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Forever Stamp Program Expands To Give Customers Convenience and More Choices
With the issuance of the Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit stamp on January 22, 2011, the Postal Service™ will launch a major step forward to enhance the customer experience with the expansion of the Forever® Stamp program.
All new First-Class Mail® commemorative stamps issued in 2011 and beyond will be Forever Stamps. And, forever means forever. Forever Stamps can be used to mail a 1-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change in the future. They never lose value. They will always be equal with the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate.
This customer convenience will allow customers to purchase a greater variety of their favorite stamp subjects and not have to worry about future price changes — they will be good forever.
The Postal Service developed the Forever Stamp for consumers to ease the transition during price changes. The first Forever Stamp, which remains on sale until inventories are depleted, features an image of the Liberty Bell.
This holiday season, Holiday Evergreens Forever Stamps, went on sale October 21, and Forever Stamp coils, featuring Lady Liberty and the U.S. Flag were issued December 1.
Now that the Postal Service offers coils, booklets, and Holiday Forever Stamps, almost 85 percent of its stamp program is Forever.
Since the Forever Stamp was first issued in April 2007, 28 billion Forever Stamps have been sold, resulting in $12.1 billion in total revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why is the Postal Service making all commemorative stamps Forever Stamps?
A. We are meeting the needs of our customers. They have told us they appreciate the convenience of knowing when they buy stamps, they’ll be good forever. Now, our customers don’t have to worry about future price changes; now there is no need to purchase make-up stamps when prices change.
Since we now have coils, booklets, and Holiday Forever Stamps, almost 85 percent of our stamp program is Forever. It’s good for our customers and it’s good for our business to expand to the commemorative stamps.
Q. When does this transition take place?
A. With the issuance of the Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit Forever Stamp on January 22, 2011.
Q. Will all new First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate stamps issued in 2011 be Forever Stamps forever?
A. Yes, all will be Forever Stamps forever.
Q. Does this decision spell the end of the commemorative stamp program?
A. No, the opposite is true. We believe customers will now appreciate the added variety of stamps that have the Forever designation.
Q. Will customers be able to continue using the Liberty Bell Forever stamps?
A. Yes, forever means forever. They will always be good for the prevailing single-piece First-Class Mail price.
Q. How will stamp collectors react to this decision?
A. We anticipate collectors will be pleased with our decision. It means a much greater variety of stamps will be used on mail.
Q. Is this likely to stimulate greater interest in the hobby of stamp collecting?
A. We hope that the philatelic community will use the expansion of the Forever Stamp program as a springboard to excite others and get them interested in the world’s most popular stamp program.
Postal managers are absolute idiots. How are they going to pay for increased costs without raising prices? Are they finally going to make bulk mailers pay their fair share? The demise of the postal service is coming from top management, not from the minions below. If they really wanted to save money they would print one type of stamp and make it a Forever stamp and leave it at that. Otherwise, people who want a variety should pay for the cost.
My understanding is that FOREVER stamps can’t be used on INTERNATIONAL mail. Many people that I deal with in foreign countries like me to post their packages with U.S. COMMERATIVE stamps. Thanks to the dummies that came up with this stupid idea, I’ll remember it FOREVER!