Postal Prices Increase in January 2012
The United States Postal Service announced on October 18 their intention to increase postage on market dominant products an average of 2.133%, effective January 22, 2012. This increase is based on a price cap calculated by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) using Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, and will apply across each Mailing Services class of mail.
Price Increases
The price increases vary by class and processing category and are as follows:
- First-Class: overall increase 2.133%
- Parcels increase 10.882%.
- Flats increase 1.605%
- Presort letters and cards: increase 1.580%.
- International First-Class increase 4.679%
- The First-Class stamp increase to 45 cents
- Periodicals: Overall increase of 2.133%, with Outside County rates up by 2.136%, while In-County rates increase 2.054%.
- Standard Mail Overall increase 2.124%
- High Density/Saturation Flats and Parcels increase 2.878%.
- Flats increase 2.209%
- Letters increase 1.867%
- Basic Carrier-route sorted letters, flats, and parcels increase 2.425%
- High-density and Saturation Carrier-route sorted letters increase 2.298%
- Parcels increase 2.864%
- Package Services: Overall increase of 2.133%.
- Single Piece Parcel Post increase 2.472%.
- Bound Printed Matter Flats increase 0.504%
- BPM Parcels increase 1.886%
- Media Mail and Library Mail increases by 2.581%.
Classification Changes
The USPS also announced some classification changes necessary to implement the planned price adjustments, including (but not limited to):
- Change the name of Not Flat Machineables (NFM's)/Parcels in Standard Mail to Parcels, specifically: Marketing Parcels, Nonprofit Machineable Parcels and Nonprofit Irregular Parcels.
- The addition of Package Intercept service as an option for First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Package Services.
- The addition of a Mixed ADC Periodicals Outside County price category.
- Changing the maximum weight for Carrier Route letters.
- Eliminating the Bound Printed Matter Parcels and Media/Library Mail barcode discounts.
Details of the classification changes can be accessed in the October 24, 2011 Federal Register notice. Mailers may comment on these proposed classification changes until November 23, 2011.
Other prices
Prices for other postal services, such as address corrections and various application fees also increase. Permit applications for First-Class, Standard Mail and Package Services Mail increase to $190.00, as does the annual mailing fee for these categories. Periodicals application fee goes to $550.00, with Additional Entry application fees set at $90.00.
Manual address corrections are set at 50 cents each, with Electronic corrections at 28 cents
Implementing Change
The software we sell will incorporate USPS changes into their software, once the changes are finalized.
____________________________________________________________
June 17,2011
DMM Advisory
USPS Will Stop Accepting Mail Destined to Canada by End of Day This Saturday
Canada Post informed us today that their suspension of service will last at least until some time next week as they await the Canadian government’s action on back-to-work legislation.
As a result, effective 11:59 p.m. CDT Saturday, June 18, USPS® will stop accepting all mail destined for Canada, with the exception of Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) service.
Customers can avoid service disruptions by using GXG service, which is available online at www.usps.com and at thousands of participating retail locations throughout the U.S.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation. Once Canada Post announces that they will resume operations, we will again begin accepting mail destined to Canada and mail currently being held in our network will be dispatched.
____________________________________________________________
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Postal Rate Change
The United States Postal Service on April 17th, 2011 increased First Class postage rates for any mail piece over 1 ounce. The 1 ounce mail piece is still .44 cents but any other mail piece above 1 ounce is at a higher rate.
Your mailing equipment requires this update in order to correctly calculate postage. Accurate rating expedites delivery and prevents the needless overpayment of postage.
Price changes of note for retail customers include the following:
- First-Class Mail letters (1 oz.) remain unchanged at 44 cents
- First-Class Mail additional ounces increase to 20 cents
- Postcards will cost 29 cents
- Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.) increase to 80 cents
Prices also changed for other mailing services, including Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services. Larger volume business mailers are seeing price increases in a variety of categories. Detailed USPS pricing information is available online at www.usps.com.
____________________________________________________________________________ |
