Category Archives: postage rates

April 5, 2016

USPS Lowers Rates Even As UPS And FedEx Raise Theirs

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

package-shippingIt’s now becoming easier to select who should mail your letters and ship your packages.

On April 10th, the US Postal Service will reduce rates by an average of 4.3%.  The 1-oz postage stamp goes from 49 cents to 47 cents.

And that’s great news for consumers.

But the real news is how UPS and FedEx rates have been steadily increasing.

In January, UPS and FedEx both increased rates by an average 4.9% .

And like the airlines that now charge for snacks, they’ve both increased or added fees for all sorts of other things, too.

Your box bigger than X inches? There’s a fee for that.

Address needs correction? There’s a fee for that.

Mailing to a residence or an ‘extended’ location? There are fees for that.

In addition, since January, UPS has added a whole new 2.5% surcharge for 3rd Party shipments — packages shipped on one account but billed to another.

So now, according to the PANC Group, these “accessorial” fees can account for up to 33% of shipping expenses.

Adding more salt to the wound, both FedEx and UPS have not yet lowered their fuel surcharges. These surcharges were created when gasoline costs were approaching $4 per gallon.

Even as gas slips below $2 per gallon, FedEx and UPS are still raising these surcharges.

So where does the Postal Service stand after all of these price contortions? The clear winner.

To see how rates compare, check out the infographic below published by Endicia earlier this year.

A small, 13-oz box (8″x 6″x 4″) traveling from Minneapolis to Chicago, costs over $12.50 with UPS and FedEx Ground. Or spend just $3.50 with USPS 1st Class.

A 12″x 10″x 6″ package going from Seattle to Atlanta costs over $16 with UPS and FedEx Ground, but just $10.77 with USPS Priority Mail. While UPS and FedEx would get the box there in 5 days, with USPS, it takes just 2-3 days.

Granted, if you’re shipping big, heavy boxes, you should stick with UPS, FedEx and the trucking companies.  USPS becomes pricey as the shipment gets bigger.

But if you’re mailing envelopes and small packages, then you should consider the USPS as your go-to shipper.

Because the last thing you need is to feel boxed in.

 

endicia_shipping_010816

Infographic published by Endicia, January 2016.

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March 21, 2016

Lower USPS Postage Rates To Start April 10

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

usps-truck-504

Yes, US postage rates will be reduced on April 10, 2016, unless Congress or the courts intervene.

That’s good news, at least in the short term, for postal customers who will see an average 4.3 percent price decrease. A First Class Letter 1-ounce stamp will become $.47 (currently $.49).

But in the long term, the news is not so good.

The USPS is still trying to work through a Congressional requirement to prefund retiree pensions at over $5 billion per year, over a 10-year period.

An additional 4.3 percent decrease will impact USPS revenues by $2 billion annually.

The options for the USPS are limited.   Congress won’t allow the USPS to cut back Saturday delivery, and hamstrings USPS management on closing poor-performing Post Offices.

Even the pending postage decrease is out of management’s control.

To make up for the shortfall, USPS service will likely have to degrade service quality.   This most likely means one thing: add days to delivery time.  And that’s good news for nobody.

On April 10, 2016, postage rates will be:

First-Class Letter (1 oz): $.47 (currently $.49)
Each additional ounce: $.21 (currently $.22)
Postcard rate: $.34 (currently $.35)

We’ll keep you posted.

 

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June 8, 2015

What Is Saturation Mail?

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

Saturation Mail
Saturation mail is a type of mailing that reaches most addresses within a given geographic area. The USPS post offices offers a discount up to $.09 off the Basic Standard Mail rate for properly prepared saturation mail.

With this discount, direct mail becomes an even more attractive way for marketers to reach local communities. For under a quarter each, businesses can mail their promotional offers to counties, Zip Codes, neighborhoods, or even a single carrier route.

For the maximum discount, the Post Office requires that your mailing follow the 90/75 Rule. This means you must be reaching at least 90% of the residential addresses in each Carrier Route you’re targeting, or at least 75% of the combined residential and business addresses available.

Also, your mailing must be sorted in the same order that the postal carrier walks the route — the “Walk Sequence.”

The requirements to mail at the Basic Standard Mail rate also apply. These requirements include: 1) a Standard Bulk Mail permit, 2) mailing piece needs to qualify as a letter, card or flat, 3) addresses need to be accurate and follow the Move Update Standard and 4) the mailing needs to be at least 200 pieces.

Most list brokers offer special mailing lists they call ‘Occupant’, ‘Resident’ or ‘Saturation’ lists that provide all addresses, in Walk Sequence, for any postal carrier route.  And typically, the cost to rent these lists is nominal: a couple cents per address. Lists are available addressed either to “Current Resident” or with the head of household named (ie. “Mary Smith”).

Now, if you’re trying to reach a certain demographic audience, for example, retirees or pet owners, you might be better off looking at special consumer or business lists, and mail at the regular Standard Mail rate.

But if you’re making a general announcement — like a Grand Opening — or if your service has a wide appeal — like an Urgent Care provider or a pizza shop — then a saturation mailing could be the best way to help attract new traffic.

For marketers who need to reach a localized audience, saturation mail should be in your marketing toolbox.

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May 30, 2015

New USPS Rates for 2015

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

new postage rates 2015

Sure, no one wants to see USPS postage rates increase in 2015. Unless you’re the Post Office.

The USPS has been trying hard to stop a cash hemorrhage since 2006, when Congress passed a law that required the USPS to pre-fund its retirement expenses.

This is the same Congress that told USPS that postage rate increases can’t exceed 5% per year, that certain non-performing offices can’t be closed, and that non profit organizations are entitled to significant discounts, or even free postage, if your organization is Congress.

So here we are, and as of May 31, postage rates are increasing again. Well, sort of…

A one ounce First Class letter stamp remains the same: $0.49. However, the USPS Postcard rate is $.35, up from $.34.

The quirky discount offered by the USPS for metered mail gets quirkier: a 1 oz letter goes from $0.48 to $0.485. Next thing you know, there will be special postage rates when paying with Bitcoin.

It seems that the real bread and butter for the Post Office is the heavier envelopes, flats and packages. And that’s where the USPS rate increases really take effect.

For each additional ounce over the first ounce, First Class letter postage tacks on $.22 (up 4.8% from $0.21).

First-Class Package Services (previously called Mail Parcels), for packages bigger than letters or flats, start at a postage rate of $2.54 for 1-3 ounces (up 9.5% from $2.32).  Check out the USPS website for all the new rates.

But before you get outraged at postage inflation, take a breath and consider this: a postage stamp remains the bargain of the century.

Where else can you find the value you find in USPS postage rates? You seal the box or envelope and put it in a mailbox. Six days a week, someone drives out, checks the mailbox and drives back to the local Post Office, where your item is sorted and re-sorted, travels by numerous trucks, planes and trains to a final Post Office possibly 8000 miles distant, driven out and deposited to the address written across the front.

All this for a paltry price starting at $0.49 (retail), or $0.35 (the postcard rate).

And all this without government subsidy of USPS operating expenses.

You can’t even take your car around the block for that price.

So, yes, USPS postage rates have increased as of May 31, 2015. But considering all that we’re saving, it ain’t so bad.

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If you’re a business located in the USA, you may qualify for our free 2015 postal rate chart, with new First-Class and Flat Rate Priority Mail rates and a handy magnet on back (’cause that’s what we do).  Sign up on our magnetbyMail webpage and we’ll mail it right out.  Did we mention it’s free?

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January 25, 2015

US Postal Service: Lives To Fight Another Day

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog
image credit: thankgodimpretty.com

image credit: thankgodimpretty.com

I came across an article last week that caught my interest. It was Harry Whitehouse’s article about the US Postal Service.

Harry notes that when there’s a discussion about shipping carriers, it’s usually about UPS and FedEx. The USPS is invariably left out.

But the US Postal Service delivered 524 million packages in December, compared to 585 million delivered by the UPS and 290 million delivered by FedEx. Whitehouse notes that 28 million packages were delivered by the USPS on just one day alone, December 22.

What many journalists miss is that the shipping world is not what it was five years ago — back when most had written off the Post Office as a bureaucratic dinosaur.

Since then, the USPS has done quite a bit to turn things around. It developed a strategy to reduce its dependence on the First Class letter, and increase small package delivery.

The USPS has updated its technology so that it works with scanners and barcodes, provides package tracking online, improved delivery performance and updated its package insurance. It’s done this to keep up with the demands of online retailers like Amazon.

But the big news is, while FedEx and UPS have been steadily increasing their prices, and adding surcharges for fuel, residential deliveries and dimensional packages, the USPS has trimmed rates and emerged as the best economic option.

For example, say you’d like to ship a 10 lb package from Boston to St Louis. With FedEx 2Day, that will be $46.71. With UPS Ground, that will be $22.05, for a 3 day delivery. Or put your items in a USPS Priority Mail Regional A box (supplied free) and pay the Postal Service $7.55, for a 2-3 day delivery.

There was a time when a FedEx envelope was affordable. Now a 2 lb FedEx Pak via 2Day service can set you back $20.80 – $35.37, depending on distance. Compare that to a USPS Priority Mail flat rate envelope, delivered to most US addresses in 2-3 days, costs just $5.75.

Need a package to go from one coast to the other? UPS and FedEx Ground will take 5-6 days. USPS Priority Mail will take 2-3 days, and probably cost much less.

It’s no wonder that the USPS saw an 18% jump in its December 2014 deliveries from the year before.

Just when everyone thought that USPS was down for the count, it has done exactly what it needed to do:  reinvent itself and disrupt the entire shipping industry in the process.  Sure, there’s a lot more for it to do, but the USPS is proving that its up to the challenge.

Can FedEx and UPS play catch up? Can they wean themselves off of their pricing models and face their investors?  That would be a challenge.

But then again, there’s no better motivator then self-preservation. Just ask the Postal Service.

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February 10, 2013

New Postage Rates for USPS in 2014

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

It was inevitable: the USPS postage rates have gone up. First-Class Postcard postage is now $.34 each (up 1 cent from 2013).  The letter rate went up also: now at $.49 for 1 ounce (up 3 cents from last year).  The new rates took effect January  2014. So what will the impact be on the postage costs for our postcard magnets at magnetbyMail.com ?   Our rate for First Class Bulk mail will be 46 cents, Standard Third Class Bulk at 31 cents, and Non Profit Bulk at 22 cents.  (Note- our postcard magnets are not considered automation compatible mail.)

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May 4, 2012

EDDM: USPS Every Door Direct Mail

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

If you’ve recently been by a Post Office, or watched a USPS commercial, you’ve probably heard about the new bulk mail program called Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM).

usps eddm every door direct mailNew from the USPS, EDDM is a way for a business to send a mailing piece to all mailing addresses in a particular geographic area for a low cost — 14.5 cents each — and without the need for a list of mailing addresses, or expensive permits.

There are some rules of course.  And since the program is young and the rules are subject to revision, you should visit the USPS EDDM  site to review them firsthand.  Essentially, the USPS EDDM requirements involve quantity, size, layout, selecting from a map and forms.

Here are the EDDM rules:

  • EDDM quantity:  for the EDDM Retail program, you’ll need at least 200 pieces , but no more than 5000, in a single day’s mailing.  You can deliver this size of mailing to the front counter at the Post Office in the neighborhood you’re trying to reach.  (Larger mailings can be delivered to a USPS Business Mail Entry Unit.)
  • EDDM size requirement: your mailing piece must be rectangular and weigh no more than 3.3 oz. It must be larger than 6-1/8″ in height, OR 11-1/2″ in length, OR more than 1/4″ thick.  But it can be no larger than 12″Hx15″L; or more than 3/4″ thick.
  • EDDM layout: the address area needs to located on the top half of the mailing piece.  In this area, you’ll need to print an EDDM Retail postage indicia and a mailing label that includes the phrase:  Local Postal Customer.  There is no name or address added.
  • EDDM maps: you’ll need to use the USPS EDDM map site to pick the neighborhoods where your mail should go.  You can choose to exclude business and/or PO boxes from your mailing.
  • EDDM forms: the same site that helps you map your mail’s route will also provide you the mailing forms you’ll need to take with your mailing to the Post Office.  And you’ll also receive facing slips that you’ll attach to bundles of your mailing pieces.

So there are several benefits of EDDM:

  • low-cost postage
  • no mailing list to purchase
  • no expensive bulk mail permit; and no complicated mail sorting

With EDDM,  local businesses now have a way of sending their messages into their communities in a way that is cheaper and easier than standard bulk mail.

Although the regular postcard magnet mailers we produce at magnetbyMail are too small for the USPS EDDM program, we can customize a mailer that fits your size and budget.  Be sure to use our magnetbyMail contact form to ask for a custom quote for your EDDM project.

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December 28, 2011

New Postage Rates for USPS in 2012

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

Well, the USPS will raise postage rates in 2012.

For first class mail, the new USPS postcard rate is 32 cents  (up 3 cents) and the new USPS letter rate is 45 cents for 1st ounce (up 1 cent).

For discounted USPS bulk mail, new rates are also going up an average of 2% or so.

The new rates take effect January 22, 2012.

None of the increase should be a surprise, considering rising fuel costs and some very high (multi billion dollar) payments demanded by Congress.

The rate increases are capped by law — they cannot exceed the rate of inflation.   The last time prices went up was May 2009.

So what will the impact be on the postage costs for our postcard magnets at magnetbyMail.com ?   Our rate for First Class Bulk mail will be 43 cents, Standard Third Class Bulk at 28 cents, and Non Profit Bulk at 20 cents.  (Note- our postcard magnets are not considered automation compatible mail.)

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November 25, 2011

What Is the Size of a Postcard in USA?

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

The size of a postcard is 4-1/4 inches high by 6 inches wide, maximum, to be eligible for First Class Mail postcard rate by the USPS.

what is the size of a postcardAny larger, and the USPS will call your mail a letter or flat, and charge a higher rate.

For the USPS, minimum postcard size is:  3-1/2″H  x 5″W.

Also, the USPS requires that postcards be a thickness of 0.007 inches, minimum; and 0.016 inches maximum.

Lastly, the mailing piece needs to be rectangular.

It makes sense to design your postcard to meet the USPS standards.  The First Class Mail postcard is given a very low rate by the USPS, and receives all the benefits of First Class mail, including mail forwarding and return if addressee not found.

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A footnote — please note that our Postcard Magnets at magnetbyMail.com are not mailed using US First Class postcard postage.  Instead we mail most using rates based on bulk mail.  For more info about direct mail campaigns with magnet mailers, check us out at magnetbyMail.com  .  Or drop us a postcard!

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June 7, 2011

The USPS Flatrate Envelope Rate

By postcardmagnets the USPS Postcard Blog

[Updated 7/2014]  The USPS flatrate envelope rate for 2014 is $5.60 , providing Priority Mail service from and to any US postal address.  (The rate is just $5.05 if you buy postage through the USPS Click n Ship web service.)

Priority Mail is a USPS service that delivers most mail in up to 3 business days, and within 2 business days in most cases.  Any US postal address means any address with a US Zip Code.

This rate is good for mail using a special envelope from the United States Post Office, marked “Flat Rate Mailing Envelope.” USPS Flat Rate EnvelopeActually, the USPS offers six styles of special Flat Rate Envelopes to choose from — the padded envelope and legal envelope do cost extra to mail.

  • regular (paperboard) flat rate envelope (12-1/2″ x 9-1/2″)  [*]
  • padded flat rate envelope (12-1/2″ x 9-1/2″) [$5.95]
  • legal size flat rate envelope (15″ x 9-1/2″) [$5.75]
  • giftcard flat rate envelope (10″ x 7″)
  • small flat rate envelope (10″ x 6″)
  • window flat rate envelope (10″ x 5″)

Also included with this Priority Mail service is:  free pickup, free mail forwarding, if the recipient has an active forwarding address;  and free returned mail, if the mail can’t be delivered and you have provided a Return Address. Other optional services can be added to your Priority Mail package for an extra charge.  These services include: Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation and Insurance.  Details are at USPS.com .

Go International

*For $20.55, you can also use the regular 15″ x 9-1/2″ flatrate envelope for International Priority Mail from a US address to Canada or Mexico, for mailing up to 4 lbs .  For other countries, the rate is  $24.75.  Source: USPS Postal Store

Where to Find USPS Flatrate Envelopes

Envelopes are available from many US Post Office Locations, or you can order them online at the USPS Postal Store   .    Did we mention they’re available at no extra charge?

Go Priority Mail Flat Rate

The Flat Rate Envelope is a great way to ship anywhere in the US at one reasonable rate, and in a reasonable time.  Be sure to double check with your postmaster as rates and rules do change from time to time. And when you have a moment, check out how to promote your organization with our magnet mailers at magnetbyMail.com .

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