Sending holiday cards is getting more expensive: Here’s how much it will cost you now

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If you’re planning to send out holiday cards this month, you may need to brace yourself for a holiday surprise in the form of higher postage costs.

Holiday cards will cost more this year

By the numbers:

Since last Christmas, the cost of First-Class Mail Forever stamps has increased from 73 cents to 78 cents. This price adjustment happened in July.

This means the 50 holiday cards that cost a person $36.50 during the 2024 holiday and $33.00 in 2023 will now cost $39.00 to send out.

Why you should care:

While the number may not look like a substantial difference, the price changes come as many Americans prepare for the upcoming holiday while continuing to be affected by increased costs on goods and services. 

Postal Service will not increase stamp prices in January 2025

Dig deeper:

Despite the increase, the Postal Service previously announced that it will not be raising prices this coming January for its mailing services, and subsequently, the price of a First-Class stamp will remain unchanged.

Forever stamp prices have risen from 73 cents to 78 cents since last Christmas, pushing the cost of sending 50 holiday cards from $36.50 to $39.00. (Credit: Getty Images)

However, last month, the Postal Service filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for Shipping Services price changes that are set to take effect on Jan. 18, 2026. 

The adjustment would increase rates by about 6.6% for Priority Mail, 5.1% for Priority Mail Express, 7.8% for USPS Ground Advantage, and 6.0% for Parcel Select.

What they're saying:

According to the USPS, mailing services prices are tied to the consumer price index, while shipping services prices change based on market conditions.

Postal Service leaders believe the new rates will help the organization stay competitive and boost revenue. Prices for mailing services, including the First-Class Mail stamp, will remain unchanged in January.

More Americans living paycheck to paycheck

Big picture view:

The news comes following another recent study that revealed more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

The data, released by Bank of America, found that nearly a quarter of all households (24%) were estimated as living paycheck to paycheck this year.

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While this is an increase in the number of households year-over-year living paycheck to paycheck (0.3 percentage points), Bank of America said the pace of growth was nearly three times lower than last year.