Postage stamps represent prepaid postal value for approved mailing uses.
What stamps can pay for
Valid unused stamps can pay applicable postage and certain postal amounts when USPS rules permit. Their role is narrower than cash.
Postage value and resale price
A stamp’s face or category value is not the same as what a collector or retailer may charge for it. Neither turns the stamp into currency.
Old stamps
Many unused genuine U.S. stamps remain usable for postage. Fixed denominations keep their printed value; Forever-category stamps follow their applicable category.
Frequently asked questions
Can a store be required to accept stamps as payment?
No.
Can stamps pay postage?
Yes, when valid and used according to postal rules.
Are collectible stamps worth cash?
They may have a resale market, but that is separate from legal-tender status and postage value.
Sources and update note
Rates and mailing standards can change. This page was reviewed in August 2026; verify the completed mailpiece when its weight, dimensions, shape, destination, or services are uncertain.
Legal tender, postage value and private acceptance
31 U.S.C. § 5103 identifies U.S. coins and currency as legal tender. Postage stamps are not included. A stamp is evidence of prepaid postal value under USPS rules, not money a creditor or store must accept.
- Postal value: the amount or service category USPS recognizes when a valid stamp is used correctly.
- Resale value: what a buyer may voluntarily pay; it can be below or above postal value.
- Private acceptance: two parties may agree to barter almost anything, but that does not make it legal tender.
USPS exchange and refund rules are limited and conditional; a stamp is not automatically redeemable for cash. This explanation concerns U.S. federal postage and is general information, not legal advice.