New Prices Effective January 8

The Governors of the U.S. Postal Service voted November 14 to accept the Postal Rate Commission's recommendation to increase most postal rates and fees by approximately 5.4 percent.

This price increase – the first since 2002 – is needed to fulfill a federal law passed in 2003 that requires the Postal Service to place $3.1 billion in an escrow account by October 1, 2006. Without this federal mandate, it would not have been necessary to raise prices in 2006. Among the adjustments, the single-piece rate for First-Class Mail will increase from 37 cents to 39 cents, and the postcard rate will increase by one cent, to 24 cents.

The Board of Governors set Sunday, January 8, 2006, as the effective date for the new rates and fees.

New rate and fee tables are available online at usps.com/ratecase. Downloadable tables will be available shortly.

Following are selected rate and fee changes: