First Class Mail Prices to Stay the Same in 2020

If you’re a fan of sending a good old fashioned letter, we’ve got some good news for you. Despite incremental price increases over the past several years, First Class Mail prices will stay the same at $0.55 in the next year (2020). The Postal Regulatory Commission announced the approval of the proposed USPS 2020 rate increases in a ruling made on December 6th, maintaining that the rate changes will take effect on January 26, 2020. You can read the Postal Regulatory Commission’s ruling—called Order No. 5340—here.

Are All My Forever Stamps From Way-Back-When Useless?

Nope! If you’ve got a roll of old forever stamps sitting in your desk drawer, you’re in luck. You can still use those stamps to mail letters from now until perpetuity. That’s why USPS calls them “forever” stamps! It doesn’t matter how much they cost when you bought them. As long as you have them, they’re still completely valid.

Who Decides First Class Mail Rates?

The Postal Regulatory Commission proposes and sets rates for First Class Mail.

Why Does USPS Keep Raising Prices?

Mailing and shipping prices have steadily increased over the past few years partly to help offset the huge losses caused by pre-funding future postal retirees’ benefits. Of course, raising prices isn’t the final solution. The real way to save USPS is for Congress to repeal the pre-funding legislation enacted in 2006…but that’s another story altogether.

USPS isn’t the only carrier to boost prices on a yearly basis. In fact, all shipping carriers raise their rates every year. They do this to respond to market fluctuations in expenses such as gas, and other transportation costs. Carriers also raise prices year over year as a way of combating inflation.