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Postmaster General's Letter
"USPS is 'here to stay'"
10/25/2011
"The United States Postal Service has been in the news quite
a bit lately ... To paraphrase a line from Mark Twain,
"I'd like to assure you that the reports of our imminent demise
are greatly exaggerated." |
Read More from the Postmaster General
U.S. Postal Service Announces Jan 22, 2012 Rate Increase
10/18/2011
The US Postal Service announced today that postage rates
will go up effective January 22, 2012. The price of a one ounce,
first class letter will increase by 1 cent to $.45. Postcard
rates will increase by 3 cents to $.32. |
Read More
U.S. Postal Service Announces Shipping Prices for 2011
1/1/2011
The Postal Service changed prices on certain products
effective January 2, 2011. The changes affect the classes of
service that are considered “competitive” such as Priority and
Express Mail. “Market Dominants” classes of service, include
First Class and Parcel Post, are not affected by this price
change.
The price of a First Class Mail stamp will remain
at 44 cents.
New Flat-Rate Shipping Innovations
Debut in January
Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes from the U.S.
Postal Service – is set to extend its popularity with consumers
and shippers in the New Year when new prices take effect. Prices
for Priority Mail, Express Mail and other Shipping Services will
change Jan. 2, 2011. The overall price change for all Shipping
Services products is 3.6 percent.
A flurry of new flat-rate product innovations
will be ushered in with the New Year. Priority Mail Flat Rate
innovations include a legal-size flat-rate envelope and a padded
flat-rate envelope.
For shippers mailing regionally, an
economical new Priority Mail Regional Rate Box featuring
USPS-supplied packaging will be available in two sizes for
Commercial Base and Commercial Plus customers. Volume thresholds
for Commercial Plus customers have also been reduced.
Critical Mail is another innovative product
offering for January available to Commercial Plus customers. It
offers fast, consistent time-in-transit service for sensitive
documents. Critical Mail is a category of Priority Mail with
First-Class Mail service standards.
USPS Rate Change Update
11/1/2010
The Postal Regulatory Commission has decided
to unanimously reject the United States Postal Service® request
for an exigent First Class® rate change on January 2, 2011.
This creates a strong possibility for two rate changes in
2011. While the original proposed price change for Market
Dominant Products (First-Class Mail®, Periodicals, Standard
Mail® and Packages) will not occur in January, there is the
likelihood that the USPS® will go forward with an increase in
pricing for Competitive Products (Priority Mail®, Express Mail®
and International) in January on their original scheduled date.
In each of the past few years, the Postal Service™ has raised
this pricing in January and there is no reason to expect that
this will change in 2011.
The USPS already has the
authority to increase prices for Market Dominant products up to
the current CPI and that is most likely to occur. At present the
CPI is approximately 1.477% and the USPS has another 0.8% that
was not used in prior increases that can be added to the 1.477%.
This creates a high probability that an increase for Market
Dominant products will occur in 2011 as well. In the two years
prior to 2010, this increase had taken place during the month of
May.
Postal rates will increase January, 2011.
The United States Postal Service filed 7/6/10
for a price increase with the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Overall, the increase will average 5.6%.
First-Class Mail
will rise 5.4% on average making a first class stamp 46 cents.
Presorted letter prices will increase an average of 2.1 cents.
Presorted flats will jump about 12%, on average.
Standard Mail
prices will increase an average of 5.6%. The increase for
standard letters will be about 5.0% and flats 5.1%. STD parcels
will jump 23.3%, since they currently do not cover their costs.
Other classification changes will be proposed as well.
Periodicals
will increase by 8% and Package Services will increase 7%,
except for Bound Printed Matter flats which will rise only 5%.
The Postal Service acknowledges the price
increase will impact customers, but expects the total net
benefit of the higher prices to be about $2.3 billion, an amount
that will reduce the agency's anticipated Fiscal Year 2011 loss
to about $4.7 billion.
The Postal Rate Commission has 90 days to
respond and could make changes to the proposed rates. Implementation
is planned for January 2, 2011.
2010 Carrier Rate Changes
More information
The United States Postal Service® has
announced that prices for its domestic and international
shipping services - Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, and Parcel
Select® - will change effective Monday, January 4, 2010.
While no price adjustment is scheduled for Postcards and letters
sent by First-Class Mail® or Standard Mail™, this January
shipping services update is important even if you do not
typically send packages or Priority Mail® flat-rate envelopes
and boxes. Mailers risk applying incorrect postage because USPS
Shape-Based Pricing rules default flats and letters over 13
ounces to Priority Mail® rates. In addition, the one pound rate
for Priority Mail® - any mailed First-Class® flat envelope or
parcel weighing over 13 ounces - will become Postal Zone
dependent in January.
If you have questions
about the January 4, 2010 rate change, or wish to schedule an
appointment with a representative to discuss ways in which your
business can better adapt to the evolving Postal environment,
please feel free to contact Advantage Business Systems at
601-362-9192.
At Advantage Business Systems, we
appreciate your business and are working hard to remain your
reliable source for the finest mail processing equipment,
products and services.
Press release from the Postal Service
ABS acquires Premier
Systems
Advantage Business
Systems, your trusted source in mailing and copier equipment,
has recently acquired Premier Systems!
Postal
Service Mailing Services Prices to Change on May 11, 2009
The Governors of the U.S. Postal Service have approved new
prices for mailing services, including a 2-cent increase in the
price of a First-Class Mail stamp to 44 cents.
Prices for other mailing services — Standard Mail, Periodicals,
Package Services (including Parcel Post), and Extra Services —
will also change. The average increase by class of mail is at or
below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price
Index.
Prices for
mailing services are reviewed annually and adjusted each May.
The new prices will go into effect Monday, May 11.
Prices for mailing services will continue to
adjust each May. Prices for most shipping services, including
Express Mail and Priority Mail, were adjusted in January and
will not change in May.
The new prices are available at
usps.com/prices.
Learn about the May 11, 2009 rate change directly from the USPS
website at
http://www.usps.com/prices/pricechanges.htm.
View, download and print a PDF copy of the
new rate table
schedule from the USPS.
The
February 10, 2009 Postal Service press announcement of the May
2009 rate increase – “Postal
Service Mailing Services Prices to Change on May 11”
– may be
viewed here.
The November 13, 2008 Postal Service press
announcement of the Jan 2009 rate increase– “U.S.
Postal Service to Change Shipping Prices in January” – may
be
viewed here.
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