Creating a shipping label costs nothing. That surprises people, and it obscures the more useful question: what else is bundled in, and what you are actually paying for.
Free to create, paid to use
You can generate a USPS shipping label at no charge — it carries origin, destination, weight, service and a barcode. It is not valid until postage is bought, and Priority Mail postage starts from around $9.00.
The label itself is just the instruction. The postage is the product.
What is genuinely included
Free packaging. Boxes, envelopes, labels and forms for certain services can be ordered at no cost and delivered to you. For anyone shipping regularly, this is a real saving that goes unclaimed.
Tracking, at no extra charge on the services that carry it.
Insurance up to $50, included. Additional cover can be bought up to $5,000, as can signature on delivery.
Flat rate up to 70 pounds on domestic flat-rate services — if it fits and closes, the price is the price regardless of weight. For dense items this is frequently the cheapest option available.
Scheduled collection. Print at home and have the carrier take it on their normal round, which removes the trip entirely.
Which services you can print at home
Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail International, Priority Mail Express International and Global Express Guaranteed.
Not available that way: First-Class Mail, Media Mail, ordinary letter postage, First-Class International, Certified Mail and Parcel Select Ground.
That list is the practical dividing line. The cheap letter-and-flat services — which is most of what a small seller sends — are stamp territory, not label territory.
Stamps, and what they cost
A stamp is prepaid postage affixed by hand, bought and applied without any account or printer.
Rates changed on 10 July 2022: first-class stamps rose 2 cents from $0.58 to $0.60, postcards from $0.40 to $0.44, and international Forever stamps to $1.40.
Worth knowing: small packages under 13 ounces can be mailed with stamps. You do not need a label for everything that comes in a box, and for light parcels stamps are frequently cheaper.
The actual difference
A label can be printed at home once postage is paid; a stamp cannot be printed at all. Labels suit packages; stamps suit letters, postcards and flats — which includes almost all wedding and invitation mail.
On price, labels win once you are shipping enough small parcels for the commercial rates and included services to matter. Stamps win on everything flat, light and low-value, and they keep working when the printer does not.
Best deals on Forever stamps
Surplus channels carry older designs the official store no longer sells, generally below face value — the practical way to get a specific past issue.
Where to buy
The USPS official store for postage stamps and international rates, or a verified surplus channel such as Forever Stamp Center for volume and retired designs.
The short version
The label is free, the postage is not, and free packaging plus $50 of insurance and tracking come with it. Letters and flats cannot use labels at all — and packages under 13 ounces can use stamps.
More on buying Forever stamps
- 👉 Stamp or Label? Decide by Weight, Shape and Tracking
- 👉 How Many Stamps Do I Need for a Small Package?
- 👉 What Are Postage Stamps?
USPS specialist based in Los Angeles with extensive experience in postal operations and customer service. Certified in mail management and trained at the USPS Business Mail Academy, she offers reliable guidance on Forever Stamps and practical mailing solutions.
