Ina Steiner publishes a Blog called Auction Bytes.  She has recently posted an article about the new US Postal rates going into effect on January 24, 2021. What has been new this year for sellers is the USPS holiday rate increase that went into effect on October 18 and runs through December 27, 2020.

Here’s by how much (an approximate average) rates are rising for some popular services:

• Priority Mail service: 3.5%

• Priority Mail Express service: 1.2%

• First-Class Package Service (FCPS) Commercial: 6.5%

• First-Class Package Service (FCPS) Retail: 4.8%

One of the first things that greets readers when reviewing the filing is the following:  “For Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, USPS Retail Ground, and First-Class Package Service customers, a $100 fee will be assessed on parcels found in the mailstream that exceed the maximum mailable size limit (combined length and girth greater than 130 inches).”

That’s a surcharge sellers will have to pay close attention to when mailing packages come mid-January.

The USPS provided the following list of current and planned prices for certain services in the announcement:

• Priority Mail small flat-rate box: $8.30 (current), $8.45 (planned)

• Priority Mail medium flat-rate box: $15.05 (current), $15.50 (planned)

• Priority Mail large flat-rate box: $21.10 (current), $21.90 (proposed)

• Army/Air Post Office and Fleet Post Office large flat-rate box: $19.60 (current), $20.40 (planned)

• Priority Mail regular flat-rate envelope: $7.75 (current), $7.95 (planned)

• Priority Mail legal flat-rate envelope: $8.05 (current), $8.25 (planned)

• Priority Mail padded flat-rate envelope: $8.40 (current), $8.55 (planned)

Source: USPS Announces 2021 Rate Hike and New $100 Surcharge