The U.S. Postal Service has proposed a second 2021 postage rate increase for mailing services (letters, postcards) to be implemented on Sunday, August 29, 2021 subject to approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission. This would be the second USPS postage rate increase of 2021, with the first rate increase going into effect on January 24, 2021.
It is important to note that the August 2021 rate increase only affects “market-dominant” products, which are mail services such as first-class postal letters, postage, and mail services. The USPS did not include parcel services such as First Class Parcel Service or Priority Mail, which are known as “competitive” products. (This could change as additional USPS announcements are expected.)
Listed below are the highlights of the proposed USPS rate increase for August 2021:
- the rate for a first-class postal letter (1 ounce) for postage purchased at the post office will increase 3 cents from $0.58 to $0.58. each additional ounce for first-class mail will be $0.20, unchanged from January through July 2021.
- if you print postage online (via stamps.com), the metered mail rate for a first-class mail letter (1 ounce) will increase by 2 cents to $0.53 from $0.51.
- At a 5-cent discount, printing postage online using the metered mail rate offers a 9% discount off the post office price.
First Class Mail Letter Rates: Effective August 29, 2021
domestic mail services will increase in August 2021. certified mail will increase from $3.60 to $3.75, an increase of $0.15. and certified mail increases from $12.90 to $13.75, an increase of $0.85.
additional domestic mail services – starting August 29, 2021
media mail rates will increase by an average of 10.865% in August 2021. a 1-pound package traveling to zone 8 will cost $3.19 in August 2021 from $2.89 in January 2021, a 30-cent increase.
usps media mail rates: as of aug 29, 2021
stamps.com will automatically update to the new usps rates on August 29, 2021
once the rates are approved by the prc, stamps.com will automatically update all usps rates within the software and web-based version (stamps.com online) on Sunday, August 29, 2021.
If you’re a stamps.com customer, no additional action is required and you’ll automatically see the 2021 USPS rates on the platform.