On May 11 the
price for a 1-ounce First-Class Mail stamp increased from
42¢ to 44¢. Prices for other mailing services — Standard Mail,
Periodicals, Package Services (including Parcel Post), and Extra
Services — will also change. The average increase by class of
mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the
Consumer Price Index.
The Governors of the U.S. Postal Service have approved new
prices for mailing services, including a 2-cent increase in the
price of a First-Class Mail stamp to 44 cents. Prices for
mailing services are reviewed annually and adjusted each May.
The new prices went into effect on Monday, May 11, 2009.
The postal reform law of 2006 generally
limits a postal rate increase to the rate of inflation as
reflected in the Consumer Price Index. The Postal Service has
stated it will change its rates annually. The CPI for the 2009
rate increase is 3.8%; this is the maximum allowable average
increase for each class of mail. However, postage for specific
categories within a class may go up more as long as the average
for that class does not exceed the CPI.
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