The United States Postal Service^® (USPS^®) has proposed a First Class rate change effective May 11, 2009. 

The Governors of the U.S. Postal Service have approved new prices for mailing services, including a 2-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail stamp to 44 cents. Prices for other mailing services — Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services (including Parcel Post), and Extra Services — will also change. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Prices for mailing services are reviewed annually and adjusted each May. The new prices will go into effect Monday, May 11. 

Prices for mailing services will continue to adjust each May. Prices for most shipping services, including Express Mail and Priority Mail, were adjusted in January and will not change in May.

Price adjustments are also set for Postcards and letters sent by First-Class Mail^® and First-Class Mail International™, Standard Mail™, Periodicals, Package Services (including Parcel Post^®) and Extra Services.  Extra Services includes Certified Mail™, Return Receipt, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confirmation™ and Insurance. 

The Postal Service has already adopted this new calendar schedule for price adjustments.  The May 11, 2009 increase in mailing rates and fees is in addition to the Priority Mail^® and Express Mail^® shipping rate changes that went into effect on January 18, 2009. 

The January shipping services updates are important even if you do not typically send packages or Priority Mail flat-rate envelopes and boxes.  Mailers risk applying incorrect postage because USPS Shape-Based Pricing rules default flats and letters over 13 ounces to Priority Mail rates.

The May mailing services updates are essential if you rely on USPS Confirmation Services to track important packages; Certified Mail and Return Receipt to prove mailing and acceptance upon delivery; or Insurance to indemnify against loss or breakage. 

The new prices are available at usps.com/prices.

January 2009 press release below:

12/1/08-The United States Postal Service^® has announced that it is changing its Priority and Express rates (amongst other rates – see www.usps.com/prices) on January 18, 2009.  It is important to inform and educate our mutual customers that this represents a watershed moment concerning postal rate changes.  With this announcement the USPS communicated that they will now be changing their rates twice a year going forward (January for competitive rates and May for market dominate rates).   

It is vital that you update your mailing system’s rates if you want to avoid delayed delivery or returned mail due to incorrect postage.  Furthermore, with these more frequent rate changes, it becomes even more important to protect your business if you hope to save money.  The best way to do this is with rate change protection.  A yearly subscription of rate change protection covers you for all rate changes implemented during the time of coverage.  That means there will be no additional costs associated for rate changes beyond the cost of your subscription.   

 With that in mind, Hasler, Inc. is fully prepared to assist you in updating your mailing equipment’s rates.  As an added bonus, we’ll take 40% off the price of the January 2009 USPS rate update if you subscribe to one year of rate change protection.  The rate protection period (beginning February 1, 2009) will cover you for the expected May 2009 and January 2010 USPS updates.  If your mailroom uses a scale that supports UPS and FedEx rates, you’ll also be protected for the anticipated January 2010 UPS/FedEx rate change.       

To order your rate update, please visit www.haslerinc.com/rate.  There you will see a link for ordering your rate change via credit card using the Invitation Code above.  Rate update pricing, instructions for ordering your rate change protection subscription and general rate change information can be found on this website.  This also includes information on Hasler’s full line of online enabled rate change ready mailing solutions.  Orders placed online will receive free shipping.   

USPS

On January 18, 2009, the USPS will adjust prices for competitive products (i.e. Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service along with Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International rates).  

Pricing highlights:

·        A new “small” flat-rate box for Priority Mail and Priority Mail International.

·        A new commercial pricing tier for domestic Express Mail and Priority Mail.

·        Commercial base pricing will be expanded to include qualifying customers who pay postage using Information Based Indicia (IBI) postage and who also transmit customs information electronically for their international shipping.

·        A new rate group for Australia and New Zealand added to Express Mail International and Priority Mail International.

Select prices:

For new competitive products prices, links to downloadable pricing files, and additional information, please visit the USPS website at www.usps.com/prices.  

The USPS will announce new prices for Market Dominant products (i.e. First-Class Mail and First-Class Mail International) in February 2009.

Future Changes

Effective immediately, the USPS announced that shipping service prices will be announced each November and will be effective the following January.  And mailing service prices, which include First-Class Mail and First-Class Mail International stamp prices, will be announced each February and implemented in May.  This is the first time the Postal Service is separating pricing implementation dates for shipping services and mailing services products.

The following products will be affected by the January 19, 2009 USPS rate change:

Mailing machines will need to be updated to support a weighing platform and/or dynamic scale.

*Updated rates will be provided for all MOS products covered by SoftwareCare agreements. 

If your customer does not have a current SoftwareCare agreement, please contact Hasler Customer CARE. 

* These rate change parts will only be available as part of Phase IV upgrade programs.  Rates will be shipped directly to customers once an upgrade order is placed. 

Product(s) not impacted by the January USPS rate change:

WJ PRO

If you would like more info on the January 2009 USPS rate change, please visit www.usps.com/prices.