2019 USPS Postage Price Increase Goes Into Effect

As of today, the USPS postage price increase has officially gone into effect. USPS announced in the later part of 2018 that it would raise postage prices, and now those postage increases are here.

The USPS Postage Price Increases

We have listed out the percentage increases USPS implemented on their different services below, both domestic and international. Please note that as of today, First Class Mail stamps for letters under 1 ounce now cost $0.55 (jumping up from $0.50), and each additional ounce costs $0.15.

Domestic Shipping

• Priority Mail: ~5.9%
• Priority Mail Express: ~3.9%
• First Class Package: ~11.9%
• Media Mail: ~2.9%
• Parcel Select Ground: The price of service has actually decreased by ~1.3%

International Shipping

• Priority Mail Express: ~3.9%
• Priority Mail International: ~6.2%
• First Class Package International: ~3.9%

USPS Also Made Changes to The Different Postage Pricing Tiers

Raising the price of postage isn’t the only change that went into effect today. USPS also eliminated the pricing tier “Commercial Base Pricing.” As a result, the only two pricing tiers left are the Retail Rate and Commercial Pricing. Commercial Pricing represents the deepest level of shipping discounts that USPS offers, and you can access these discounts when you use shipping software to buy postage.

First Class Package is Now Zone-Based

Finally, USPS also changed the pricing structure of the mail class First Class Package. In the past, the pricing of First Class Package was a flat rate for parcels traveling anywhere in the United States (based on their total weight). That meant that shipping a 1-pound package from Los Angeles to Phoenix would cost exactly the same as shipping it from Los Angeles to New York. As of today those flat rates are gone, and First Class Package is now subject to pricing based on the different USPS zones. Obviously, total package weight still factors into the price of postage.