With a new year come increases in prices to send a First-Class Mail single letter and postcards. Pricing for Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Extra Services also will be adjusted.
These new fees take effect Sunday, January 26, 2014:
- letters (one ounce) increase from $0.46 to $0.49
- letters–additional ounces–increase from $0.20 to $0.21
- letters to all international destinations (one ounce) increase to $1.15
- postcards increase from $0.33 to $0.34.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses. It relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations. Changes are intended to generate $2 billion in annual revenue for the Postal Service.
On Tuesday, September 24, 2013, the Governors of the Postal Service voted to raise prices above the typical increases, associated with the changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI.) The next day, Chairman Mickey Barnett described the “precarious financial condition” of the Postal Service and the “uncertain path toward enactment of postal reform legislation” as primary reasons for changes above the CPI increase.
Stamp prices have stayed consistent with average annual rate of inflation of 4.2 percent since the Postal Service was formed in 1971.