The Inside Scoop on Postal Rate Changes for 2012
Local businesses using direct mail marketing take note: Postage rates are headed up in 2012 — probably by late January. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has requested wide-ranging increases that, if approved (which is likely), will boost costs for a variety of business mailings, including first class mail, standard mail, periodicals, package services (including bound printed materials and parcel post), plus certified mail and delivery confirmation.
Most increases range from 1% to 3%, with the biggest bite coming from first-class parcels, which are being hit with a 14% boost. Here’s a rundown of some key rate changes (and non-changes) likely to be in place for 2012:
New Retail Rates
- Retail letters (1 oz.) : 1-cent increase to 45 cents
- Retail postcards: 3-cent increase to 32 cents
- Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.): 5-cent increase to 85 cents; letters to other international destinations : 7-cent increase to $1.05
- Retail flats: 2-cent increase to 90 cents
- Retail first-class mail parcels : 24-cent increase from 1.71 to 1.95
New Commercial Discount Rates
- The big news here is that the second ounce will now be free for first-class mail automation and non-automation letters weighing between 1 and 2 ounces. (Three-ounce pieces will pay for all 3 ounces.)
This allows business mailers to insert additional pages, such as promotional material, that they wouldn’t otherwise send because of the added cost. As a result of the second ounce being free, postage prices for first-class automation letters weighing more than 1 ounce but no more than 2 ounces will actually drop significantly.
No change:
- Single-piece (retail) letters and flats additional ounce rate: remains at 20 cents
- Parcels additional ounce: remains at 17 cents
- Commercial letters additional ounce rate: remains at 12.5 cents
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