Postage Increase......Again

[MawMaw]

Postage goin up once again............:rolleyes:



From AP & Yahoo News:
Stamps to Cost a Penny More May 12
Monday February 11, 3:52 pm ET
By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press Writer
Mailing a Letter Will Cost a Penny More Starting in May

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mailing a letter will soon cost a penny more.
The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the U.S. Postal Service said Monday. The price of the Forever stamp will go up at the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents but will remain good for first-class postage after the rate increase takes effect.

The post office has sold 5 billion Forever stamps since they were introduced last April and plans to have an additional 5 billion in stock to meet the expected demand before the May price change, the agency said.
The charge for other services, such as advertising mail, periodicals, packages special services will also change. Changes in the price for Priority Mail and Express Mail will be announced later, the agency said.

Postage rates last went up in May, 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to the current 41-cent rate.
In the past raising postage rates was a long, complex process involving hearings before the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, a process that could take nearly a year.

However, under the new law regulating the post office that took effect in late 2006, the agency is allowed to increase rates with 45-days notice as long as changes are within the rate of inflation for the previous 12 months. The Postal Regulatory Commission calculated that rate at 2.9 percent through January, limiting the first-class rate to an increase of just over a penny.

Under the new law, postal prices will be adjusted annually each May, the Postal Service said. Officials said they plan to give 90 days notice of future changes, twice what is required by law.

While the charge for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises to 42 cents, the price of each added ounce will remain 17 cents, so a two-ounce letter will go up a penny to 59 cents.

The cost to mail a post card will also go up a penny, to 27 cents

Other increases set for May 12:
-- Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.
-- Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.
-- Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.
-- First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.
-- First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

[warmbee]

I remember when a stamp cost 25 cents, the good ole' days....

[Rulkiewicz]

Postage goin up once again............:rolleyes:



From AP & Yahoo News:
Stamps to Cost a Penny More May 12
Monday February 11, 3:52 pm ET
By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press Writer
Mailing a Letter Will Cost a Penny More Starting in May

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mailing a letter will soon cost a penny more.
The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the U.S. Postal Service said Monday. The price of the Forever stamp will go up at the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents but will remain good for first-class postage after the rate increase takes effect.

The post office has sold 5 billion Forever stamps since they were introduced last April and plans to have an additional 5 billion in stock to meet the expected demand before the May price change, the agency said.
The charge for other services, such as advertising mail, periodicals, packages special services will also change. Changes in the price for Priority Mail and Express Mail will be announced later, the agency said.

Postage rates last went up in May, 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to the current 41-cent rate.
In the past raising postage rates was a long, complex process involving hearings before the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, a process that could take nearly a year.

However, under the new law regulating the post office that took effect in late 2006, the agency is allowed to increase rates with 45-days notice as long as changes are within the rate of inflation for the previous 12 months. The Postal Regulatory Commission calculated that rate at 2.9 percent through January, limiting the first-class rate to an increase of just over a penny.

Under the new law, postal prices will be adjusted annually each May, the Postal Service said. Officials said they plan to give 90 days notice of future changes, twice what is required by law.

While the charge for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises to 42 cents, the price of each added ounce will remain 17 cents, so a two-ounce letter will go up a penny to 59 cents.

The cost to mail a post card will also go up a penny, to 27 cents

Other increases set for May 12:
-- Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.
-- Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.
-- Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.
-- First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.
-- First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

This calls for another rebate check. :popcorn

[MawMaw]

This calls for another rebate check. :popcorn

I second that motion!! :nod

[AmericanAngel]

MAYBE they should spend the money on reading for their employees........then MAYBE they would send the mail to the RIGHT ADDRESS!!!!!
:grumble:

[bishop1]

I remember when a stamp cost 25 cents, the good ole' days....

GOOD OLE DAYS ?
:twitch
Why I Remember the " 3 Cent " Stamp "
&
The 1 cent Post Cards !
:nuts
Bishop1
:icon_woohoo:

[MawMaw]

Considering how everything else has skyrocketed in price....a mere penny in postage seems very insignificant now. :shrug:

[meagain]

What is it now, like 40cents or something? I wish gas was that cheap.

[MawMaw]

Well here it is exactly one year to the day that this thread began........I heard on the news just now that our first class postage stamp will be going up yet again on May 11. From 42 to 44 cents. I think they are also thinking about closing post offices on Saturdays.

[coadie]

Must be expensive to buy the mailmen hybrids to drive.

[John Atkinson]

I can't remember the last time I physically mailed something. I haven't bought stamps in 2 years probably.

[MawMaw]

I guess I'm one of those rare kinds of people who actually still does write a real handwritten letter once in a while lol......and I enjoy sending out cards to folks on birthdays, anniversaries, when they have babies, at death of loved ones, just because I miss them etc etc etc.......44 cents can add up quickly, if you do that alot! :blink:

[g_moses]

I've sold cards on eBay. Mailing a few large envelopes does add up pretty quick. Doesn't make sense that they left the price of postage alone when the gas cost over four bucks a gallon and now they want to raise it when it's back under two. Maybe they think we're not paying attention.

[John Atkinson]

I've sold cards on eBay. Mailing a few large envelopes does add up pretty quick. Doesn't make sense that they left the price of postage alone when the gas cost over four bucks a gallon and now they want to raise it when it's back under two. Maybe they think we're not paying attention.

No, it is because their revenue stream is being impacted by two factors:



The # of people like me who don't use snail mail any more
The # of business that relay on UPS, FEDEX and etc for their deliveries

There is also the fact that many products that used to be bought mail order are becoming available via digital delivery. I haven't bought a CD or DVD in a long time... if I want media I go to amazon on demand.

Ebay is really the only upside for the post office as most sellers use usps. And Ebay now has a policy that disallows the sale of digital goods.

[coadie]

Our mail from Canadia shows rates up there are near a dollar.

They give some categories of junk mail an excessive discount.

[MawMaw]

Are you ready for an increase in postage rates? Well, ready or not, it may happen in the near future, according to an article posted in the The Kiplinger Letter (http://www.kiplinger.com/businessresource/forecast/archive/postal-rates-headed-higher-again.html).

The USPS is likely to raise the price of a First Class stamp this coming January 2011.

The increase is rumored to be .02, meaning that the Postal Service will be charging .46 for a single stamp

[Just wondering]

Well guess they are going to have to raise the rates because so much of our mail is now coming electronically. I rarely use the postal service. It is so much easier to just do what I need to do over the internet.

[angelindesguise]

Already???

[NewWine]

It would be nice if they would improve their customer service, and not just hike up the postage fees. I'm tired of paying higher postage and my mail seems to always be torn ripped, and in one case the mp3 player a friend mailed to me was stolen by a postal worker. They ripped it right out the package and mailed me the empty package, just to say the package was delivered!!! Just outrageous.

[MawMaw]

Rate increase time again I'm sure........

Drudge_Report (http://twitter.com/Drudge_Report)

POSTAGE DUE: U.S. Postal Service to run out of money by October... http://drudge.tw/fUoIOC (http://drudge.tw/fUoIOC)

[John Atkinson]

who uses snail mail anyway?

[MawMaw]

who uses snail mail anyway?

I do!

Surely I'm not the only person who still enjoys sending cards and actual hand written letters once in a while. And then there are packages that have to be mailed from time to time.

[Warren_Gross]

I love Sis Maw Maw,

however I am very slow to criticize raises in postage rates.

I am in a country with a relatively stable economic picture despite a global recession, and we are impacted very heavily by cost increases, beit; fuel/oil gold/foreign currency (USD, etc)...
Our postage stamps cost us 52 cents a peice.

I'm going to guess that it costs me about 20 cents or so to drive a mile in the city...
They can get a letter across the country for me for just 2.5 times that.
I think I'm ok with it :-)

Now that all being said, one must realize the grave ecomomic picture that is faced by the American government and thier agencies... Increase costs must be recouped somewhere... heaven knows that they don't have the 'deep pockets' that they once had.

Using mail is a great way to add sparkle to another's day (who doesn't like to receive mail other than bills? Everyone get's truckloads of email, but snail mail is going the way of the do-do bird...), but it also helps keep alot of people working (beit carriers, sorters, etc...) 50 cents at a time...

Just my two cents worth :-D

[MawMaw]

Has anybody noticed stamps are now 45 cents?
They went up several days ago.

[John Atkinson]

Has anybody noticed stamps are now 45 cents?
They went up several days ago.thats fine. havent used postal mail in years

[MawMaw]

I guess that's why they're going so broke.
so many have quit using their services.