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Forever stamps never expire and never lose value: each one always covers the current First-Class one-ounce letter rate, no matter what you paid. A Forever stamp bought years ago mails a one-ounce letter today with nothing added. The only limit is weight and size: anything over an ounce needs extra postage.
One Forever stamp equals one First-Class Mail stamp for a standard one-ounce letter, forever. When the postage rate rises, the value of every Forever stamp in your drawer rises with it automatically. That is the entire point of the product, introduced in 2007 starting with the Liberty Bell design: to end the ritual of buying one-cent and two-cent make-up stamps after every rate change.
What "Forever" does not cover is everything else. It does not cover a two-ounce letter, a large envelope, a postcard to another country, or Priority Mail. A Forever stamp is one unit of the domestic one-ounce letter rate, nothing more.
Anytime the letter exceeds one ounce or is nonstandard in size. A two-page letter on normal paper usually still weighs under an ounce, but add a few pages, a card, or a stiff insert and you cross the line. Large square envelopes also trigger a surcharge because machines cannot process them normally.
The fix people reach for first, sticking on a second Forever stamp, works but overpays: the additional-ounce rate is much lower than the first-ounce rate, so two Forever stamps on a two-ounce letter wastes most of the second stamp's value. The correct move is one Forever stamp plus a small-denomination additional-ounce stamp from the post office. If you mail heavy letters often, a kitchen scale pays for itself quickly.
Yes. Denomination stamps, the ones printed with a cent value, never expire either. A 39-cent stamp from 2006 is still worth 39 cents of postage today. You can combine old stamps to reach the current rate, which is why some people still keep sheets of odd denominations for exactly this purpose.
One caution about metered postage and printed online labels: those are different. Postage printed from a meter or an online label is tied to the rate in effect when printed, and if rates change before you mail it, you owe the difference. Only physical stamps with no expiration, Forever or denominated, hold their value indefinitely.
It is a reasonable one if you actually mail letters. Postage rates rise periodically, and every Forever stamp you hold gains value with each increase, effectively letting you prepay future postage at today's price. But stamps earn no interest and cannot be redeemed for cash at face value, so buying far more than you will use is just parking money in a drawer. A sensible approach: keep a comfortable supply on hand, not a speculation stockpile.
Canada Post sells the equivalent: permanent stamps, marked with a "P" instead of a denomination, which always cover the domestic letter rate. They work exactly like Forever stamps and pair with the same advice about weight. Our Canadian guide covers the details.
| Stamp type | Covers | Expires? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Forever stamp | Current First-Class one-ounce letter rate | Never | Gains value automatically with rate hikes; introduced 2007 |
| US denominated stamp | Its printed cent value | Never | Combine old stamps to reach the current rate |
| Metered or online postage | The rate in effect when printed | Effectively yes, after a rate change | You owe the difference if rates rise before mailing |
| Canada permanent stamp | Current domestic letter rate | Never | Marked with a "P"; same concept as Forever |
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