USPS Raises Rates Again
“On May 11 the price for a 1-ounce First-Class Mail stamp will increase from 42¢ to 44¢. Prices for other mailing services — Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services (including Parcel Post), and Extra Services — will also change. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index”. – USPS
For those of you still using “Snail Mail” almost exclusively, it’s time to pony up again.
The United States Postal Service is raising rates. This time the increase is from .42 to .44 for a First Class Stamp.
Here’s How the First Class Mail Rates have been increasing in the US since 1958:
August 1, 1958 - 4¢
January 7, 1963 - 5¢
January 7, 1968 - 6¢
May 16, 1971 - 8¢
September 14, 1975 -- 10¢
December 31, 1975 - 13¢
May 29, 1978 -- 15¢
March 22, 1981 - 18¢
November 1, 1981 - 20¢
February 17, 1985 - 22¢
April 3, 1988 - 25¢
February 3, 1991 - 29¢
January 1, 1995 - 32¢
January 10, 1999 - 33¢
January 7, 2001 - 34¢
July 1, 2001 - 34¢
June 30, 2002 - 37¢
January 8, 2006 - 39¢
May 14, 2007 - 41¢
May 12, 2008 - 42¢
May 11, 2009 - 44¢
Are you marketing your Business with Snail Mail?
Why not mail a CD or DVD with a link to your website?
Load the disc up with some great discounts and special offers for your prospect, and you’re less likely to end up in the trash bin.
You may also want to consider mailing Post Cards, since they can be even more effective than direct mail letters. And of course, it’s much less expensive to mail a post-card.
Heading to the Post Office between now and May 11?
Do yourself a favor, and pick up a handful of Forever Stamps.
Check out “Going Postal 2009”.
Is Snail Mail still worth it today? What do you think?
Tagged with: .44 stamp 2009 • first class • first class mail • first class postage 2009 • Going postal • history of first class postage • history of postal rates • mail increase • new postal rates • new stamps • postage 1958 • postage 1963 • postage 1968 • postage 1971 • postage 1975 • postage 1981 • postage 1985 • postage 1988 • postage 1991 • postage 1995 • postage 1999 • postage 2002 • postage 2006 • postage 2008 • postage 2009 • postal increase • Postal Rates • united states postal service • us postal rates • USPS
Filed under: Biz Stuff
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Wow! It’s amazing how things creep up and you don’t notice it until there’s a big elephant sitting on your couch. Thank you for the First Class Mail Rate history.
Gary
Yes, it seems that a penny here and there rarely gets our attention until we’re standing in line at the Post Office. But when the rate hits half a dollar, I think we’ll notice every tick up from that point.