2024 USPS postage fees

Every year, the USPS updates its rates and typically increases them. The Postal Service recently introduced its new prices, which, upon approval, would be effective on January 21, 2024. USPS postage fees constitute a significant expense for companies that send transactional mail, and lowering what you pay is often out of reach due to a lack of volume and postage optimization capabilities.

Let’s review the new pricing and any other updates and the best ways to reduce postage costs.

2024 USPS Postage Fees Update

The rate changes are still in a proposal state and require final approval. Overall, the increase is around 2%. Here are the proposed increases for 2024.

Postage Fees

  • The First-Class Mail Forever Stamp and 1-ounce letters will increase from 66 to 68 cents.
  • Metered 1-ounce letters will rise from 63 to 64 cents.
  • Domestic postcards will be 51 cents; the current rate is 51 cents.
  • International postcards will be $1.55, up from $1.50.
  • International letters (1 oz.) will be $1.55, up from $1.50.
  • The cost for a single-piece First-Class Mail letter and flat (additional ounce) remains the same at 24 cents.

Mailing Services

USPS has also issued price increases for services, including certified mail, PO box rentals, money order fees, the cost to purchase insurance on mailed items, and other services. Here are some relevant highlights:

  • Certified mail: $4.40
  • Restricted certified mail delivery and adult signature required: $11.65
  • Return receipt (electronic): $2.32
  • Insurance up to $50: $2.75
  • Insurance up to $100: $3.50

You can view all the price changes on the USPS website.

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More Updates

Another change that becomes effective on January 28, 2024, revolves around postage statements. USPS will no longer accept hard-copy postage statements. Organizations must submit them electronically before sending the mailings.

Why Is USPS Raising Rates?

USPS announced in 2022 to expect price adjustments biannually in January and July. While USPS is not a private for-profit organization, it still has budget numbers to meet. The official statement regarding raising rates mentioned it’s in response to inflation and the need to generate revenue to achieve financial stability in meeting the Delivering for America 10-year plan.

So, how can a company ever reduce its postage bills? By outsourcing transactional print and mail.

How Outsourcing Saves Money on Postage

outsourcing saves money on postage

The key to the best rate for USPS postage is volume. Print and mail businesses will always have volume in their favor because it’s all they do. In addition to volume discounts, you can reduce postage expenses with these additional services:

  • Address hygiene tools: Using proprietary technology and the USPS Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb), print and mail providers locate and capture addresses that are inaccurate or incomplete. The result is less waste in operations. The system may miss some, which creates return mail, which is manageable electronically. The USPS would send a digital Change of Address (COA) or Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) file, and it would then automatically update addresses in the database in real time.
  • High-volume presorting: You can achieve the maximum volume discount with presorting, which is simply segmenting by ZIP codes. Doing this before delivery of the mail to USPS means they have to do less work, and they’ll give you a better rate in exchange.
  • Sorting and stacking with the IMb: These barcodes are essential in postage optimization. Mailers would be able to use multiple programs simultaneously. Using the IMb also makes tracking easier. Print and mail companies apply this to letters prepared for automation prices.
  • Commingling: Beyond presorting, this approach also optimizes postage usage. It categorizes letters by ZIP codes.
  • Mail piece standardization: When working with mailing experts, they can recommend standardizing envelopes to #10 and always use paper that weighs 3.5 ounces or less. These are two more ways to get the most out of postage discounts.
  • Managing e-delivery more efficiently: If your goal is to move more people to digital communications or need to make the process more effective, transactional mail companies also have e-delivery capabilities. It’s a secure, fast, and cost-effective framework in a centralized location, which tracks all delivery and enables interactive features like sending receipts for payment.

Pay Less in Postage Fees, Gain Much More with Outsourcing

Outsourcing is the best way to reduce your postage expenses. With proven workflows and immense volume, professionals have the infrastructure to deliver the best rates. Outsourcing has many other benefits—high quality, improved accuracy, assured compliance, and more.

Explore all you can gain by reviewing our transactional print and mail solutions.