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.