As an eCommerce business owner, it is crucial to know where your expenses are coming from and how they affect your business’s operations. One of these expenses that may affect your day-to-day is shipping expenses. These shipping expenses can add up quickly if you’re shipping large quantities of product or shipping internationally. As of January 27, 2019, the United States Postal Service, in conjunction with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), has put in place a number of shipping rate price changes. These price changes reflect current market conditions and aim to keep the Postal Service competitive by providing the agency with additional revenue. Although most changes are dependent on the parcel you are planning to ship, overall mailing service product prices, in general, have increased by approximately 2.5 percent. In this blog post, we explore USPS shipping rates for small businesses and how they may affect you.
2019 USPS Rate Change Summary
Below, we’ve listed the most prominent changes to USPS’ shipping rates that may affect your e-commerce business. For more information about USPS price changes, visit USPS’ updated price sheet here.
- First class letter price increased from 50 cents to 55 cents, the largest increase since 1991.
- Single-piece additional ounce packages are now reduced from 21 cents to 15 cents.
- Priority rates have increased by 5.9%.
- Priority Mail Express have increased by 3.9%.
- First Class Package rates are now calculated by zone in order to improve value based on distance.
- USPS Priority Mail Commercial Plus Pricing has merged with USPS Priority Mail Base Pricing.
First Class Mail Price Index
First Class mail packages for commercial use is often used for lightweight expedited packages. These prices have seen the most significant changes to the average person with letters increasing in price by 5 cents per letter.
Retail Pricing for Priority Mail Flat Rate Price Index
Priority mail shipping, one of the most popular options for e-commerce sites, offers a flat rate options for any package weighing less than 70 lbs. These are the most significant USPS shipping rates for small businesses. Priority mail flat rate makes shipping easy and allows for 1-3 day shipping for your parcel.
Commercial Price Index
Commercial plus pricing, now called commercial pricing, can offer significant discounts to package shipments within the U.S. These discounts can be obtained through XPS Ship, but typically require a minimum shipment quota and will likely be used for larger commercial businesses.
What Does this Mean for My Business?
USPS Shipping Partners
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