This Sunday, January 21st, 2018 the United States Post Office will implement rate changes affecting First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail, periodicals and package services. While the changes are many – and can feel like they require a Masters Degree from the USPS to decipher – they can be summarized, in short, as an average increase of 2% for 2018.

For more specifics on the actual individual rate changes, we’ll review First-Class and “Marketing Mail”, or Standard Mail, as those designations will impact the majority of our customers.

The highlights by class designation are as follows:

First Class:

Single-Piece

• The one-ounce Single-piece stamped letters price will increase by 1 cent, to 50 cents.
• The price for one-ounce Metered Letters will also increase by 1 cent, to 47 cents.
• Single-piece Flats will increase 2.0 percent, while prices for non-automated will increase 0.2% and automated presort flats will decrease 1.6%.

Presort

• Overall prices for Presort Letter/Postcards increased by 1.591%.
• Rates for automated presort flats decreased by 1.6 cents, except for flats sorted to the five-digit level (in order to meet statutory requirements).

Marketing (Standard) Mail:

• The lowest increases are seen for on 5-Digit Carrier Route pallets (with no change to 5-digit Letters) to encourage the creation of USPS Marketing Mail Carrier Route bundles.

The USPS chart below speaks to the new rate specifics.  

Starting a Direct Mail campaign soon? Get in touch and get our Mailing Experts involved early!