The Postal Service has announced price changes to take effect Jan. 21.
The changes, if approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), include a 1-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 49 cents to 50 cents.
The changes include adjustments to other Mailing Services products, as well as Shipping Services products.
Here are the current and proposed prices:
- Letters (1 ounce): 49 cents (current), 50 cents (proposed)
- Letters (additional ounces): 21 cents (no change from current price)
- Letters (metered): 46 cents (current), 47 cents (proposed)
- Outbound international letters (1 ounce): $1.15 (no change from current price)
- Domestic postcard stamps: 34 cents (current), 35 cents (proposed)
- Small flat-rate box: $7.15 (current), $7.20 (proposed)
- Medium flat-rate box: $13.60 (current), $13.65 (proposed)
- Large flat-rate box: $18.85 (current), $18.90 (proposed)
- Army/Air Post Office and Fleet Post Office large flat-rate box: $17.35 (current), $17.40 (proposed)
- Regular flat-rate envelope: $6.65 (current), $6.70 (proposed)
- Legal flat-rate envelope: $6.95 (current), $7 (proposed)
- Padded flat-rate envelope: $7.20 (current), $7.25 (proposed)
The proposed prices would raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.9 percent, and most Shipping Services products will average a 3.9 percent price increase.
While Mailing Services price increases are limited based on the consumer price index, Shipping Services prices are adjusted strategically, according to market conditions and the need to maintain affordable services for customers.
USPS filed the changes with the PRC Oct. 6.
The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect. The Postal Service’s complete price filings are available on the PRC’s site under the Daily Listings section.
The Postal Service’s news release has more information.