Big price increase with the Post office 2019

[dptedora]

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, from 50 cents to 55 cents. The single-piece additional ounce price will be reduced to 15 cents, so a 2-ounce stamped letter, such as a typical wedding invitation, will cost less to mail, decreasing from 71 cents to 70 cents.

First-Class Package Service, a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes, will move to zone-based pricing to better align with the cost of service and improve value based on distance.

he proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

Product
Letters (1 oz.)
Letters additional ounces
Letters (metered 1 oz.)
Outbound International Letters (1 oz.)
Domestic Postcards  

Current
50 cents
21 cents
47 cents
$1.15
35 cents

Proposed
55 cents
15 cents
50 cents
$1.15
35 cents

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Retail Flat Rate price changes are:

Product
Small Flat Rate Box
Medium Flat Rate Box
Large Flat Rate Box
APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Box
Regular Flat Rate Envelope
Legal Flat Rate Envelope
Padded Flat Rate Envelope

Current
$7.20
$13.65
$18.90
$17.40
$6.70
$7.00
$7.25

Proposed
$7.90
$14.35
$19.95
$18.45
$7.35
$7.65
$8.00

First-Class Package Service, a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes, will move to zone-based pricing to better align with the cost of service and improve value based on distance.

[fine_find]

Are we surprised? Not really. We are all the USPS has to get more income from. They certainly aren't going to get it from China, who by the way we are all subsidizing for their shipping costs. The small business can't get a break anywhere. 😞

[savetons347]

Get ready to star raising shipping prices too. I dont like this time of year in the sense that USPS raises fees across the board..they should  make more flat rates sizes to accomodate for bigger items and not have to pay an arm and a leg. Who knows they are probably thinking on it.

[fine_find]

I would just like to see the flat-rate shipping boxes the same sizes they were before they decided to shrink them. You had small enough that was just big enough and a large size that was just big enough also. Now the small is too small and the large isn't large enough. More sizes might work but I doubt it.

[orangehound]

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@savetons347 wrote:

I dont like this time of year in the sense that USPS raises fees across the board..they should  make more flat rates sizes to accomodate for bigger items and not have to pay an arm and a leg.

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Actually, they didn't raise prices across the board ... if you are a fan of the overpriced, high-profit flat rate boxes, then you'll be pleased to hear that the prices on the Medium and Large boxes are dropping a wee bit for 2019.

[az.sales]

If you use stamps then that is a good thing (55+15=70 instead of 50+21=71).  You save one cent if you send 2 oz.  

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@fine_find wrote:
I would just like to see the flat-rate shipping boxes the same sizes they were before they decided to shrink them. ....

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The box sizes have never changed, though the quality of the cardboard has changed.

This page has a chart with the current dimensions:

https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail.htm

And here's a link to a USPS announcement when  the first "Large" box was introduced in 2008; it includes the meaaurements for the that box as well as for the Medium boxes.  You can see that these 2008 dimensions match the current chart.

http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2008/pr08_017.pdf

[disneyshopper]

I am located in California, and often ship to the east coast.  I rarely use the flat rate Priority boxes, as I find that using regular priority that ships by weight/region is less expensive.  I do use the regional rate A boxes that ship for the 2# price ( I have items on my other selling account that weigh 2-1/4 lbs that would ordinarily ship at the 3# rate), but I understand the RRA boxes will be increasing in price as well.

[johnrj1226]

We are on the  east side (GA) and  historically we have shipped  45%  of our sales to the Left  coast & other Western region states and  like you we seldom use flat rate  boxes - medium or  large except on occasions when we sell something above 4 lbs.  A rare happening.

[fine_find]

The box sizes most certainly have changed from what they started with. I still have the original sized boxes and can see for myself. If you would like, I could measure them for you, just let me know.

[kix_queen]

Has Ebay announced what thier rates will be?  Ie, will they be changing thier discount to sellers?

[cs497kcpope]

I agree I have some of the original sized boxes also and they are larger.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@kix_queen wrote:

Has Ebay announced what thier rates will be?  Ie, will they be changing thier discount to sellers?

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eBay can't announce their rates until after the proposed rates are voted on and finalized. Generally eBay domestic rates are identical to the USPS rates.  You can see the proposed rates here:

https://pe.usps.com/resources/PriceChange/January%202019%20-%20Notice123.pdf

[felten.international]

Postal rates won't be going up for the loads of Chinese sellers who have listings on the eBay USA site.  Just wait till eBay starts implementing State Sales tax for USA sellers next year.  Chinese sellers will also be immune to this.  In 5 years from now I think we will be looking back at 2019 as the year USA eBay sellers went out of business and eBay USA became eBay China, but in english!  Can't wait!

[fine_find]

I don't use the flat-rate boxes either. Like you, I use regular Priority for the same reasons. But I did use them long ago when the sizes were different and fit what I was selling better.