news | April 21, 2026

How do I get my face on a postage stamp?

A. The United States Post Office allows you to make custom postage stamps from your own photos, but you must use one of the organization’s approved third-party vendors. As explained on the U.S.P.S. website, custom stamps can be designed and purchased from PhotoStamps, PictureItPostage and Zazzle.

How do stamps work?

A small adhesive piece of paper of specified value issued by a postal authority to be affixed to a letter or a parcel to indicate the amount of postage paid. Postage stamps are the most commonly used stamps and have a fixed amount of postage noted on them. Also, postage stamps are sold in a number of different forms.

Can I get my letter stamped at the post office?

Postage Options Buy stamps at Post Offices or at Approved Postal Providers® such as grocery and drug stores.

How does the Post Office know if stamps are real?

Luminescence detection has been used by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for the detection and orientation of stamps on mail pieces. The USPS has relied upon luminescence detection for almost 45 years to identify stamp authenticity and to orient letters processed by automatic sorting machines.

Can you take a letter to the post office without a stamp?

Generally, there is no law forbidding you from sending unstamped letters. If the addressee refuses to accept it or to pay, in the absence of the return address, the envelope will be delivered to a dead letter office – a department at the post office where unclaimed letters are collected.

What happens if I send a letter without a stamp?

An item mailed without a stamp will be returned to the sender if a valid return address was written on the envelope. Validity of the sender’s return address requires that a deliverable street number, street name and zip code are present on the envelope — city and state help to confirm the zip code is correct.

Can I sell custom postage stamps?

Reselling stamps is not illegal. Although you need approval to act as an official contractor or participate in USPS programs, you are free to resell your new or used postage stamps.

What is the price of a postage stamp?

En español | Walk into a U.S. post office today and you’ll pay 55 cents for a first-class stamp. If the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has its way, however, your stamps will cost 58 cents — a 5.5 percent increase — starting Aug. 29. A first-class stamp covers the price of a one-ounce letter.