Well, it’s that time of year again! Time for watching friends make short-lived resolutions, wading through news articles about this year’s trends, and dealing with price increases from the United States Postal Service.
Unfortunately, we can only help you with the latter. But if you’re overwhelmed by the USPS’s overview, and not sure how this will impact your 2019 direct mail marketing budget, here’s a quick summary that will hopefully help.
| Mailing Unit Type | PRE 1/27/19 | POST 1/27/19 |
| Stamp Price 1 Oz. | $0.50 | $0.55 |
| Single Piece Additional Ounce | $0.21 | $0.15 |
| Meter Price 1 Oz. | $0.47 | $0.50 |
| Single-Piece Flats 1 Oz. | $1.00 | $1.00 |
| Single-Piece Postcard Size | $0.35 | $0.35 |
| First Class Mixed AADC Automation Letters | $0.424 | $0.428 |
| Standard Post Mixed AADC Automation Letters | $0.287 | $0.291 |
| Nonprofit Mixed AADC Automation Letters | $0.172 | $0.173 |
The key takeaways are:
- First class stamps will increase 10%, representing the largest increase we’ve seen since 1991.
- The cost of an additional ounce is decreasing, meaning that mailing a 2-ounce letter (such as a typical invitation piece) will decrease from $0.71 to $0.70.
- All automated rates are increasing, but by relatively small amounts.
- Postcard stamps (to be used on pieces ranging from 5”x3.5” to 6”x4.25”) will remain the same at $0.35 each.
- International stamps will also remain the same this year at $1.15 each.
This list is not exhaustive—there are many ways to mail, and your final automated rate will depend on multiple factors including quantity, size, weight, and the addresses themselves. This cheat sheet is meant to help you estimate in advance, before your list is processed.
If you’re up for a cumbersome read, you can view the full list of price changes (including Priority Mail and Flat Rates) online at USPS.com. If you have any questions about your upcoming mailing projects, please contact our Director of Mailing and Data Services, Russ Willey.