Update from Spectrum Printing’s Mailing Department
The United States Postal Service recently proposed a postage price increase on certain products. If approved, they are scheduled to become effective on Sunday, January 24, 2021.
The current proposal calls for an average increase of 1.5% to 1.8% between First-Class, Marketing Mail and the other mail classes. You may want to factor the likely increases into your 2021 budgeting plans. While nobody likes to hear of increases in their business costs, keep in mind marketing by mail is still a relative bargain because of its effectiveness.
The following outline should be considered a guide only as things may change as the proposal goes through the approval process. Refinements, prices, and definitions may change.
Regular Retail Service
First-Class Retail
Stamped Letter Mail - The retail price of the typical one ounce (Forever-stamped) letter remains at $.55; however, the rate on additional ounces increases from $.15 per oz. to $.20 per oz.
Metered Letter Mail - A one-ounce letter will increase from $.50 to $.51 with additional ounces increasing as with stamped mail.
Postcard-Size - First-Class retail postcards will increase from $.35 to $.36.
Flats - Retail First-Class flats pricing remains the same at $1.00.
EDDM - Every Door Direct Mail pricing increases by $.001 per piece to $.192.
Spectrum Provided Service
First-Class Automated
Letter Mail - The Price Categories for letters are scheduled to increase by an average of 2.3%. As an example, an “AADC” Category letter will go from $0.419 to $0.428.
Postcard-Size - Increases of approximately 3.2% are being sought. As an example, an “AADC” Category postcard size piece will go from $0.27 to $0.279.
Flats - Increases are being tiered for First-Class flats starting at an average of 7.4% for one ounce Flats to an average of 3.7% at the 4-ounce mark. As an example, a two-ounce “AADC” Category Flat will go from $0.82 to $0.866.
Marketing Mail (Standard Mail)
For-profit
Letter Mail - Some of the Price Categories have remained the same but, overall, expect an increase of about 0.9% to 1.8%. As an example, an “AADC” Category letter will go from $0.284 to $0.285.
Flats – On average the Flats rates will increase by 8.5%. As an example, an “AADC” Category Flat will go from $0.608 to $0.663.
Non-profit
Letter Mail - On average, plan on a 1.8% - 3% increase for Non-profit letters. As an example, an “AADC” Category letter will go from $0.163 to $0.164.
Flats - Non-profit marketing mail flats will see an average increase of 8.2%. As an example, a Non-profit “AADC” Category Flat will go from $0.43 to $0.469.
Periodicals
Periodical rates per pound of editorial versus advertising content remain the same in 2021. However, piece rates, bundle rates, and container rates are all set to increase by an average of 2%, 3%, and 8.5% respectively. The overall increase for periodicals is approximately 4%.
