New flat-rate products debut Jan. 2 along with new prices for Priority Mail, Express Mail and other Shipping Services changes. The overall price change for all Shipping Services products, which are adjusted each January, is 3.6 percent.
Extending the popularity of Priority Mail Flat Rate products, a new legal-size flat-rate envelope measuring 15-by-9.5 inches and a padded flat-rate envelope measuring 12.5-by-9.5 inches, both priced at $4.95, will be available Jan. 2. All six types of Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes will be priced the same as the regular Priority Mail Envelope (12.5-by-9.5 inches) at $4.95, including the Gift Card Flat Rate Envelope, Window Flat Rate Envelope, and the Small Flat Rate Envelope.
Pricing for the Express Mail Flat Rate Envelope will remain unchanged at $18.30, and will be joined by a new Express Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope (15-by-9.5 inches) offered at that same price.
In addition to an overall price change of 3.5 percent for Priority Mail, new prices for Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, Parcel Select and Parcel Return Service also take effect Jan. 2.
The popular Hold For Pickup service option — currently available for Express Mail only — is now extended to Priority Mail and First-Class Mail commercial parcels. Packages with the Hold For Pickup endorsement are shipped directly to a Post Office instead of being left at a recipient’s address. Packages are then held at the Post Office until picked up, anytime during office hours, at a time convenient for the recipient.
And, for Commercial Base and Commercial Plus customers mailing regionally, a new Priority Mail Regional Rate Box — available in two sizes — offers zone-based pricing with the “If it Fits it Ships” concept. Volume thresholds for Commercial Plus customers also have been reduced.
Also available to Commercial Plus customers is another innovative product offering — Critical Mail. Critical Mail, a category of Priority Mail with First-Class Mail service standards, requires using USPS-supplied envelopes at a mailing cost of $3.50 for letters and $4.25 for larger, flat-size pieces.
2011 pricing information is available at Postal Explorer or in the Dec. 16 edition of the Postal Bulletin. To download a complete listing of 2011 prices, go to Notice 123, Price List.
ok.. now someone tell me whats wrong with this picture.. or should i say whats right..
i am a window clerk. long time.. many rate increases. many times rates have gone up and we as window clerks didnt have the right make up stamps available.
for ex.. 1 cent, 2 cent, 3 cent, etc..
now.. i find out thursday dec 30 via an envelope received in the office that effective monday jan 2 priority and express are going up!!! short notice?? duh
then the flyer/poster they sent says to put this thing up on your counter mon jan 2.
what the hell is that.. so now i get customers bringing in prepaid express via meter postage or click and ship and its short paid since they didnt know about the rate increase til they walked in the door!!!!. to add insult to injury the usps advertises that we now offer a legal size envelope for priority mail as well as a padded flat rate envelope which is nice however, we in the scranton post offices stations and branches have NONE of these such envelopes.. now how dumb is that?????? very dumb i say but typical.. what a bunch of assholes