DBQ Fighting Saints
April 19, 2022
Attention Mailers: USPS announced a major rate change event.
Today the United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect on July 10, 2022.
Prepare for possible price increases on the First-Class Mail Forever stamps, metered mail rates, postcards, and international letters. This is the first increase to First-Class Mail since August 29, 2021. Earlier this year, the USPS made changes to their shipping rates in January, and recently the USPS® implemented two new shipping fees in effect Sunday, April 3, 2022.
If approved, the new prices would mean a rate increase on some mail products, including a two-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 58 cents to 60 cents. The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect.
First-Class stamps are going up 2 cents
The proposed mailing service charges include:
| Product | Current Price | Planned Price |
|---|---|---|
| Letters (1oz) | 58 cents | 60 cents |
| Letters (metered 1 oz.) | 53 cents | 57 cents |
| Letters additional ounce(s) | 20 cents | 24 cents |
| Domestic Postcards | 40 cents | 44 cents |
| International Letter (1 oz.) | $1.30 | $1.40 |
Why are the rates changing?
The USPS states that the mailing services price increase is generally based on the consumer price index to help the postal service maintain competitiveness in the market. According to the USPS, “The proposed prices would raise First-Class Mail prices by approximately 6.5 % which is lower than the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual inflation rate of 7.9% as of the end of February.”
“As inflation and increased operating expenses continue, these price adjustments will help with the implementation of the Delivering for America plan, including a $40 billion investment in core Postal Service infrastructure over the next ten years.”
It’s important to remember that the Postal Service has some of the lowest postage rates on letters and continues to offer customers ways to save on shipping.
As we get more updates on the USPS rates for 2022, we will be sure to update those who will affect the most, our valued customers.
Source: Postal Regulatory Commission