USPS Announces New Postage Rate Increases

How Will New Postage Rates Impact Your Business?

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has just approved the proposed USPS postage rate changes that will go into effect on January 22, 2017. In a nutshell, here’s what you need to know.

A first-class retail stamp is going back to 49¢. This is the first increase since January 2014. But, the cost of a first-class meter strip will go down 1¢ to 46¢. So, there are significant savings if you use the postage meter over stamps.

More Changes Include:

• An additional ounce is still 21¢ and the price of a postcard stamp is still 34¢.
• A first class retail flat (1 oz.) will go from 94¢ to 98¢, a 4.3-percent increase.
• Presorted mail postage will increase overall by less than 1 percent. And, the 1 oz. first-class rate will now apply to letters up to 3.5 oz. instead of the 2 oz. limit. The periodical rate is up less than .1%.
• The Standard Mail rate class has been rebranded as “USPS Marketing Mail” in an effort to better describe the way business customers typically employ this mail class, and probably because USPS simply cannot bring itself to call this class “Junk Mail.” Need help to stop unwanted mail?

For a complete breakdown of the proposed USPS rate changes, visit the January 2017 Price Change Fact Sheet. Plus, here are 10 tips to help you raise money and drive business through mail.

Not sure how these changes impact your business? Give us a call at 800-669-1664 or email us to get started! By the way, are you using variable data to maximize your direct mail return rate? Learn how.