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U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices and Services for 2013

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
First-Ever Global Forever Stamp Debuts When Prices Change January 27

WASHINGTON — Beginning early next year, the Postal Service will introduce a First-Class Mail Global Forever Stamp. The new stamp will allow customers to mail letters anywhere in the world for one set price of $1.10, and is among new mailing and shipping services filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission today.

The price for First-Class Mail single-piece letters will increase by just a penny when prices change in Jan. The new 46 cent Forever stamps will allow customers to mail letters to any location in the United States. Forever stamps are always good for mailing a one-ounce letter anytime in the future regardless of price changes.

Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 27, 2013 include:

Letters (1oz.) — 1-cent increase to 46 cents
Letters additional ounces — unchanged at 20 cents
Letters to all international destinations (1oz.) — $1.10
Postcards — 1-cent increase to 33 cents

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) will review the prices before they become effective Jan. 27, 2013. Today’s Shipping and Mailing price filings will be available on the PRC website at www.prc.gov and the new Mailing Service prices will also be available at http://pe.usps.com.

Shipping Services
Several new Shipping Services products will be available in January. Free tracking will be offered to all competitive packages, including retail Priority Mail and Parcel Post (recently renamed Standard Post).

Also new, customers shipping Critical Mail letters and flats will now have the option of receiving a signature upon delivery as part of the service offering.

A large variety of flat-rate boxes and envelopes for Express Mail and Priority Mail, including the padded and legal-sized flat rate envelopes will continue to be offered by the Postal Service.

New domestic retail pricing for Priority Mail Flat Rate products include:

Small box — $5.80
Medium box — $12.35
Large box — $16.85
Large APO/FPO box — $14.85
Regular envelope — $5.60
Legal envelope — $5.75
Padded envelope — $5.95
 
i like that the small boxes are still under 6 but wish the medium was closer to 10 bucks. id rather send two recycled small boxes than one medium LOL

thanks alot for the post... good info to keep in mind. who coulda seen a price hike coming? :p thought for sure prices would be dropping hehe
 
Thanks for the heads-up!
Time to run out & get a bunch of forever stamps again. (At least they are making nice ones & not just those generic ones.)

As far as rates & such are concerned, while I really do think that near $6 is a lot for sending a tiny box (and it has become smaller over the years!) thru the lower 48, on other things like envelopes, I never had an issue with cost. Our local P.O. has been fast & effective since we have lived here, which does affect my feelings about it. For it wasn't until we moved here (20++ years ago) that I even thought about these things. But indeed, sending something across the whole United States for 5 or 6 bucks isn't all that bad I suppose. Especially when it is a ton of Sarr shoots or other misc. plants I have carefully jammed...er...ah... "packed" into every available space in the box!

And I don't understand why they didn't just raise postage on envelopes to 50 cents & be done with it. Take the extra few cents & put it in an account, and apply it to whenever they plan the next rate hike, thus postponing the hike! This b.s. of raising the rate every couple years is silly.

I for one do NOT want to see our Post Offices go private! There will be NO accountability at all if that happens! ...(Not that there is much currently), however in over 20 years, I have only encountered a couple issues, neither which were all that bad and neither of which were caused by our local P.O. messing up! However I know that not everyone has had that luck nor has a P.O. as efficient and as nice as the one we have in town. The people working there treat everyone like a friend, and while you are at the counter, they are willing to do whatever it takes to get things done & satisfy whatever situation you bring to them. (Well, postal type situations...!)

So while I am not too pleased with the smaller "small" box they have gone to (requires squishing the plants or trimming then a bit more than I used to), I really don't mind the rate hikes all that much. Indeed the cost of sending things is a bit high, especially when sending a lot of things... however it seems everything is high, including the cost of gas! And I am sure that that rise in cost is a part of the reason postage costs have risen so much too.
For anyone who knows their history, and understands the original reasons for establishing a postal service that was not "privatized", keeping the U.S.Post Office in business is actually in our own benefit.

Well, I just wanted to share my thoughts. I have heard numerous people here in our surrounding communities complaining about the postal costs & about their own local post office messing things up, and I also offer them another view of what can occur. (In fact, while in the P.O. waiting in line, I often find out that others in line came a few communities over & quite a ride, just to come to our Post Office!)

As I said, my thoughts on the Post Office System are greatly influenced by the good service we have had since living where we do.

Well, I am off to go buy some forever stamps!
If only I could find a way to purchase & store a ton of gasoline too!

[And yes, I agree on the prices of the small & medium boxes. Seems a bit high, especially when sending plants!]
I wonder, has anyone compared their prices to that of UPS/FedEx or other carriers? I am curious if there is a better way to ship...? I am guessing it might not be as fast? Or perhaps as trackable? Any thoughts on this from anyone who knows???

Again, thanks for the update/notice JS
 
These price increases are a reflection of what it actually costs for the service. I think USPS does an exemplary job and I'm happy to pay what that is worth.
 
And I don't understand why they didn't just raise postage on envelopes to 50 cents & be done with it. Take the extra few cents & put it in an account, and apply it to whenever they plan the next rate hike, thus postponing the hike! This b.s. of raising the rate every couple years is silly.
Actually, the USPS has been running in the red for a while. I'm curious how they decide on the rate hikes because I don't believe that this small increase in rates will come close to allowing them to breakeven. Similar to the rest of our government - they are unable to balance their checkbook (but at least the USPS has explanations - all the silly rules congress throws at them).
These price increases are a reflection of what it actually costs for the service.
I wish this were true - but I very much doubt that it is ...

I think USPS does an exemplary job and I'm happy to pay what that is worth.
Very much agree!!

(And yes, I agree on the prices of the small & medium boxes. Seems a bit high, especially when sending plants!)
For anything above the small one-rate box, I find it's usually better to not use the one-rate medium & large boxes - use a regular Priority box. The one-rate boxes are priced for people who fill them full of heavy stuff.

If you have a scale, you can save a little by weighing & printing stuff at home. This also allows you to avoid the lines at the post office.

I wonder, has anyone compared their prices to that of UPS/FedEx or other carriers? I am curious if there is a better way to ship...? I am guessing it might not be as fast? Or perhaps as trackable? Any thoughts on this from anyone who knows???
I've used them (UPS & FedEx) a few times and their costs were insane. Tracking info is excellent & was available before the USPS finally got their act together. Now, the tracking info from each seems roughly equivalent.
 
Can someone post some pics of the flat rate boxes? I'd be curious to see how they compare to rates for us Canadians.
 
Shipping in the US is dirt cheap compared to Canada. If I use the same size box as the medium flat rate from Calgary to Toronto, 2 business day delivery (which is almost always 3 days) is $28 CAD! Regular parcel, 6 day service is still $14.

The absolute cheapest you can ship in Canada using their " Xpresspost - 2 day delivery" is $15. This box has to be very small, not nearly big enough for any Nepenthes over 4", but a few smaller plants (pings, dews etc) can be stuffed and shipped for $15. This is the main reason I like trading with small plants. When ordering from the main CP vendor in Canada, I often pay $20-$25 for shipping, and its only going to the neighboring province.

Why does it cost some much up here??

That said, I have only once had a package go missing with all my shipments, including non plant shipments, and it was delivered to my neighbor's mail box and they brought it over to me. Tracking with Canada Post is also very up to date and quite accurate.

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/personal/findARate?execution=e1s2
 
  • #10
isnt that cuz canadians transport packages using dogsled teams? :p
 
  • #12
We have Ski-Doos now!
 
  • #13
Shipping in the US is dirt cheap compared to Canada. If I use the same size box as the medium flat rate from Calgary to Toronto, 2 business day delivery (which is almost always 3 days) is $28 CAD! Regular parcel, 6 day service is still $14.

The absolute cheapest you can ship in Canada using their " Xpresspost - 2 day delivery" is $15. This box has to be very small, not nearly big enough for any Nepenthes over 4", but a few smaller plants (pings, dews etc) can be stuffed and shipped for $15. This is the main reason I like trading with small plants. When ordering from the main CP vendor in Canada, I often pay $20-$25 for shipping, and its only going to the neighboring province.

Why does it cost some much up here??

That said, I have only once had a package go missing with all my shipments, including non plant shipments, and it was delivered to my neighbor's mail box and they brought it over to me. Tracking with Canada Post is also very up to date and quite accurate.

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/personal/findARate?execution=e1s2

Prices seem almost the same when exchange rate is taken into consideration,especially when talking UPS or FEDEX. USPS like other say is cheaper, but its also losing money every year.

I agree. Just raise the rates one big jump. Only problem is we will see more and more big jumps because people love spending other peoples money
 
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