Last year, the USPS announced price changes for some shipping services. Now, Priority Mail and many other USPS plans go up in price.

While the new postage rates and postage stamp prices won't affect individuals that send something occasionally, businesses may feel the difference. A one-dollar increase means that hundreds of letters you deliver will cost more.

Our team has prepared this overview to guide you on the new price of stamps and letters. Learn how postage rates will change in 2022 and why businesses should review their mailing expenses.

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Main Changes in Postal Rates and Mailing Services in 2022

The Postal Service asked the PRC to increase the current postal rates for shipping services, including Priority Mail Express® and Priority Mail®. Price adjustments vary by product but, on average, grow by 3.1% approximately. The new postage stamp prices should keep the USPS competitive and generate the necessary revenue. It's a part of the 10-year plan to achieve the Postal Service's financial sustainability.

The change took effect on January 9, 2022, and includes the following postal rate to US updates:

Price increase

In 2022, the change in postage rates and postage stamp prices mainly touches upon Priority Mail Express® and Priority Mail®.

Priority mail postal rates for packages and envelopes

• Priority Mail Small Flat-Rate Box will cost $9.45.
• Priority Mail Medium Flat-Rate Box will cost $16.10.
• Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box will cost $21.50 (a $0.40 decrease).
• Priority Mail APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box will cost $20.00 (a $0.40 decrease).
• Priority Mail Regular Flat-Rate Envelopes will cost $8.95.
• Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope will cost $9.25.
• Priority Mail Padded Flat-Rate Envelope will cost $9.65.

Priority Mail Express postage rates

• Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope will cost $26.95.
• Priority Mail Express Legal Size Flat Rate Envelope will cost $27.10.
• Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope will cost $27.50.

Besides Priority Mail Express® and Priority Mail®, the USPS will increase the postal rate to US for some other services. The postal rates for packages delivered via First-Class Package Service® will cost 7.6% more. Parcel Select® will be 5.5% more expensive, while Parcel Return Service will see a 4.9% average increase.

New Services

Apart from reviewing the current postal rates for letters, the USPS also requested approval for new products. These are two mailing services focused on local communities.

The first service is the Plus One product intended to provide businesses with additional marketing options to reach local consumers through direct mail. The second new launch is USPS Connect Local Mail for the same/next day delivery to send documents within local communities.

Hence, if you are interested in bulk local deliveries, you can find these novelties useful. Follow the news from the USPS to know when these products start working on a large scale.

How Much is Postage? Overview of Most Popular Services, When to Use Them, and Current Postage Rates

The price of stamps and postal services depends on many factors, including the origin and destination ZIP codes, kind of packaging, package size and weight, etc. Postal rates for packages are several times higher than postal rates for letters or postcards.

Based on the latest USPS data, this section summarizes the most ordered mailing services with prices, postage rates by size, and other details. You can use these postage rates to estimate your budget for a mailing campaign and decide what mailing service you need.

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Generally, Priority Mail is a primary way to deliver non-urgent documents or small packages within the US. Priority Mail Express is preferred for mailings that need to reach the destination as soon as possible. This service is more expensive than regular Priority Mail but ensures faster and more accurate delivery. First-Class Mail is great for letters and postcards, so businesses may use it to deliver marketing materials.

In addition to the listed options, the USPS also supports Media Mail and USPS Retail Ground services. Media Mail is recommended for books, video and sound recordings, printed educational reference charts, etc. USPS Retail Ground covers the packages that are too large for Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail with varying postage rates by size.

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Why Current Postage Rates Matter for Businesses

Now when you know how much is postage, let's talk about why these numbers matter.

Most businesses use direct mail to communicate with customers. Mailings are still necessary to deliver official communications, including invoices, bills, statements, proofs of delivery, and more. It means a company may need to send thousands of letters monthly. Hence, even a minor increase in current postage rates translates into thousands of dollars.

Therefore, as new postal rates for letters come into force, the task of businesses is to review the budget. They need to find how to cut expenses through more affordable postal rates for letters and use alternatives to the official USPS services. Third-party services like Inkit Send allow you to get better services for the same price and reduce the cost of mailing. They cooperate with the USPS to have discounts and find the most suitable solutions for their customers.

Learn more about how Inkit Send works below.

Inkit Send For Trigger-Based Direct Mail

Inkit Send is an API for automated direct mail printing, delivery, and tracking. Connect it with your existing systems to implement triggered-based mailings. Once integrated, Send will automatically send custom mailings to selected contacts based on real-time activity or events. For example, after ignoring three emails in a row, the person will receive the same request via mail.

This way, Send makes your direct mail more powerful and gives you better control over what you send. When the mailing becomes more accurate, the expenses decrease. Besides, thanks to the close cooperation with the USPS, Inkit offers very affordable postal rates for letters and other mailings.

Learn more about Inkit Send features or schedule the demo here.