It could get more expensive for promotional products companies and businesses across industries to ship through the United States Postal Service (USPS).

USPS has filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that it intends to hike prices. The PRC must sign off on the increases for them to take effect. The Postal Service Governors have already approved the price increases.

Under the proposal, the Postal Service would raise shipping services product prices approximately 3.1% for Priority Mail service and Priority Mail Express service.

Shipping Services price adjustments vary by product. While most rates are going up, as the table below shows, the Large Flat-Rate Box and the APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box rates are decreasing.

USPS leaders believe “these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.”

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section. For the Shipping Services filing, see Docket No. CP2022-22. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website.

The price increases are one component of the “growth and efficiency initiatives” the Postal Service says it’s undertaking as part of its 10-year “Delivering for America” plan, which is designed to reverse a projected $160 billion operating loss over the next decade.

The plan, if helped by federal legislation that USPS would consider supportive, will enable the Postal Service to invest about $40 billion to modernize and improve its infrastructure, making it a better, more efficient service provider, according to leaders.

Beginning Oct. 3, 2021, USPS began adding surcharges on most packages shipped domestically to account for rampant demand and increased operating costs during the holidays. 

The surcharges, which continue until Dec. 26, apply to commercial and retail customers, including packages sent by individuals. International shipments won’t be affected.

Impacted services include Priority Mail Express (PME), Priority Mail (PM), First-Class Package Service (FCPS), Parcel Select, USPS Retail Ground and Parcel Return Service. The surcharges will range from $0.75 per package for PM and PME flat-rate boxes and envelopes up to $5 per piece for certain packages that weigh between 21 and 70 pounds.