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Tue Nov 7 2017 21:22:08

PRC Approves USPS 2018 Postage Rate Hike

By: Ina Steiner

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It's official - it will cost more to mail certain packages through the US Postal Service beginning in January. The Postal Regulatory Commission approved the USPS request, filed on October 6th.

The cost of Priority Mail rates will go up by an average of 3.9% on January 21, 2018. However, that's the average of retail and commercial rates combined. Sellers who use online postage to print shipping labels (commercial) could see prices increase about 6 percent on average. 

New rates also include a one cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 49 cents to 50 cents.

eBay fees will go up in January as a result of the change since it takes a commission on shipping costs in addition to the value of the item sold. (That's true even in cases where sellers offer "free" shipping as eBay urges sellers to do, since those sellers must build shipping costs into the price of the item.) 

FedEx is also raising its rates next year by an average of 4.9%, effective January 1, 2018, while UPS will raise rates by an average of 4.9% on next month, on December 24, 2017.

You can find the new USPS rates in the PRC filing on this page (beginning on p. 9 of the PDF document).

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Perminate Link for PRC Approves USPS 2018 Postage Rate Hike   PRC Approves USPS 2018 Postage Rate Hike

by: comments This user has validated their user name.

Wed Nov 8 00:07:58 2017

Of course they will. The request is just a formality. They rubber stamp yes on every postal rate increase request.  

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This user has validated their user name. by: Rexford

Wed Nov 8 06:30:57 2017

And the local and national news will only mention the stamp increase. They never mention that packaging fees go up.  I shutter to think how high shipping fees will be in 10 years. We've seen some pretty steep increases each year.  A few years back we saw how a postage increase killed international sales for a lot of folks.   A lot of folks except for the Chinese.

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This user has validated their user name. by: iheartjacksparrow

Wed Nov 8 10:47:41 2017

There are charts on stamps.com covering all of the increases. I'm mostly interested in First Class Package rates, since most of what I sell gets shipped that way.

FCP ounces 1 through 4 only goes up 5 cents. But 6 ounces increases by 15 cents, 7 ounces by 28 cents, and 8 ounces by a whopping 41 cents!

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This user has validated their user name. by: RKTOYS

Wed Nov 8 11:21:02 2017

"A lot of folks except for the Chinese."
And Amazon.  Post office delivers on Sunday for them.

Just another attack on the middle class by big business.  All of the rich players get special deals on shipping.  Prices for the rest of us just keep climbing to subsidize those deals with the bonus of rendering us non-competitive.

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by: Marie This user has validated their user name.

Wed Nov 8 14:35:26 2017

Here is a link to the schedule Jack referred to.

http://blog.stamps.com/2017/10/26/usps-announces-2018-posta
ge-rate-increase/

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by: Scotty This user has validated their user name.

Wed Nov 8 17:33:04 2017

2017 FCM package rate for 5-8 ounces was $2.77...
2018 rates for same method has broken it out by 5,6,7,8 ounce individual rates with substantial % increases...
I will switch to 1lb Media Mail rate for all items in this range.

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by: Marie This user has validated their user name.

Wed Nov 8 17:36:51 2017

Does anyone know if there is going to be any increases on FCP International?

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by: Sierra This user has validated their user name.

Thu Nov 9 00:31:49 2017

@Marie
First Class Package International Service rates will be increasing by an average of 3.9% across all 17 Country Groups in 2018. (Source: Stamps.com blog)

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by: Marie This user has validated their user name.

Thu Nov 9 02:29:59 2017

@Sierra

Thank you.  It will be interesting to see if Ebay can negotiate us a better rate.  I know most here have a lot to say negatively about Ebay.  But Ebay still currently has the best negotiated rate for FCP International.  Currently it is 13% below the Commercial Rate.  

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This user has validated their user name. by: epuise

Thu Nov 9 10:18:34 2017

... meanwhile... Chinese sellers get ePacket rates up to 4lbs...

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by: Sierra This user has validated their user name.

Thu Nov 9 12:39:47 2017

@Marie
You're welcome! I ship very little international these days, but it seems like the commercial *domestic* rates thru Etsy, Amazon, PayPal, and eBay are all the same ... though the specific services & packaging varies (i.e., PayPal has rather limited choices).

@epuise
Did you see 45 with the president of China? 45 said “I don’t blame China. Who can blame a country that is able to take advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens? I give China great credit.”

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by: Marie This user has validated their user name.

Thu Nov 9 16:10:28 2017

@Sierra

You are correct.  ALL online postage providers have the same rates for FCP Domestic.  This is because USPS does not allow negotiations on the method of shipment.

As to your comment on POTUS.  I am by no stretch of the imagination a Trump supporter and I didn't like those comments anymore than you did.  I have great concern about it to be sure.  But with that said, I choose to think that he is trying to see the bigger picture here.  That we need the Asian countries to be our allies against North Korea.  North Korea at this moment in time pose a huge thread to millions of lives.  Just my personal take on the situation.

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by: Sierra This user has validated their user name.

Thu Nov 9 16:14:27 2017

@Marie, I agree we need the support of the Asian countries more than ever right now. And I'll leave it at that so this doesn't get too political.  

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by: Marie This user has validated their user name.

Thu Nov 9 16:16:09 2017

@Sierra

I once again agree with you.  



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