Postage rates going up Jan 18th 2009

[Michelle06H]

For USPS.COM


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 13, 2008

Media Contact: David Partenheimer
(O) 202-268-8567
(C) 202-262-3275
david.a.partenheimer@usps.gov

usps.com/news
Release No. 08-119
U.S. Postal Service to Change Shipping Prices in January
New Annual January Price Change Consistent with Industry Practices

WASHINGTON, DC —Pricing for shipping services will change on Sunday, Jan. 18, the Postal Service announced today following a vote by its Board of Governors.

“The move to annual January price changes for shipping services products is consistent with industry-wide practice, and provides a clear picture of the competitive, affordable prices the Postal Service offers,” said Robert Bernstock, president, Mailing and Shipping Services.

Prices will change on Sunday, Jan. 18, for Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service and some international shipping products. Overall, shipping services prices will increase an average of 5 percent. The new prices are available at www.usps.com/prices (click “New Shipping Prices” box).

“The new prices are very competitive within the shipping industry and reinforce the value Postal Service pricing offers our customers,” Bernstock said. “As always, the Postal Service does not impose fuel surcharges, hidden surcharges or surcharges for residential delivery or Saturday delivery.”

New for 2009 is Commercial Plus pricing, an extraordinary value for high-volume Express Mail and Priority Mail users. New Commercial Plus prices for Express Mail are 14.5 percent less than retail on average, and for Priority Mail 7 percent less than retail on average.

“Commercial Plus is a tiered pricing option designed with larger shippers in mind,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Expedited Shipping. “It’s a very competitive offering for commercial customers — lower prices that will reward them for shipping higher volumes with the Postal Service.”

The Postal Service remains the best shipping value in the market, Reblin said, especially for Express Mail and Priority Mail packages weighing less than 5 pounds. Parcel Select, the Postal Service “last mile” ground product, where the Postal Service provides delivery for other parcel shippers and parcel consolidators, continues to be an excellent solution for high-volume shippers. For international mailers, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International are the best value in global shipping.

Service


Average Price Change

Express Mail


5.7%

Priority Mail


3.9%

Parcel Select


5.9%

Parcel Return Service


5.3%

International Shipping Services


8.5%

This is the first time the Postal Service is adjusting prices for its shipping services on a different schedule from its mailing service price adjustments. Price changes for mailing services, including stamp prices, will be announced in February, and will be effective in May 2009. http://www.usps.com/communications/news ... pingprices

[quilterbee]

Goodness, I hope this doesn't effect our swapping ( And shopping...........hmmmm. Amie

[majik47]

Everything else has gone up, I suppose this was inevitable. Hope my fixed income can stand it too.

[momof6quilts]

quilterbee, I think it may affect our swapping. Yesterday I mailed a Secret Santa package to the UK (not from this forum) and it cost me $20!!! More than what was in the box! Now they are going to raise it again.

It will stop me from swapping at least in other countries. It's to bad.

Vicky

[bethstreet]

Everyone will just have to be very careful about the weight of their packages, if you stay under one pound the rates are reasonable even to another country ( and I must add here other countries have been paying higher shipping rates to the USA for a much longer time than we have) Printing postage on your computer, using flat rate envelopes and boxes also help keep your costs down... we just have to think a little outside the box and be creative in our exchanges.
Beth

[Tulpje]

*Smile*

It would NOT stop me from swapping with oversea swappers. First of all, if the swap dates would be made longer you can choose to shop it per boat. LOT cheaper, but LOTS slower. Another advantage is, that you are swapping with someone from oversea that has fabrics in their blocks, which would be priceless here.

To keep THEIR cost down, please keep the pricing listed ON international shipping under the price of which they have to pay extra imnport taxes, which can be very very High if you list them above that limit.

Stopping swapping with oversea swappers would HURT QIAD, because with that we would cut international customers off. You always have an option to send one block at a time woth the postage rate of a single letter.

We have a few international travelers. I know I would, and my DH would bring some blocks to be swapped and just drop them off at an oversea's post office.

LOL, this is a very creative site, and I'm sure many of us could come up with creative ways to even encourage our overseas swappers to shop at QIAD. They are allready SO cut of with fabric prices at $19 to $25 a yard.

I would LOVE to get an overseas SP and/or swap block.

Prez *T*

[quiltfan60]

I find this all so amazing. I read this thread, went to the post office yesterday to get stamps, and asked if the stamps would still be good in middle of January. Post man said, "don't know what you are talking about", the next raise in stamps
is not due to go up until May.

[Michelle06H]

It's the flat rate envelopes and boxes that are going up. I too was told that stamps are going up in May, but the flat rates are going up in January.

Time to buy those Forever stamps ladies!

[quiltfan60]

Oh! Thank you for that information, I guess, if I read things better I would have understood it. lol. Thanks again.

[Michelle06H]

No worries. I thought it was the stamps as well when I first read it and I went to find out how much the flat rates were going up too and discovered my mistake. lol