Postage for domestic letters letters will not change, but modest increases flat-rate boxes and envelopes are in the works. The new rates still need to be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission.
The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today of price changes to take effect Jan. 26, 2020.
The proposed prices, approved by the Governors of the Postal Service, would raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.9 percent. Shipping Services price increases vary by product. For example, Priority Mail Express would increase 3.5 percent and Priority Mail would increase 4.1 percent, on average. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the Consumer Price Index, Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The Governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.
If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include no increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, which would remain at 55 cents. The single-piece letter additional ounce price would remain at 15 cents. Also unchanged would be the prices of postcard stamps at 35 cents, and 1-ounce flats at $1.
The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:
| Product | Current | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| Letters (1 oz.) | 55 cents | 55 cents |
| Letters additional ounces | 15 cents | 15 cents |
| Letters (metered 1 oz.) | 50 cents | 50 cents |
| Flats (1 oz.) | $1 | $1 |
| Outbound International Letters (1 oz.) | $1.15 | $1.20 |
| Domestic Postcards | 35 cents | 35 cents |
The proposed domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Retail price changes are:
| Product | Current | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| Small Flat-Rate Box | $7.90 | $8.30 |
| Medium Flat-Rate Box | $14.35 | $15.05 |
| Large Flat-Rate Box | $19.95 | $21.10 |
| APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box | $18.45 | $19.60 |
| Regular Flat-Rate Envelope | $7.35 | $7.75 |
| Legal Flat-Rate Envelope | $7.65 | $8.05 |
| Padded Flat-Rate Envelope | $8 | $8.40 |
The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter mail postage rates in the industrialized world and also continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery, or regular Saturday or holiday season delivery.
The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect Jan. 26, 2020. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. For the Mailing Services filing see Docket No. R2020-1. For the Shipping Services filing see Docket No. CP2020-5. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations
