The 2013 stamp price will be 46 cents in January — a new postage rate and an increase of one cent compared to the current price of a stamp. The postal service also announced a number of other postage increases and new services coming in 2013.

The USPS receives no tax dollars to operate so these increases to the price of a stamp are the only way the USPS can continue to pay for its operating expenses. Additionally, the postal service isn’t allowed to increase the price of a stamp more than the rate of inflation — even while enormous costs mount with Americans using the internet to pay bills and communicate — causing the postal service to lose a projected $15 billion.

The USPS has asked for a special postage rate increase of 5 cents but Congress hasn’t followed through. $15 billion reaches the USPS’s borrowing limit, after which they have to operate solely off of sales and other new products.

Other new postage rates and services in 2013:

• There’s a new “First Class Mail Global Forever Stamp” which will deliver a letter weighing about 1 ounce anywhere in the world for $1.10. This is unique since the current international price of a stamp varies depending on the country you’re sending to.
• Parcel Post (now called “Standard Post”) and Priority Mail will include free tracking and delivery information, though they will also experience a postage increase which depends on an item’s size.
• First Class Mail International (now called “First Class Package Service International”) is eligible for discounts online and commercial pricing but also has a significant postage rate increase, which depends on weight
• Flat rate packaging, which is free to customers who pay for the service, can now request expedited delivery for a fee of $2.50

Some other details surrounding 2013 stamp prices are in the USPS’s official press release on the matter.

The new postage rates and price of a stamp will become effective January 27th, 2013. The new products will be released in January.