US Postal Service / Unpublicized Rate Increase

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Ken

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The price of stamps recently increased to 42 cents, as you know.
A somewhat less known fact, which I just found out about yesterday, is that large-sized envelopes now require more postage than regular-sized ones.

The cost used to be the same, as calculated by the ounce, so that mailing a 4"x9" envelope would cost you the same as mailing a 9"x12" one. As of May 12th, of this year, there's now a substantial difference in price.

A one ounce #10 letter-sized envelope costs 42 cents,
whereas a 9"x12" one of the same weight costs 82 cents,
and so on up the scale:
http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-prices.htm

For writers mailing out manuscripts on a regular basis the added expense really does add up. What gets me most about the increase is that it wasn't at all publicized. If I hadn't fished about the USPS website yesterday I would've mailed out a submission with too little postage, after weighing it on a scale of mine.

Besides airing a gripe, I thought I'd pass the info on rate increases along, to prevent anyone from making a similar miscalculation and getting their manuscript back postage due.
 

Maryn

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The USPS didn't keep that overhaul of their rates secret. I read about it in the paper, so maybe the blame falls on your local paper for lack of coverage.

The reasoning behind the shift is that #10 envelopes up to an ounce can go through sorting machines with little human handling (which costs more), whereas 9 x 12, 10 x 13, and so on cannot.

Maryn, post office shill
 

Ken

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...no notifications about the raised rates in any of the post offices by me, either.

Anis, respectfully clinging to the aformentioned gripe.
 

Lauri B

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Where I live, a 9x12 envelope was more than a #10 for at least a couple of years. Maybe you've been catching a deal up until now.
 

Storyteller5

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The US really needs to get permanent postage like we have for domestic mail in Canada. We can buy stamps to mail in Canada at the going rate and if the rates go up, that postage is still enough.
 

Bill Ward

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We have that in the US actually, storyteller, but if the overall cost of something likes large envelopes or flats goes up disproportionate to a standard envelope, you'll still need to stick more stamps on than you did before.
 
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