USPS Announces Shipping Changes

The Postal Service has announced additional price changes to take effect next year, after the end of the holiday season. The changes, which USPS filed October 19 with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), include adjustments to Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes and Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes. The current and new prices are as follows:

• Small flat-rate box: $6.80 (current), $7.15 (new)
• Medium flat-rate box: $13.45 (current), $13.60 (new)
• Large flat-rate box: $18.75 (current), $18.85 (new)
• Large Army/Air Post Office and Fleet Post Office flat-rate box: $16.75 (current), $17.35 (new)
• Regular flat-rate envelope: $6.45 (current), $6.65 (new)
• Legal flat-rate envelope: $6.45 (current), $6.95 (new)
• Padded flat-rate envelope: $6.80 (current), $7.20 (new)

The changes, if approved, represent a price increase in Priority Mail of 3.9 percent and an average increase of 3.3 percent in retail prices. The changes do not include price increases for First-Class Package International Service, Priority Mail Express International or Priority Mail International.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to become effective  January 22, 2017. The complete Postal Service price filing with the new prices for all Shipping Services products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section: http://www.prc.gov/dockets/daily.