Last updated September 10, 2024
At least once a year – and sometimes multiple times a year – the United States Postal Service (USPS®) changes postage rates. At Stamps.com, we value transparency and strive to keep you updated on USPS postage rate changes and stamp price update that can have an impact on your mailing and shipping expenses.
This blog will help you understand these adjustments and ensure you’re always up-to-date with the latest USPS rate changes.
The good news, no matter what, Stamps.com will strive to get you best-in-class discounted rates for every mail class and shipping service available through USPS – and of course, more of your favorite carriers.
In case you didn’t know, USPS periodically adjusts its shipping and mailing rates. These changes can result in new postage costs, as the price of sending packages and letters changes depending on the service you choose, weight, destination, and other factors. We often refer to these adjustments as rate changes or rate adjustments.
USPS is temporarily raising rates for select package services from October 6th to January 19th. This is a common practice among major carriers like FedEx and UPS during the holiday season to accommodate the surge in shipping volume and maintain service quality.
For more information on impacted service check out our 2024 Holiday Surcharges blog.
For more information on the USPS rate changes, please visit our help center article.
On September 16, 2024, the USPS adjusted rates for Priority Mail® and Ground Advantage™ packages shipped to certain ZIP Codes. This meant the cost to ship these packages might have increased slightly depending on the destination.
Despite these USPS changes, your rates will continue to be better than what you would pay at the Post Office. Impacted ZIP Codes will enjoy up to 41.66% off USPS Priority Mail® and 48.92% off USPS Ground Advantage™ when you ship through Stamps.com. Additionally, you’ll continue enjoying best-in-class discounts on USPS rates whenever you print stamps or shipping labels with Stamps.com. See the table below.
Our customer success team is happy to help! If you’d like to see if a specific ZIP Code is affected by this change, feel free to reach out to them for assistance at [email protected].
While some rates might increase for specific destinations, we remain committed to providing you with deeply discounted shipping rates. Our sales and support teams are always available to answer any questions you may have about these changes.
We’ll continue to share details and updates as they become available, so be sure to bookmark this blog for the latest information.
In July 2024, USPS implemented adjustments to shipping rates. Here’s a summary of the key changes that took effect:
July 1st:
July 14th:
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is implementing a new technology standard called Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) to modernize its mailing system.
IMI replaces the older technology and provides the USPS with more detailed and real-time data on your mailings. This translates to a smoother and more efficient mailing experience for everyone. Upgrading offers several benefits:
The good news is, you don’t need to take any action. Stamps.com has worked diligently behind the scenes, ensuring our technology is fully compliant with IMI as of December 2024. As an approved USPS partner, we’ll make sure your mailing operation continues to run smoothly without interruption.
Don’t worry about IMI compliance with Stamps.com. Learn more
Yes. Our reports show you you activity and total spend by carrier, mail class, shipping service -- so you always know how much you send. You can customize your reports by date and, if you are on our multi-location plan, you can also view activity and spend per location and user.
No. Our negotiated carrier discounts ensure you pay less for First Class Mail® stamps and get up 88% off shipping services from USPS, UPS, and other top carriers. These are discounts you will not find at the Post Office as they are reserved for high volume enterprises. Check stamps.com/carriers for latest on carriers and rates.
Our rate advisor feature helps you calculate exact postage or shipping rate for anything you send. All you need is your item's weight and dimensions -- we do all the math for you and recommend cheapest, fastest, and best rates across all carriers.
Delivery is made by the country's postal service in 3 - 5 business days, depending on the destination.
Generally, it takes Priority Mail International six to ten business days. USPS hands off shipments at the border of the destination country before the local postal service completes the delivery.
While price varies depending on weight and destination, rates for this service begin at $17 dollars.
USPS Priority Mail generally delivers in 2-3 business days. First-Class Mail, while more economical, typically takes 1-5 business days for delivery.
NetStamps are USPS-approved blank labels on which you can print your own stamps. Simply buy postage on Stamps.com, use any printer to print on a NetStamps sheet or roll, and stick the NetStamp to an envelope, postcard, or other First Class Mail.
Nonmachinable envelopes might be non-rectangular, rigid, unevenly thick, or have non-paper closures, meaning they cannot be processed efficiently by USPS's automated sorting equipment, and require special handling, resulting in a surcharge in addition to the standard postage.
Regular, Legal, and Padded
Packages up to 15.999 ounces are priced in 4-ounce increments, while heavier packages are charged by the pound, rounded up. The further the distance, the higher the cost. Additional fees apply to oversized packages. Easily calculate discounted rates anytime at Stamps.com.
USPS Priority Mail typically takes one to three business days, depending on destination, to deliver. You can easily check for a delivery time estimate on USPS’s Priority Mail Delivery Map.
Educational materials like books, music, or videos that never include any products or advertising.
With USPS, Stamps.com customers have access to Commercial Base, Commercial Plus, Cubic Pricing, and Negotiated Service Agreements. Savings include:
With UPS, Stamps.com customers get up to 73% off UPS 2nd Day Air® and up to 77% off UPS® Ground Daily Rates.* Plus, many common surcharges are waived, including the residential surcharge for UPS Ground shipments.
*UPS rates are limited to shipping from the continental U.S. only. These rates and discounts exclude shipment origins from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Alaska. These rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.
First-Class Mail International®
Flat Rate Envelopes are ideal for documents or small, dense items weighing 4 lbs or less, as they offer a single price based on the destination country. For items between 4 lbs and 70 lbs, or those that don't fit into the Flat Rate Envelopes, you'll need to ship by weight using your own packaging. It’s more affordable to use Flat Rate boxes if your item is under 20 lbs.
