Do Stamps Expire? What is the life of Forever Stamps?

Do stamps expire? The simplest answer to this question is that stamps never expire, as long as they continue to be treated as valid postage. If your stamps are not torn, damaged, or illegible, they never have an expiry date. However, postage rates are on the rise these days; therefore, you should know about these rate changes.

Let’s take a deep dive to understand better about this topic…

Are you wondering if you can use your old stamps that are resting in your drawer? We will answer that for you in this article.

So, all you need to remember is that postage stamps never expire, as long as they are in good condition, despite the increase in postage rates in 2020.

What is the life of stamps?

Do you want to know if your postage stamps are valid? If the USA had issued them on or after 1860, they are accepted from any USA location, and in all locations where the US Mail Service is in operation. When using denomination stamps for the total postage, make sure you match the postage charges for that particular type of mail.

These stamps are termed invalid if they are damaged or torn. So, if you use them in a letter, they may get rejected by the mail department. Use only clean and valid stamps at all times. We also need to be mindful that postage rates have been increasing for 2020 and 2021.

More about the expiry of USPS Forever Stamps

Regardless of the time you purchased them, and their current prices, you can continue to use USPS Forever Stamps for a one-ounce letter. Their prices are always similar to the standard first-class stamps.

However, in the recent past, the postage rates have been on the rise for Forever Stamps and Priority Mail. So, it is a good idea to buy these stamps in bulk now. Despite the price increase, the rates of online postage services remain unaffected.

What to know about the expiry of First Class Stamps?

During 2006, the first class stamps cost 39 cents in the US. So you may wonder if your letter would reach its destination if you had used only a 37-cent stamp. The answer is, “yes, maybe.” However, the recipient of the letter would have been forced to pay the fine of 2 cents. So, though your letter may reach its destination, you may run the risk of angering the recipient!

Current value of stamps – what do you know

Do you want to know the current charges of forever stamps? See the chart below to know the current rate of a forever stamp, and the postage charges you need to pay for a letter.

Most prices are unchanged, but there is slight increase in flat rates. check below:

We hope you now have a fair idea of the current value of these stamps. In that case, start stocking postage supplies and stamps right now from Amazon.com.

Lets take an example..

I have stamps worth 50 cents. Now, if USPS increases the cost of the stamps, can I continue to use my 50-cent stamps for mailing?

If you have bought Forever stamps for 50 cents, then you can continue to use them for all your one-ounce mails, at the current rate. You will know if your stamp belongs to the “forever” category, if it has that word printed on it, instead of its value.

If the current rate is 55 cents, you can still use your forever stamps worth 50 cents, and the letter will be considered “payment in full.”

This rule applies even if your letter weighs more than one ounce. I would like to give you this example. If the postage charge for a 2-ounce letter is 70 cents (just a random example), you can use your stamp, for which you paid 50 cents (but the actual worth of which is 55 cents). For the additional 15 cents, you can use one more 15-cent stamp to fulfill the postage charges.

The main reasons why UPSP introduced Forever Stamps many years ago were:

• Making things easier for users and the United States Postal Service
• Encouraging customers to buy forever stamps in bulk in advance, so that the USPS could also benefit from the extra sales

And finally…

How to use Forever Stamps in a right way?

Forever Stamps are very simple to use. Buy them today at the price of standard first-class stamps, and remain stress-free about the price increase. You can use these stamps for all standard envelopes that weigh one ounce or lesser. If the weight is more than one ounce, you can fulfill the postage charges by investing in additional stamps.

Looking to use forever stamps for international mails? You can do that by assessing the total cost of the mail. Now divide it by the first class stamps’ current price to know the number of Forever stamps you need to use for your international mails.

Aren’t these Forever Stamps beneficial in many ways? Invest in them right away, to save yourself from increases in postal charges in the future. If you love to collect stamps, here is your chance to start collecting these classic Forever stamps right now. Regardless of why you own them, you are sure to reap many benefits from these stamps in the long run.

Kevin Hans

Hello, I’m Kevin, a passionate philatelist from Brooklyn, NY, with years of experience in collecting and studying stamps. Through my blog, I aim to share my knowledge and insights on all things related to stamps, including where to buy them and their current market value. As a trained researcher, I pride myself on providing accurate and trustworthy information to my readers. Feel free to reach out to me through the contact form with any questions or suggestions. Happy stamping!