A forever stamp is a postage stamp in the US that is good for first class postage regardless of when it is used. It was approved in 2006 and benefits consumers by allowing them to stock up on stamps at the going rate. The Postal Service benefits from cash flow and not having to manage obsolete stamps. Other countries use undenominated stamps, but they are not the same as forever stamps.
A forever stamp is a postage stamp in the United States that is good for first class postage, regardless of when it is used. By concept, once purchased, a forever stamp is a perpetual stamp that neither expires nor diminishes in value. Its value is the first class mail postage rate for a one ounce letter at the time of use.
The United States Postal Service submitted a proposal in May 2006 to the US Postal Rate Commission to create a forever stamp beginning in 2007. The proposal was approved, and the forever stamps went on sale in April 2007. I Forever stamps are sold at the First-Class Mail Postage Rate in effect at the time of purchase. They can be used for postage within the US and for mail sent from the US to an international destination, although this would require additional postage.
The benefits of a forever stamp for the consumer include the ability to stock up on first class postage at the going rate and use it until supplies run out. As postage rates change, you no longer need to purchase two or three cent stamps to add to your old stamp. For most consumers, the biggest benefit of a forever stamp is convenience.
One benefit to the Postal Service of a forever stamp is cash flow. The Postal Service gets cash in the present for stamps that won’t be used until the future. Furthermore, the Postal Service would not need to employ employees to sell the obsolete two-cent stamps or to manage the rush of consumers to find new, higher-rate stamps.
The likelihood of people hoarding stamps shouldn’t be a big deal before approval. Most consumers don’t want the hassle of keeping track of a large amount of stamps. Commercial mail is unlikely to have been overly affected, as most businesses use metered or pre-printed postage rather than stamps.
Many countries, including Finland, Israel, Belgium, Brazil, and Great Britain, use undenominated stamps, although how they are used varies from country to country. Some countries call them “Standard Mail Stamps”. The UK began using these types of stamps, which they call Non-Valuable Indicators (NVIs), in 1989 to ease problems when postage rates change.
While the United States has used undenominated postage stamps in its history, they were not the same as a forever postage stamp. The United States Postal Service repeatedly used letter stamps as emergency stamps when postal rates went up.
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