Money: Postal Rate Increase to Drive Major Changes in Mailing Industry

The proposed overall 8.4 percent rate increase would bring the full cost of first class postage up to 42 cents from the current 39 cents, but that is only the most visible effect of sweeping changes to the 4,400 different postal rates now under consideration by the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Regulatory Commission. Other proposed major changes include the introduction of shape-based pricing and, in a related development, new rules for address quality that will take effect as early as the summer.