The USPS instituted a peak season rate hike that runs from October 6 through January 19, 2025, but many of those changes did not impact eBay and possibly services such as Stamps.com and Pirate Ship. But that doesn’t mean users of those services were spared: beginning October 27, it will cost eBay sellers more to purchase USPS shipping labels online.
The discrepancy appears to stem from the fact that the USPS does not synchronize its “regular” rate-hike schedules (for Retail and Commercial rates) with Connect eCommerce, the Postal Service’s program that allows platforms and marketplaces to offer discounted shipping rates to their merchants beyond the more favorable Commercial rates.
We noted the issue in the summer when the USPS changed Retail and Commercial rates on July 14th, but changed rates for Connect eCommerce on July 1st.
Complicating matters: the USPS does not appear to publish Connect eCommerce rate changes externally – sellers must be on the lookout for announcements posted on the sites of the services they use.
This month was even more confusing, since the USPS changed some rates for Connect eCommerce on September 16 and again on October 6 (including peak season surcharges for packages weighing 21+ pounds), and, according to eBay, will institute additional peak surcharges on October 27th.
eBay announced the October 6 changes on October 1st, and it revealed the pending October 27th changes for USPS rates today (October 21st). Check with your online postage provider to see if they’ll be instituting new peak surcharges at the end of the month.
4th rate increase this year, time for SSI, I’ll earn more money on my couch watching TV then working and not working 7 days a week.