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Going up? Postage stamps are

The Rocky

Published February 11, 2008 at 3:22 p.m.
Updated February 11, 2008 at 3:22 p.m.

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It's time to stock up on Forever stamps.

The cost of mailing a letter will go up a penny — to 42 cents — on May 12.

But the Forever stamps will still be valid for first-class postage after that. And they can be bought for 41 cents until the new rates take place, postal officials said.

The post office has sold 5 billion Forever stamps since they were introduced last April and it plans to have an additional 5 billion in stock to meet the expected demand before the May price change, the agency said.

The charge for other services, such as advertising mail, periodicals, packages special services will also change. Changes in the price for Priority Mail and Express Mail will be announced later, the agency said.

Postage rates last went up in May 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to the current 41-cent rate.

In the past raising postage rates was a long, complex process involving hearings before the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, a process that could take nearly a year.

But under the new law regulating the post office that took effect in late 2006, the agency can increase rates with 45-days notice as long as changes are within the rate of inflation for the previous 12 months. The Postal Regulatory Commission calculated that rate at 2.9 percent through January, limiting the first-class rate to an increase of just over a penny.

Under the new law, postal prices will be adjusted each May, the Postal Service said. Officials said they plan to give 90 days notice of future changes, twice what is required by law.

While the charge for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises to 42 cents, the price of each added ounce will remain 17 cents, so a two-ounce letter will go up a penny to 59 cents.

The cost to mail a post card will also go up a penny, to 27 cents.

Other increases set for May 12: — Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.

— Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.

— Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.

— First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.

— First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

Comments

  • February 11, 2008

    3:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    I wonder if they consider the cost of raising the rate just 1 cent.
    New rate charts need to be printed and published, new program chips for Electronic scales... is it worth it.
    Why dont the just raise it to .50 and start no overage fund that once cost go up they can draw from, and stop the 1 and 2 cent increases every year or so...

  • February 11, 2008

    3:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Kslayer writes:

    Hmmmm, rates going up? why isn't that a suprise. The rates for everything are going up exept my paycheck.

  • February 11, 2008

    4:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Francesca writes:

    Okay Floyd. I'll bite. You don't ever have to mail a bill that cannot be paid online? Mail your mom a birthday card, that sort of thing? C'mon, really?

  • February 11, 2008

    6:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Francesca writes:

    Floyd, I pay all the bills I can online. But I still do business with a few that don't, for instance the propane company still lives in the 1980s, so I have to send their money snail mail. And the insurance company (a small one, back in Michigan) same thing, but only with the homeowners and the umbrella. The cars can be paid online. Also the old-fashioned credit union in Wisconsin that has the note on my new horse trailer.

    But my mom can't seem to get the hang of opening those e-cards I send her so she gets them the old fashioned way. And the in-laws think that computers implant homing devices in all of us, so refuse to get anywhere near one for fear of contamination. Holy cow.

    2-4 cards a year? Gotcha!!! Grin.

    You'd think the post office would be making a raging bloody fortune with all of the eBay purchases being mailed by the hundreds of thousands of boxes.