Effective April 17th, 2011, the USPS is increasing postage rates. This post will explain what this means to you as both a consumer and as a bulk mailer.
How was the USPS able to get the rate increase through? Last year, the USPS requested a 5.6% average postal rate increase. This would have raised first-class postal rates from 44 cents to 46 cents. Rate increases in excess of rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index CPI require approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The Postal Regulatory Commission denied this request.
As a result in early 2011, the USPS submitted revised increases that fall within the inflation threshold. Factoring in last years CPI, the post office is planning to increase rates by 1.7% on average effective April 17th, 2011.
How does the rate increase impact first class mail? Surprisingly, the cost to mail a first-class letter in the US will remain unchanged at 44 cents apiece. However heavier first-class letters will cost more; the price for each additional ounce of first-class mail will rise from 17 to 20 cents.
Continues at: Breaking News: How the USPS Postage Increase Impacts You.
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