Starting July 12, 2026, the price of a First-Class Mail Forever® Stamp increases from $0.78 to $0.82 — a 5% rate hike that affects every TCGplayer seller shipping plain white envelopes.
What this means for your postage costs
Four cents per envelope doesn't sound like much. But for active sellers, it adds up quickly:
| Monthly PWE volume | Monthly increase | Annual increase |
|---|---|---|
| 50 PWEs/month | +$2.00 | +$24.00 |
| 100 PWEs/month | +$4.00 | +$48.00 |
| 250 PWEs/month | +$10.00 | +$120.00 |
| 500 PWEs/month | +$20.00 | +$240.00 |
| 1,000 PWEs/month | +$40.00 | +$480.00 |
When postage costs go up, every envelope needs to count more
A lost or misdirected envelope isn't just a $0.82 loss — it's a refund, a dispute, a negative feedback, and the time it takes to resolve it. When your postage costs increase, the cost of a bad delivery outcome increases too.
That's the case for visibility. Knowing which orders are moving, which are stalled, and which addresses need correction before you mail isn't just operationally useful — it's how you protect the margin on every envelope you send.
What TCGHaulTracker does
TCGHaulTracker processes your TCGplayer packing slip PDFs and applies USPS Intelligent Mail® barcodes to every order — the same tracking infrastructure USPS uses internally for letter mail. You get:
- Address validation via USPS CASS before the envelope leaves your hands — catches bad addresses before they become returns
- Mailstream visibility through USPS Informed Visibility — see when orders are scanned, in transit, and out for delivery
- Delivery rate tracking — know what percentage of your mail is actually getting there
- Dispute protection — a documented record of every shipment's journey through the mailstream
Quick answers
Do my existing stamps still work?
Yes. Forever® Stamps never expire and are valid at any price — before or after July 12. If you have stamps on hand at $0.78, they're still good indefinitely.
Does this affect package shipping?
This specific increase applies to First-Class Mail letters and PWEs. Package rates have separate pricing and are not affected by this change.
When does the increase take effect?
July 12, 2026. Stamps purchased before that date at $0.78 remain valid.