It will soon cost more to send that check in the mail — or that vintage ash tray you just sold on eBay for that matter.
A new increase in United States Postal Service mailing and shipping rates goes into affect January 22, 2016. So, if you have any last minute packages to ship and would like to save some money, now would be a good time.
2017 Postage Rate Increases Go Into Effect Soon
The new USPS increases announced in October 2016 include a two cent bump in the cost of a First Class Mail Forever Stamp — the first such increase since January 2014.
The increase doesn’t include changes for Postcards, letters being sent to international destinations or additional ounces for letters, the USPS explained in an October release.
The prices for First Class Mail are as follows:
Current New
Letters (1 oz.) 47 cents 49 cents
Letters additional ounces 21 cents 21 cents
Letters to international destinations $1.15 $1.15
Postcards 34 cents 34 cents
USPS Shipping Services will see a somewhat more dramatic increase.In another release from October 2016, USPS announced an average increase of 3.9 percent for its Shipping Services.
The announcement further outlines a 3.9 percent hike in Priority Mail and 3.3 percent boost in Priority Mail Retail prices.
Here’s a more detailed look at how the rates for USPS Shipping Services in 2017 will break down:
Current New
Small flat-rate box $6.80 $7.15
Medium flat-rate box 13.45 13.60
Large flat-rate box 18.75 18.85
Large APO/FPO flat-rate box 16.75 17.35
Regular flat-rate envelope 6.45 6.65
Legal flat-rate envelope 6.45 6.95
Padded flat-rate envelope 6.80 7.20
The USPS quickly points out there is no increase for First-Class Package International Service, Priority Mail Express International and Priority Mail International.
The release also insists increases don’t won’t raise average rates above $5 per shipment across all products.
That may be. But certainly the increase introduces one more cost for small businesses who routinely use the service to consider when evaluating other options.
Post Office Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “Remember, New USPS Increases Go Into Effect Soon” was first published on Small Business Trends