Postage Rates to Increase For Second Time This Year

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is implementing significant rate adjustments effective July 12, 2026. These changes are divided into two major categories: an imminent hike on Mailing Services (stamps, postcards, letters) coming this summer, and a temporary surcharge already in place for Shipping Services (packages).

Mailing Services Rate Increase (Effective July 12, 2026)

Pending final approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the USPS is raising the prices of standard mailing products by an average of 4.8% to offset rising operational costs.

First class mail increases from the current 78 cents to 82 cents for the first ounce. Metered mail increases from 74 cents to 78 cents, domestic postcards increase from 61 cents to 65, international letters increase from $1.70 to $1.75, and certified mail fee increases from $5.30 to $5.55.

 The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters will remain unchanged at 29¢.

Temporary Shipping Rate Surcharge, In Effect Now

If you are shipping packages, you are likely already seeing higher costs. On April 26, 2026, the USPS implemented a time-limited 8% increase on base postage rates for its primary domestic shipping products.

This temporary transportation-related adjustment is designed to help the postal service align its pricing with rising market and fuel costs. It is scheduled to remain in place until January 17, 2027.

The 8% surcharge affects the retail and commercial base prices of:

• USPS Ground Advantage™ (Which already saw a 7.8% average bump in January)
  Easyship
• Priority Mail® (Which saw a 6.6% average bump in January)
  ShipStation Help
• Priority Mail Express®
• Parcel Select

Why the Repeated Increases?

These adjustments are part of the Postmaster General’s ongoing 10-year “Delivering for America” modernization plan. The USPS has faced severe financial deficits, and the leadership is utilizing its regulatory pricing authority to try to steer the organization toward long-term financial sustainability while maintaining its universal six-day mail delivery mandate.