U.S. Postal Service rate increases take effect on Sunday

The next time you send mail through the United States Postal Service (USPS), it will cost you an additional cost.

The USPS rate increase, which raised first-class mail rates by 6.5%, went into effect Sunday, according to the agency. When the USPS made its announcement in April, it indicated that the 6.5% increase would still be below inflation, which averages 8.6%.

However, this will likely not be the last Increase from USPS.

In May, Postmaster General Louis Dejoy said Americans should get used to “uncomfortable” increases in the mail rate in the coming years as the US Postal Service strives to become self-sufficient.

Postage rates are set by the Postal Service Board of Governors, but DeJoy said he will advocate raising rates until “we achieve our goal of setting a path that shows us self-sufficiency.”

This goal is set out in the USPS 10-year plan, Delivery to America. As part of this plan, the USPS is working to break even by fiscal year 2023 and avoid $160 billion in expected losses over the next 10 years.

The rate adjustments that will take effect Sunday will “help implement the Delivery to America Plan, including investing $40 billion in basic postal services infrastructure over the next 10 years,” according to the USPS.

Below are the price changes, according to Stamps.com, an independent seller of the USPS.

• Price of first-class postage (1 ounce) for postage purchased at the Post Office: 2 cents increased to $0.60. Each additional ounce will cost $0.24.
• First Class Mail rate “rated mail” (1 ounce): Increased four cents to $0.57.

• First Class Mail Flats/Large Envelopes (1 ounce): Increased four cents to $1.20. Each additional ounce will cost $0.24.
• First Class Mail International (1 ounce): Increase a dime to $1.40.

• Postcards: Increase four cents to $0.44.

• First Class Mail International (1 ounce): Increase a dime to $1.40.
• Certified Mail: Increased by twenty-five cents to $4.00.
• Media Mail: 9% increase to $3.49.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.