The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently announced that prices will be temporarily changed during the holidays. The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has not yet approved these changes, which will mostly affect some package delivery services. The USPS said that these changes are meant to keep prices competitive with other services on the market for both business and individual users.
There will be different price hikes by the USPS based on the weight of the package and the delivery zone. For instance, the prices of smaller things will go up by about 30 cents, while the prices of bigger packages could go up by as much as $16. Services like Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Priority Mail Express will be affected by the changes.
For business users in Zones 1-4 who use Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage, packages weighing between 0 and 3 pounds will cost 30 cents more. There will be a 45-cent increase for packages that weigh between 4 and 10 pounds, and a 75-cent increase for packages that weigh between 11 and 25 pounds. The price of bigger boxes in this zone that weigh between 26 and 70 pounds will go up by $3.
The price rise is a little bigger for deliveries in Zones 5–9. For packages between 0 and 3 pounds, the price will go up by 70 cents. For packages between 4 and 10 pounds, the price will go up by 1.25 dollars. The price will go up by $2.75 for people between 11 and 25 pounds. The price will go up by $7 for packages that are 26 to 70 pounds or bigger.
The USPS Ground Advantage price changes are the same. For 0–3 pound packages in Zones 5–9, the price will go up by 35 cents. For 4–10 pound packages, the price will go up by 75 cents. Prices for packages between 11 and 25 pounds will go up by $1.25, and prices for bigger packages between 26 and 70 pounds will go up by $5.50.
For smaller packages (0–3 pounds), prices will go up by 90 cents in Zones 5–9, and for packages 4–10 pounds, prices will go up by $1.45. The price will go up by $3.25 for things that weigh between 11 and 25 pounds. The most expensive items will go up in price by $8.50, and they will be between 26 and 70 pounds.
Retail users who use USPS Ground Advantage services will also see price changes. Items weighing 0 to 3 pounds will go up by 50 cents, and packages weighing 4 to 10 pounds will go up by $1. Prices for packages weighing 11 to 25 pounds will go up by $2, and prices for packages weighing 26 to 70 pounds will go up by $5.85.
The suggested changes are a little higher for retail customers. Items weighing 0 to 3 pounds will cost 40 cents more to send through Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage in Zones 1–4. Packages that weigh between 4 and 10 pounds will cost 55 cents more, and packages that weigh between 11 and 25 pounds will cost 95 cents more. For packages between 26 and 70 pounds, the price will go up by $4 for bigger orders.
The prices of Priority Mail Express services can also change, and both business and individual users will have to pay more. For commercial users in Zones 1-4, packages weighing between 4 and 10 pounds will cost $1 more than they did before. Packages weighing between 0 and 3 pounds will cost $1 more.
There will be a $3.50 price increase for packages weighing 11 to 25 pounds, and a $8.95 price increase for packages weighing 26 to 70 pounds. In Zones 5–9, prices will go up even more, by $7.50 for packages weighing 11–25 pounds and $13 for packages weighing more than 25 pounds.
The price hikes are a little higher for retail users. For goods weighing 0 to 3 pounds, the price will go up by $1.10 in Zones 1–4 and by $2 in Zones 5–9. In Zones 1-4, the price of heavier goods (4–10 pounds) will go up by $2. In Zones 5–9, the price will go up by $4.85. If you send a package that weighs between 26 and 70 pounds, the prices will go up by $9.75 in Zones 1-4 and $16 in Zones 5–9.
USPS made it clear that prices will not go up for shipping services that are not included in these changes. If the PRC agrees, the new rates will start at midnight Central Time on October 6, 2024, and stay in place until January 19, 2025. The USPS Board of Governors has already agreed to the plan.
The USPS had also said earlier that arrival times would be changing for some customers. The USPS said in August that its “plans to improve mail processing and transportation” could help people who live close to big processing facilities. But delivery times might be longer for people who live in rural areas. The USPS said that these changes would not affect the upcoming election or the Christmas season.
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