamp

This stamp is used to indicate that postage has not been completely paid. The values on this stamp indicate the amount owed. USPS uses these stamps to specify that the amount owed by the sender is yet to be paid.

Postal Tax Stamp

These types of stamps are used to indicate that a tax amount apart from the regular postage fee is paid by the sender. The postal tax stamps are mandatory to be paid and should be paid to help send the letters and packages. The amount collected from these stamps goes to charitable organizations and institutes.

Revenue Stamps

These stamps are imposed as a means to collect fees and taxes from people for using government services like medicines, tobacco, firearms registration, hunting licenses, etc. Revenue stamps are issued by the local and national governments.

Semipostal Stamps

These are the stamps that are used for charitable costs. The semipostal stamps are used to raise awareness among people alongside providing funds to those administrations and organizations that are extending a helping hand towards these social issues. The cost of semipostal stamps is higher than regular stamps. The extra amount will be transferred to the respective organizations.

Test Stamps

These stamps are not meant for use. A test stamp is printed by the postal services to check if their machines are printing the stamps properly. Only the postal authorities use this stamp to detect the functioning of their machines.

Variable Value Stamp

These are the stamps that print the postage value according to your needs. The value of this postage stamp varies or depends on the series of postal rates that were initially fixed by the postal services.

The Best USPS Postage Stamps

Curating a list of some of the best postage stamps is close to impossible. There are thousands of stamps out there on the USPS website, and each stamp features a unique attribute. All the stamps come in various colors, quantities, themes, prices, and much more. Here are some of the most popular postage stamps according to the customers:

Forever Stamps

As the value of forever stamps is not lost no matter how much the price is increased, this is the most popular category among customers. The value of Forever stamps on the USPS page is 58 cents. Some of the most popular Forever stamps are as follows:

• Garden beauty stamps: Every once in a while, USPS brings a new collection of Garden Beauty stamps for those who are in love with gardening. The images on these stamps are captured by professional photographers which are then printed on the stamps.
• Festival stamps: Festival stamps are also the most widely used stamps across the US. Every festive stamp has a blend of certain colors with exquisite design and attractive calligraphy. Along with this, a few festive stamps also include short slogans and cute messages. Some of the most common festival stamps are Kwanzza, Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah, etc
• Star Wars stamps: These stamps are mostly used by those who are in love with this franchise. The Star Wars droid are important characters that play special roles in the franchise.

Stamp With Higher Costs

• Healing PTSD Stamps: This is a semipostal First class stamp that costs 75 cents for one. For a sheet of 20 stamps, it costs $15.00. As the name suggests, this stamp is dedicated towards healing all the people who are suffering PTSD.
• Breast Cancer Research Stamp: This is another First Class semipostal stamp which supports the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Program in their quest to find a cure to Breast Cancer.

New Releases

• A visit from St. Nick: To pump up the excitement of all the kids every year, USPS produces many exciting and colorful Christmas postage stamps. These stamps feature the story of how Santa visits the houses on the special day and rewards the kids with exciting gifts.
• Happy birthday stamps: These stamps feature the most awaited day in a person’s life. The happy birthday stamp has a very colorful and vibrant look with each letter representing the elements of a birthday party.

Can You Buy Postage Stamps Online?

If you are someone who can barely step out of the house only to buy a pack of stamps, then you should give the USPS online portal a try. Buying postage stamps online has many advantages. You get to save both your time and money along with getting a few discounts which aren’t available at the post office. You can also shop for other free supplies such as packing boxes and many other items.

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To buy postage stamps online, you need to visit the USPS stamps page and log in to your free account. Then all you have to do is calculate the weight of your packages and order the respective postage stamps by adding them to your cart. You can order as many postage stamps as you want online.

USPS Postage Stamp Price Hikes

As per the new rules which were meant to achieve financial stability, there has been a slight increase in the postage prices. According to the postal service’s 10-year plan, the aim is to reduce the use of airmail and increase the use of trucks to deliver the mail. As a result of this plan, there will be an increase in the delivery time and the postage prices. The postage prices have been increased to 3 or 4 cents for major mailing services. Although this hike does not have a deep impact on the money you spend on postage stamps, it can be difficult for businesses that mail around 300-500 packages per day.

Despite the increase in postage prices, USPS still remains one of the most affordable services when compared to the prices of other mailing services. These changes in price have been effective since August 29, 2021.

Conclusion

USPS Postage stamps are designed in a variety of forms with unique designs, patterns, and colors. Every postage has a certain value affixed on it and should be properly affixed on your mails. Although you can always buy these stamps from the post office or any retail outlets, ordering them online after properly calculating the postage value seems to be a better idea. Hope this article gave you all the information on postage stamps that you were looking for.

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