USPS shipping prices will increase on January 27, 2019

The US Postal Service is making a significant change to postal rates in early 2019. Besides the expected rate increases, first class mail is switching to zoned service.

This means that $2.66 will no longer be the smallest package rate to ship to any U.S. destination. Effective January 27, it will cost  $3.09 to ship that same little package to zone 8 (coast-to-coast from your location; zones 1 & 2 will remain $2.66 and close zones will cost slightly more than that).

Highlights of the 2019 USPS Postal Increase 

Average postal increases are:

• Priority Mail 6.2% 
• Priority Mail Express 3.9% 
• Priority Mail Express International 3.9% 
• First Class International 3.9% 
• First Class Package Service 11.9%.

USPS letter rates will increase to 55 cents

And, of course, first-class packages rates are switching to zoned-base pricing in 2019. (A first-class stamp increases to 55 cents, for the record.)

Here is a USPS document with the new rates outlined. For my shop, I print the applicable pages. I post them in my shipping room for reference. (Try pp 13, 17, 40, 25, 27, 32, 42 and 74 for starters.)

First Class Mail zone rates

Particularly hard to absorb are the changing of first-class mail to zoned rates... I present them to you here:

Wt (oz)	1 & 2	Zone 3	Zone 4	Zone 5	Zone 6	Zone 7	Zone 8
1	2.66	2.68	2.70	2.76	2.84	2.96	3.09
2	2.66	2.68	2.70	2.76	2.84	2.96	3.09
3	2.66	2.68	2.70	2.76	2.84	2.96	3.09
4	2.66	2.68	2.70	2.76	2.84	2.96	3.09
5	3.18	3.20	3.22	3.28	3.36	3.49	3.63
6	3.18	3.20	3.22	3.28	3.36	3.49	3.63
7	3.18	3.20	3.22	3.28	3.36	3.49	3.63
8	3.18	3.20	3.22	3.28	3.36	3.49	3.63
9	3.82	3.85	3.88	3.96	4.06	4.19	4.33
10	3.82	3.85	3.88	3.96	4.06	4.19	4.33
11	3.82	3.85	3.88	3.96	4.06	4.19	4.33
12	3.82	3.85	3.88	3.96	4.06	4.19	4.33
13	4.94	4.98	5.02	5.12	5.24	5.38	5.53
14	4.94	4.98	5.02	5.12	5.24	5.38	5.53
15	4.94	4.98	5.02	5.12	5.24	5.38	5.53
15.999	4.94	4.98	5.02	5.12	5.24	5.38	5.53

They are in price groups: 1-4 oz, 5-8 oz, 9-12 oz and 13-15.999 oz. I have price points in my shop, and it looks like the US Mail does this as well.... for each zone of course... My add-on for "free shipping" will be ranging from $3.50 to $6.00 depending on the estimated packed weight.

The first-class package prices are mostly increasing (except the zone 1/2 packages):

• Any package shipped across the USA (to Zone 8) increases from $0.43 (Zone 8, 1 ounce = $3.09) to $1.43 (Zone 8 – 13 ounces = $5.53)
• 13 ounce package rates in particular will be higher, increasing $0.84 (Zone 1/2 = $4.94) to $1.43 (Zone 8 = $5.53)
• Heavier first-class items weighing 15 ounces to 15.999 ounces are seeing a smaller increase, going from no increase at all (Zone 1/2 = $4.94) to an increase of $0.59 (Zone 8 = $5.53)

My shop will be able to absorb much of this increase because of using a cheaper (free to join) shipping service called Pirate Ship.

Are you all ready?

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Please note that a further rate hike for bulky packages will take effect in June:

• The USPS is extending dimensional weight to Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express for packages over 1 cu ft, with the DIM weight divisor becoming 166

Is your shop geographically challenged?