Where to Buy Stamps Fast (8 Places)

I will never forget the time I had a super important document to mail.

Hustling to the mailbox, accompanying me was my dog and my envelope was in hand, only to get to the end of the street to realize… I didn't have a stamp on the envelope!

CRAP! I had to hustle to find a stamp all before the mail came that day. Luckily, I knew where to buy stamps (my local grocery store) and it wasn't too far away, but I am sure you have been there too.

And perhaps you're a millennial like me and you need to know where to buy stamps, fast, and near you! That is why today I will share with you eight places to buy stamps in case you're in a predicament like myself!

8 Places Where to Buy Stamps:

When it comes to buying stamps, start with the most logical place – your post office!

1. Your local post office

It goes without saying (but we’re going to say it anyway) that you can buy stamps at your local post office. However, with social distancing still being advised; the threat of Covid literally hovering in the air; and potentially long lines when you get there, buying stamps at your local post office might not be ideal for everyone right now.

Sometimes USPS is not so close. For example, I have a grocery store 1 mile from my home, or my post office which is 8 miles. Luckily, we’ve listed a whole bunch of other places where you can buy stamps below.

If you do decide to venture to your local post office to buy stamps, consider taking advantage of one of the electronic self-service kiosks (if there’s one available). While you can’t usually buy specialty stamps, you can often beat the lines.

2. USPS.com

The first of four online places to buy stamps on our list is USPS.com. The United States Postal Service website has a selection of postal stamps for sale, including special seasonal stamps, themed postage stamps, and other limited edition offerings from time to time.

The best part is that you can filter and sort by many different options, and because you’re buying postage stamps online, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home.

3. Amazon

Did you know that you can buy postage stamps on Amazon? That’s right! Is it any surprise, really? After all, you buy pretty much everything else there, right!?

Amazon.com has its own US Postage Stamps section, which has literally thousands of stamps for sale. Like the USPS website, you can filter and sort by various options to make your search that bit easier.

You can even find vintage postage stamps on Amazon, so it really can be with spending the time to see what’s available.

4. eBay

Perhaps you’re looking for a specific postage stamp to complete a collection, or there’s a stamp you’ve been searching for forever, but you haven’t been able to find. If you haven’t tried it already, eBay can be a treasure trove for postage stamps, both modern and from yesteryear.

Head over to eBay.com and conduct a search today. Alternatively, head straight to eBay’s US Postage Stamps for sale section and browse through the thousands of listings. Who knows, you might find a rare gem among all the postage stamps for sale.

5. Stamps.com

Stamps.com allows you to buy postage online. The beauty of such a service is that you can print postage labels at home. Stamps.com will even give you $5 in free postage to use during your trial period, as well as a free 5lb digital scale (worth $50). You’ll also be sent a free supplies kit worth $5 too.

However, stamps.com charges a monthly fee of $17.99 for its services. Our advice is to give the 4-week trial a go and see if you think such a service would be beneficial and cost effective for you. 

6. Certain Retailers

As well as your local post office, there are plenty of other brick and mortar retailers where you can buy postage stamps. Everywhere from small grocery stores to pharmacies, and office supply stores to gas stations sell postage stamps.

The United States Postal Service even has a handy tool to help you find places near you that sell postage stamps. Just head to https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm and input your location using the city and state or zip code. Finally choose ‘National retailer’ from the dropdown list and you’ll be presented with a list of places, like Target, Walgreens, and Winn-Dixie, where you can buy postage stamps.

If you own a business and frequently buy a lot of postage stamps, Costco could be worth a look. They sell postage stamps in packs of 5 booklets (that’s 100 stamps), but they don’t offer stamps online. You’ll have to visit your closest Costco to take advantage.

Use the ‘Find a Warehouse’ link at the top of their website to locate your nearest Costco warehouse. Also, if you're not sure which is better, Costco or Sam's Club, we wrote a review about that too!

7. Your bank

Some banks sell postage stamps. If yours does, you can either purchase them directly from the teller or via an ATM machine. It really does depend on the bank itself, though. So if you’re not sure, ask the teller next time you are at your bank whether they sell postage stamps. At least you’ll know for future reference.

8. Other places to buy postage stamps

Many bookstores and office supply stores, like Staples, also sell postage stamps. Given that they usually sell lots of other postage-related items, it makes sense for them to sell postage stamps, too, when you think about it.

With more than 1,071 stores across the United States, there’s a good chance you’ve got a Staples near you.

Head over to https://stores.staples.com/index.html to find your nearest store.

How much is a book of stamps?

Finally, if you’re wondering, how much is a book of stamps? We’ve got you covered.

Right now, at the time of writing this article, the cost of a one-ounce First Class Mail stamp (suitable for general correspondence such as billing invoices, credit card statements and birthday cards) is $0.55 at the Post Office.

If you take advantage of a service like stamps.com and buy and print stamps online, you can send First Class Mail for $0.47.

It’s also worth noting that you will rarely get a discount for buying postage stamps in bulk, so only ever buy as many as you think you’ll need.

If you’re looking for vintage postage stamps and/or real collector’s items on places like eBay, expect to pay a lot more.

Final thoughts

Personally, I don't do a lot of mailing since we can now email, text, and use social media to stay connected. When it comes to paying bills, more and more are paying online so overall the demand for stamps is down.

However, there are those times around the holidays or important announcements where finding and buying stamps is still necessary. Hopefully, this article helped you quickly identify where to buy stamps!

For related articles similar to this, be sure to check out these Life Hack posts!