You may have heard that the price of postage stamps is going up again. In fact, the United States Postal Service is adjusting the rates on many of their shipping and mailing services. Although it sometimes seems more frequent, the USPS adjusts their rates once per year, in May, based on the current rate of inflation determined by the Consumer Price Index. Not all shipping prices are increasing though. The shipping services affected are: Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, and International Mail.
Express Mail will now be a zone-based pricing system, which means customers will pay less for nearby destinations. Customers who use electronic postage for their Priority Mail shipping will save an average of 3.5 percent. Parcel Select will have incentives for large and medium-size shippers, and Parcel Return Service pricing will now be based entirely on weight, which will be a price reduction for lighter packages.
Mailing services affected by the change are: First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services. For First-Class Stamps there will only be a 1 cent increase from 41 cents to 42 cents for a First Class Stamp. The Post Office and Postal Consignment locations will have Forever Stamps that can be used even after May 12 when the increase occurs. A 62 cent stamp will also be available for square greeting cards and 1-ounce non-machinable First-Class Mail letters. Some of the pricing highlights are lower additional ounce price for First-Class Mail letters, lower pound price for Standard Mail saturation and high-density flats, and no change in the First-Class Mail single-piece additional-ounce price.
For more information go to www.USPS.com , and you will find current pricing lists, as well as the pricing lists that begin on May 12.