Postage Rates and Rules Will Be Changing

Monday, February 26, 2007 -- The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today recommended additional postage rate increases that had been requested by the U.S. Postal Service last May. If, as expected, the USPS Board of Governors approves the recommendations, the new rates would take effect this May, and come on top of the across-the-board hikes that took effect January 2006. The recommendations include changes in some rate classification requirements as well.
 
Details are posted on the PRC’s website at www.prc.gov.

Among the recommended changes:

- First Class postage for a 1-ounce letter will increase 2 cents to 41 cents. (The post office had asked for a 3-cent increase). A new “Forever Stamp” will also be available for nonautomation letters, which will lock-in the 41-cent single piece rate regardless of future increases.

- For letters weighing over 1 ounce and flats over 6 ounces, the additional ounce rate will actually drop – from 24 to 17 cents. The rate for automation pieces will decrease from 23.7 to 15.5 cents for letters and to 20 cents for presorted flats.

- Postcard rates will rise 2 cents to 26 cents, also less than the 3-cents increase the post office had requested.

- Regular Standard Mail will increase an average of 9.5 percent, while Nonprofit Standard Mail will cost an average of 6.7 percent more.

- The PRC also recommended new, separate shape-based rate schedules for both First-Class and Standard Mail in order to bring rates for large odd-shaped, non-machinable pieces in line with their higher processing costs.

For more information – and advice on ways you can minimize the impact of these increases on your budget – ask to speak to a DirectMail.com mail specialist at 1-888-690-2252 or info@directmail.com.

Source: The Postal Regulatory Commission <http://www.prc.gov>