2011 Shipping Services Price Change FAQs
This information was provided by the USPS, and may be useful for budget planning.
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When did the USPS Rate Change take effect?
The Postal Service implemented a price increase for Mailing Services on Sunday, April 17, 2011.Price changes were implemented across a broad range of USPS products including First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Package Services, Media Mail and Extra Services.
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How significant were the increase for Business mailers?
Larger-volume business mail rooms were subject to price increases throughout the Postal product range. Increases impact letters, flats, parcels, periodicals, package services and media mail.
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Where are the new prices listed?
The new 2011 prices are available through this link at the USPS Web page.
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Why are prices going up?
The costs of doing business—for things like transportation, utilities, and health care benefits — have continued to increase. Many people do not realize that postal operations are not subsidized by tax dollars. We rely on the sale of postal products and services to cover our operating costs.
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Has the Postal Service considered cutting costs rather than raising prices?
The Postal Service is aggressive about cutting its costs responsibly. Like many other businesses, the Postal Service cannot fully make up for the increase in its expenses by cutting costs. Many costs are influenced by outside factors such as transportation and economic conditions. However, for each of the past several years, the USPS has taken more than a billion dollars in costs out of the system. Labor-related costs account for about 80 percent of USPS expenses.