More Stamp News Regarding the USPS Rate Increase Coming in May, 2008

The following information is quoted from the official USPS website found at www.usps.com:


"On May 12 we will adjust prices for mailing services — First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services.

A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢. Customers can continue to use the Forever Stamps they purchased for 41¢, even after the price change. We will have 5 billion Forever Stamps in stock to meet increased demand before the price change. We also will have a 62¢ stamp available shortly after May 12 for 1-ounce nonmachinable First-Class Mail letters, such as square greeting cards.

Pricing highlights:

No change in the First-Class Mail single-piece additional-ounce price.
Lower additional-ounce price for presorted First-Class Mail letters.
Lower pound price for Standard Mail saturation and high-density flats.
Shape-based pricing for First-Class Mail International letters, flats, and parcels.
First-Class Mail International price groups expand from five to nine groups.

Select prices:


First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.) $0.42
First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.) $0.59
Postcard $0.27
First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.) $1.00
Certified Mail $2.70
First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.) $0.72
First-Class Mail International to all other countries (1 oz.) $0.94


We will announce new prices for shipping services — Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, and International Mail — in March."

As you can see, the 1 oz first class international rate to Canada & Mexico will jump by 3 cents, and the same rate to anywhere else in the world will jump by a whopping 4 cents.

No one except the USPS knows how high the charges for domestic Express Mail, Priority Mail and other services will be after May 12, but the Post Office will need to issue many new stamps.

The only good thing about this rate increase is the number of new postage stamps that it will require, meaning stamp collectors will have a large number of new stamps to find and put into their collections.