Cost of higher stamp prices now in effect, USPS says: Here's how much

SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal government raised the price of stamps on Sunday.

The price of first class forever stamps is increasing by 5 cents, rising from 73 cents to 78 cents, according to Senior U.S. Postal service representative Marti Johnson.

It will also cost more to send a postcard in the United States -- that's going to run you 62 cents, up from 56 cents.

An international postcard went up by 5 cents to $1.70.

Johnson called the jump a "rational and realistic approach."

The United States Postal Service made the request to the Postal Regulatory Commission back in April.

At the time, former U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previously warned postal customers to get used to "uncomfortable" rate hikes as the Postal Service seeks to become self-sufficient. He said price increases were overdue after "at least 10 years of a defective pricing model."

DeJoy resigned in March after nearly five years in the position, leaving as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency had floated the idea of privatizing mail service.

Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino has taken on the role of postmaster general until the Postal Service Board of Governors names a permanent replacement for DeJoy.

Trump once considered putting USPS under the control of the Commerce Department in an effort to stop losses at the $78 billion-a-year agency, which has struggled at times to balance the books with the decline of first-class mail.

USPS workers nationwide have rallied against Trump administration's plans for privatization, worried about substantial job losses and big delays.

The Associated Press contributed to this report