New Postage Rates Starting January 22, 2023!

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect Jan. 22, 2023. The new rates include a three-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 60 cents to 63 cents.

If favorably reviewed by the Commission, the proposed increases will raise First-Class Mail prices approximately 4.2 percent to offset the rise in inflation. The price changes have been approved by the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service.

The price for 1-ounce metered mail will increase to 60 cents, and the price to send a domestic postcard will increase to 48 cents. A 1-ounce letter mailed to another country would increase to $1.45. There will be no change to the single-piece letter and flat additional-ounce price, which remains at 24 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

ProductCurrent PricesPlanned Prices
Letters (1 oz.)60 cents63 cents
Letters (metered 1 oz.)57 cents60 cents
Domestic Postcards44 cents48 cents
International Postcards$1.40$1.45
International Letter (1 oz.)$1.40$1.45

Updated 2021 USPS Postage Rates

The United States Postal Service has once again updated their postal rates. They’ve recently announced that rate changes will occur twice each year (January and July). In January 2022, the rates will remain unchanged. The next change will take place in July of 2022. The updated retail pricing can be found below:

Summarized Price Changes
First-Class MailCurrent PricesNew Prices
First-Class Mail Single-Piece Letters (1 oz.)$0.55$0.58
First-Class Mail Single-Piece Letters additional ounce$0.20$0.20
(unchanged)
First-Class Mail Letters (metered 1 oz.)$0.51$0.53
First-Class Mail Domestic Postcards$0.36$0.40
First-Class Mail Single-Piece Flats (1 oz.)$1.00$1.16
InternationalCurrent PricesNew Prices
Outbound International Letters (1 oz.)$1.20$1.30

The Sheboygan Mail House, LLC is able to provide discounted pricing on mailings over 200 pieces or more. For-profit companies can get a 50% postage price reduction or more. Non-profit companies get an even larger discount. Please call 920-458-6766 and ask how The Sheboygan Mail House can save you and your company money today. Thank you and happy mailing!

U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices for 2019

October 10, 2018 

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WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today of price changes to take effect Jan. 27, 2019.

The proposed prices, approved by the Governors of the Postal Service, would raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 2.5 percent. Shipping Services price increases vary by product. For example, Priority Mail Express will increase 3.9 percent and Priority Mail will increase 5.9 percent. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The Governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, from 50 cents to 55 cents. The single-piece additional ounce price will be reduced to 15 cents, so a 2-ounce stamped letter, such as a typical wedding invitation, will cost less to mail, decreasing from 71 cents to 70 cents.

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

Product
Letters (1 oz.)
Letters additional ounces
Letters (metered 1 oz.)
Outbound International Letters (1 oz.)
Domestic Postcards  
Current
50 cents
21 cents
47 cents
$1.15
35 cents
Proposed
55 cents
15 cents
50 cents
$1.15
35 cents

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Retail Flat Rate price changes are:

Product
Small Flat Rate Box
Medium Flat Rate Box
Large Flat Rate Box
APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Box
Regular Flat Rate Envelope
Legal Flat Rate Envelope
Padded Flat Rate Envelope
Current
$7.20
$13.65
$18.90
$17.40
$6.70
$7.00
$7.25
Proposed
$7.90
$14.35
$19.95
$18.45
$7.35
$7.65
$8.00

First-Class Package Service, a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes, will move to zone-based pricing to better align with the cost of service and improve value based on distance.

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter mail postage rates in the industrialized world and also continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery, or regular Saturday or holiday season delivery.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect Jan. 27, 2019. The complete Postal Service price filings with the new prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at https://www.prc.gov/dockets/daily (see listing for Oct. 10). For the Mailing Services filing see Docket No. R2019-1. For the Shipping Services filing see Docket No. CP2019-3. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service website athttps://pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.

New 2017 Postage Rates

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service today filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes for Mailing Services products to take effect next year, following the end of the holiday mailing season. The new prices, if approved, include a two cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, returning the price to 49 cents, the price of a Forever stamp before the Postal Service was forced to reduce prices by the PRC as part of the exigent surcharge removal.

The last time stamp prices increased was in January 2014. Today’s price change filing does not include any price change for Postcards, for letters being mailed to international destinations or for additional ounces for letters.

The First-Class Mail prices for these products are:

Current New
Letters (1 oz.) 47 cents 49 cents
Letters additional ounces  21 cents 21 cents
Letters to all international destinations $1.15  $1.15
Postcards 34 cents 34 cents

 

Stamp prices have stayed consistent with the average annual rate of inflation since the Postal Service was formed in 1971.

Pricing for Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services are typically adjusted annually and can be found at www.prc.gov. The PRC reviews pricing before it becomes effective.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Though the cost of Forever stamps increased by 2 cents, the cost of “marketing mail” (previously known as “standard mail”) decreased by 1.6% and Non-Profit Marketing Mail decreased by 3.8%, increasing savings to mailing customers. If you or your company need to mail high quantities, now is a good time to take advantage of the savings.

Postal Rates to Increase January 27, 2013

The United States Postal Service  increase will take effect on January 27, 2013.

First Class letter stamps will rise a penny to 46 cents for the first ounce, and 66 cents for 2-ounce mail. Postcards will increase to 33 cents.  There will also be increases across the board for all classes of mail as well as shipping services.

For presorted mail, the increase will depend on the class and category of mail and the presort concentration.  In regards to the majority of the mail we handle for our clients, the increase ranges are as  follows:

First Class Presort Letters – increase of approximately 1.5 – 2.8%
First Class Presort Flats – increase of approximately 1.3-3.5%
Standard (Bulk) Letters – increase of approximately 2-3%
Standard (Bulk) Flats – increase of approximately 1-4%
Non-Profit Letters – increase of approximately 2-3.5%
Non-Profit Flats – increase of approximately 0.5-5%

To view all the new rates please click here to see the USPS final rate chart for all classes of mail.

Despite the increase in postage, direct mail remains a preferred method of communication by recipients and one that continues to yield superior results and ROI (Return On Investment).  It is important to utilize direct mail as part of your comprehensive media strategies.  With today’s technology, you can easily segment and personalize your mailings for better results.  Mailings have also become easier to track with the use of the new Intelligent Mail Barcode as well as linking a specific website URL’s to each mail campaign.  All of these techniques move your company toward a bigger, multi-touch strategy and produce increased results.

New Self-Mailer postal regulations changed on January 5, 2013

Come on! What good is another set of changes? Well, the USPS says this will reduce damage to your mail (and stop their sorting equipment from jamming). So, here is what you need to know.

First, the definition of a self-mailer: It’s a folded piece that is letter-sized, isn’t mailed in an envelope and doesn’t have a binding. If it has staples in the fold, it is a defined as a booklet, not a self-mailer, and booklets aren’t affected by these changes.

Now, the new regulations document is long and complicated. But, the majority of you only need to know the following:

  1. Final folds on the top will no longer be allowed.
  2. Self-mailers that now only need one tab on the top will need two.
  3. Quarter-fold self-mailers will need to be at least 70# book (=28# bond).
  4. No tabs will be allowed on the bottom. Tri-fold and quarter-fold flyers and newsletters will need two tabs next year, not just one.
  5. The final folded panel creates the non-address side of the mail piece by folding from bottom to top, or lead to trail edge, as shown in the following illustrations.For tri-folded self-mailers, the mailing address must be on the middle panel, with the final fold creating the non-address side. 

    What the post office calls oblong self-mailers must have the final fold on the right side, or ‘leading edge’. Two options for tabbing are shown.

There are other changes as well. We’ve summarized most of them in the following chart. Be sure to forward this post to your designer and printer.

And please, when you finish your self-mailer designs, email a PDF of it to us to check for compliance with USPS regulations prior to printing. We’ll make sure you don’t run afoul of the USPS!

Summary of Main Self-Mailer Changes: Effective Date January 5, 2013

Top and bottom are defined as when looking at the address panel; leading edge is to the right, trailing edge is to the left.

 

Current New: Effective January 5, 2013
1 tab on top allowed when final fold is on the bottom. 2 tabs required on top when final fold is on the bottom (or 1 on leading and 1 on trailing edge) if bi-fold, tri-fold, or quarter-fold under one ounce.
Maximum size: 6-1/8” x 11-1/2” Maximum size: 6” x 10-1/2” *
Sheets that are bound by one staple not considered a booklet for tabbing purposes. Sheets that are bound by one staple are considered a booklet for tabbing purposes.
If final fold is at the top, piece can be sealed with two tabs on the bottom. Final fold no longer allowed at the top.
Remittance envelopes can be inserted anywhere in a quarter-fold self-mailer. Remittance envelopes must be inserted in the first fold of a quarter-fold self-mailer.
1 sheet folded self-mailer: paper basis weight of at least 70# book (=28# bond)Multiple sheet folded self-mailers: paper basis weight of at least 60# book (=24# bond), except for newsprint. 1 or more sheets, final fold on bottom:
≤ 1 oz: 70# book and 2-1 in. tabs top or sides
>1 oz: 80# book and 2-1 ½ in tabs top or sides
1 or more sheets, quarter folded:
≤ 1 oz: 70# book and 2-1 in. tabs top or sides
>1 oz: 80# book and 3- 1 ½ in. tabs sides
Newsprint, minimum 55# book:
≤ 1 oz: 2 tabs top or sides
>1 oz: 3 tabs sides
Tabs were allowed on the bottom in certain cases, e.g., final fold on the leading edge or to hold in an enclosure. No tabs allowed on the bottom. Must use glue dot to hold in an insert if the bottom is open.

 

*Letter and postcard maximum sizes stay at 6-1/8’ x 11-1/2”

Some less common self-mailer designs are too complex to cover in a short table. So, if your design is different than the ones in the table, contact us to discuss it. Or, if you’re brave, here’s the Postal Services Folded Self Mailer Reference that covers all the changes.