Complete Story
04/12/2022
USPS Files for Second Price Increase in a Year
Sources: Mailers Hub, April 11, 2022 & United States Postal Service, April 6, 2022.
The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect July 10, 2022. The new prices, if favorably reviewed, include a two-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 58 cents to 60 cents. If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the new prices would mean ratepayers would have experienced price hikes of over 13% in less than a year.
The proposed prices, approved by the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, would raise First-Class Mail prices approximately 6.5 percent which is lower than the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual inflation rate of 7.9 percent as of the end of February. The price changes reflect a judicious implementation of the Postal Service’s pricing authority provided by the Postal Regulatory Commission.
If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the single-piece letter additional ounce price would increase to 24 cents, the metered mail 1-ounce price would increase to 57 cents and the price of a postcard stamp would increase to 44 cents. A one-ounce letter mailed to other countries would increase to $1.40 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:
|
Product |
Current Prices |
Planned Prices |
|
Letters (1 oz.) |
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 |
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. With the new prices, the Postal Service will continue to provide the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and offer a great value in shipping.
The PRC will review the filing to ensure that USPS calculations are accurate and the proposed prices comply with statute. Public comments are due by May 6. Barring any delays, the new rates will take effect at 12:01am ET on Sunday, July 10.
