Dear Friend,
This month's issue helps you to know of and understand some of the changes happening in the United States Postal Service the first big change is to first class postage effective May 12th, but USPS has more changes planned for this year.
Best Regards,
Gene Kent
President, Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics
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USPS New Prices Coming May 12, 2008
Brace yourself, the United States Postal Services has another rate increase coming, this one is effective on May 12th.
First class postage will move from $.41 to $.42 with the second ounce staying the same at an additional $.17 per ounce.
If you have purchased the Forever Stamp, you are insulated from this price increase and the USPS will honor those stamps as a more expensive first class mail stamp even after the new price increase date.
Here is a breakdown of the increases in mailing services:
- $.42 First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.)
- $.59 First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.)
- $.75 First-Class Mail letter (3 oz.)
- $.27 Postcard
- $1.00 First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.)
- $2.70 Certified Mail
- $.72 First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.)
- $.94 First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.)
Shipping services will increase also and include Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, and International Mail. For the first time pricing will include commercial volume and contract prices, rebates, online price reductions, and other incentives. For more information visit the USPS site.
The postal service has made available other helpful tools that you can download online to ease the pricing transition including pricing charts in PDF format.
We'll keep you informed on other developments that will impact your mailing costs and discount opportunities in the weeks and months to come.
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A Pearl of Wisdom for the Month
"Try to live your life so that you wouldn't be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip."
Will Rogers
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Tip of the Month: USPS 13-oz. Rule Affects Postal Shippers
Did you know that 
due to heightened security requirements, the U.S. Postal Service now requires that any mail piece weighing over 13 ounces must bear a postage meter strip?
Effective late 2007, the new USPS rule required that any mail piece weighing more than 13 ounces that bears only postage stamps must be presented personally to an employee at a Post Office retail counter. In addition to meter strips, PC postage, Click-N-Ship, eStamps and Automated Postal Center (APC) postage are also acceptable under the new rule.
Approved USPS shippers who accept postage stamp-only mail are now required to affix a $0.00 meter strip adjacent to the postage. If the shipper does not have a postage meter, the stamped mail must be brought to a USPS retail counter and personally delivered to a USPS employee for processing. Postal carriers are no longer permitted to pick up mail weighing more than 13 ounces that bears only postage stamps unless a $0.00 meter strip is attached.
In cooperation with other federal agencies, the USPS adopted the new rule to keep the public, postal employees and the mail safe and secure. Small and occasional shippers are expected to be most affected by the new rule. Don't let your mail get delayed by not having the postage strip in place on heavier mail.