Cost of Stamp to Rise to 29 Effective Feb. 3

The cost of mailing a letter will jump to 29 cents effective Feb. 3, the U.S. Postal Service announced today.

The announcement by the Postal Service governors completes the complex 11-month process of raising postage rates.

The decision boosts first-class postage from a quarter to 29 cents for the first ounce and from 20 cents to 23 cents for each additional ounce. The price of mailing a post card will rise from 15 cents to 19 cents.

Rate increases will also affect other classes of mail, including newspapers and magazines, which travel by second-class mail, and third-class advertising material.

Millions of new stamps have already been printed for use at the new rate. The stamps, labeled “F,” are the sixth in the series of letter-designated stamps used when rates are changed. They do not carry a numerical price because the rate was not known at the time they were printed. A tulip is pictured on the stamps.

The new 29-cent rate was recommended Jan. 4 by the independent Postal Rate Commission.

Norma Pace, chairwoman of the Postal Governors, said the rates recommended by the commission were being put into effect under protest. She said the Postal Service is asking the Postal Rate Commission for more details of some parts of its recommendations.