April 19, 2024
July 2024 Postal Rate Increase
The USPS has announced their intention to raise postage rates on July 14, 2024. These increases are currently in the proposal stage and must be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) but are expected to be finalized.
The average increase by class is noted below.
| Class | Increase (%) |
| First-Class Mail | 7.755% |
| USPS Marketing Mail | 7.755% |
| Periodicals | 9.754% |
| Package Services | 7.755% |
| Special Services | 7.755% |
Individual analysis of each mailing is recommended as the overall impact on each client may be +/- these averages.
The presentation provided by the USPS of the upcoming changes is a valuable tool in understanding these upcoming changes.
If you are having trouble navigating the increase and would like an individualized analysis to determine your rate of increase, we’d love to help! Please contact Gale Allen gallen@susquehannaprinting.com / 717-291-8608.
June 13, 2023
July 2023 Postal Rate Increase
For the second time this year, the USPS will be raising their rates. These new prices will go into effect on July 9, 2023.
Below is the average rate of increase per class. Individual analysis of each mailing is recommended as overall increases can be +/- these percentages.
Price Cap Space Generated by the Change in CPI-U
| Class | CPI-U Cap Space Generated (%) |
| First-Class Mail | 3,406 |
| USPS Marketing Mail | 3,406 |
| Periodicals | 3,406 |
| Package Services | 3,406 |
| Special Services | 3,406 |
Price change information can be found on Postal Explorer.
If you are having trouble navigating the increase and would like an individualized analysis to determine your rate of increase, we’d love to help! Please contact Gale Allen gallen@susquehannaprinting.com / 717-291-8608.
November 14, 2022
January 2023 Postal Rate Increase
The USPS has announced their intention to raise postage rates again on January 22, 2023. These increases are currently in the proposal stage but are expected to be finalized.
The average increase, per class is noted below. However, upon analyzing our client’s data, we are seeing increases higher and lower than the USPS’ averages.
| Class | CPI-U Cap Space Generated (%) |
| First-Class Mail | 4,200 |
| USPS Marketing Mail | 4,200 |
| Periodicals | 4,200 |
| Package Services | 4,200 |
| Special Services | 4,200 |
Postal Explorer has been updated with the January 2023 Price Change information.
If you are having trouble navigating the increase and would like an individualized analysis to determine your rate of increase, we’d love to help! Please contact Gale Allen gallen@susquehannaprinting.com / 717-291-8608.
June 30, 2021
July 2022 Postal Rate Increase
The USPS has announced their intention to raise postage rates on July 10, 2022 for Market Dominant products. These increases are currently in the proposal stage but are expected to be finalized.
The average increase, per class is noted below. However, upon analyzing our client’s data, we are seeing increases as low 4%, all the way up to 17%.
First Class Mail – 6.506%
USPS Marketing Mail – 6.500%
Periodicals – 8.540%
Package Services – 8.511%
Special Services – 6.442%
Postal Explorer has been updated with the July 2022 Price Change information. The Postal Service also gave a presentation outlining the rate changes that provides useful information.
If you are having trouble navigating the increase and would like an individualized analysis to determine your rate of increase, we’d love to help! Please contact Gale Allen gallen@susquehannaprinting.com / 717-291-8608.
September 20, 2021
USPS Announces They Will Raise Rates Biannually starting January 2023
We’ve all been accustomed to the United States Postal Service (USPS) raising rates each January. However, the USPS announced on Wednesday (9/15/21) that starting in 2023, they will raise rates on a schedule of twice per year. These increases are expected in January and July of each year.
Regarding another price increase in January 2022, the USPS said “To help customers better prepare for a new Market Dominant price adjustment schedule, the Postal Service will not raise prices on Market Dominant products, including Forever stamps, in January 2022. Instead, the next Market Dominant price adjustment is scheduled to happen in July 2022.” Please refer to the Industry Alert for the full announcement.
Who will this effect? Any business mailing a USPS Market Dominant Product (First Class, Marketing Mail, Periodicals or Package Services).
How high are the increases expected to be? In the 9/15/21 filing with the PRC (Postal Regulatory Commission), the USPS said they “intend to be judicious in the use of available pricing authority, but anticipates the prospect that, given our current financial condition, the price change for each Market Dominant class may be required to apply most or all pricing authority available on the date of filing.” The next price increase filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission is expected in April 2022. At that time, the Industry will be made aware of how much of an increase will be expected in July 2022.
Any business that uses the mail knows that US Postal Service (USPS) rules, regulations, procedures, products, policies and pricing are continually in flux. Keeping up with USPS changes can be critical to securing cost savings and the best mail performance for your business. Susquehanna Printing’s dedicated mailing experts understand the complexities of US Postal Service and they keep abreast of changes so that you don’t have to. This blog post will be updated as new USPS changes are announced.
October 2021 – USPS CAPS (Centralized Account Processing System) Will Retire
Current CAPS users who have not migrated to EPS (Enterprise Payment System) will need to migrate as soon as possible. The USPS will start de-activating permits attached to CAPS accounts on August 15, 2021. Please refer directly to the USPS Industry Alert for dates that effect your business’s permit/product type.
If your permit has been de-activated, you’ll need to contact the MSSC (Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center) to request reactivation. A plan to migrate to EPS by September 30th is also required for reactivation. MSSC can be contacted at 877-672-0007 or MSSC@usps.gov.
So what are CAPS and EPS and why do they matter to local Lancaster County businesses? CAPS got its start in the 1990s as an effort to consolidate and modernize the USPS’s vast cash management infrastructure. The USPS has one of the largest cash management systems in the country and CAPS moved it into the modern era. Prior to CAPS, the USPS worked with 5,000 cash management banks. After CAPS that number was reduced to 5 banks. CAPS also enabled businesses to move away from sending paper checks to the USPS, usually well in advance of mailings. With CAPS the USPS could debit business’s accounts directly using ACH (Automated Clearing House) transfers. This was a huge savings for businesses by allowing them to keep their own cash in their own accounts longer. And, both businesses and the USPS saved time and money by eliminating processing of paper checks.
EPS moves USPS payment processing another step forward. With EPS, the USPS can accept new methods of payments including mobile check deposits, Trust Accounts (includes payment via cash, checks, money orders, or Fedwire transfers). EPS also has more intuitive reporting capabilities, better security, and allows businesses to manage more business functions under a single account. You can self-migrate to EPS using information on the USPS web page provide above, or you can contact them for assistance. Without timely migration your business may find itself unable to send out direct mail, so timely action is crucial.
Below is a list of all USPS products and services that are supported by EPS:
- Priority Mail
- First-Class Mail, Letters, Cards, Flats, and Package Service
- USPS Marketing Mail, Letters, Flats, and Parcels
- Parcel Select
- Media Mail
- Library Mail
- Bound Printed Matter
- Periodicals
- ACS™ and AEC
- International Products
- BRM/QBRM
- eVS/CNSBPro
- USPS Returns
- PC Postage/Endicia
- DFAS/SAM
- iCAPS
- Third-Party Billing (TPB
- Premium Forwarding Service Commercial (PFSC)
- Premium Forwarding Service Local (PFSL)
- Commercial Package Intercept (CPI)
- Permit Imprint (PI)
- Postage Due (PD)
- Business Reply (BR)
- Periodical (PE)
July 2021 – USPS Presorted First Class Postcard Maximum Size Change
On July 28th, the PRC (Postal Regulatory Commission) approved the USPS proposal to increase the maximum size of First Class Mail presorted postcards. The new maximum size will be 6” high by 9” long (previously 4.25” high by 6” long). This new size is only for presorted First Class Mail (FCM) postcards. There will be no change to current Marketing Mail letter sized pieces. The change will be effective August 29th, 2021.
Why does this matter for Lancaster PA businesses? FCM postcards are an affordable, high impact method of getting your business’s marketing message out to a large number of potential new customers. The new postcard size gives your designers a much larger space in which to convey clear, compelling offers in a format that can include features such as return to sender and address correction. And, with FCM postcards your marketing team can utilize Informed Delivery® and Informed Visibility® to wrap a digital element into your direct mail campaign, thus creating a multi-channel campaign. Postcards continue to be demonstrably effective at capturing and retaining consumer interest, as demonstrated by a recent research study by Temple University and the USPS. Susquehanna Printing’s mailing team is well-versed in the latest USPS products and can assist you in creating your new large size FCM postcard campaign.