Changes at post office mean higher rates, longer delivery times

On Friday, Oct. 1, the United States Postal Service implemented their 10-year plan, which includes changes in mailing rates and delivery times for some mail.

Rate changes
The Postal Service’s 10-year plan includes an increase in the cost to mail letters, packages and publications that ranges from half-a-cent to 40-cents apiece. For example, first-class stamps increased in cost from 55-cents to 58-cents each, while the cost to mail flats-single piece items increased from $1.00 to $1.16. In marketing mail, the cost to mail ads and solicitations increased from 21.2-cents to 22.6-cents each, an increase of 1.4-cents, and the cost to mail catalogs went up by 2.9-cents each from 31-cents to 33.9-cents each.
The cost for other postal services also increased on Oct. 1. For example, money orders went up in price from $1.30 each to $1.45, while a return receipt now costs $3.05, up from $2.85.
The Postal Service, in publications explaining the 10-year plan, stated that the increases are necessary to help them avoid a projected $160-billion shortfall in funding over the next 10 years.

Some delivery times will increase
As part of its 10-year plan, the Postal Service increased the delivery times for first-class mail. Before the plan went into effect, first-class mail would take from one to three-day delivery standard, that standard is now from one to five days, depending on the distance the mail must travel. Presorted local mail will have a one-day delivery standard, while mail that travels up to 139 miles will have a two-day standard. Mail traveling between 140 miles to 930 miles will have a three-day delivery standard, and mail with a traveling distance of 931 to 1,907 miles will use a four-day delivery standard. First-class mail traveling 1,908 miles or more has a five-day delivery standard.
The Postal Service also changed its first-class package service from a two-to-three-day standard to a two-to-five-day standard.
In their publications explaining the 10-year plan, the Postal Service stated that the mailing time for 68-percent of first-class packages and 61-percent of first-class mail will stay at their current standard. They also stated the changes in the delivery standards will allow the Postal Service to meet their goal of 95-percent on-time delivery.
More information on the Postal Service’s 10-year plan, including rate increases and delivery times, is available online at www.usps.com/deliveringforamerica.