Shipping carriers routinely update their products, services, and rates—typically at the start and midpoint of each year. To help you navigate these changes, this article provides an overview of USPS rates, the discounts you'll receive when shipping through Stamps.com, and a detailed comparison of commercial rates across each service class.
The U.S. Postal Service will introduce new postage rates starting Sunday, January 19, 2025. These changes will impact Retail and Commercial rates for the following services:
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USPS Ground Advantage: Rates decreased by approximately 0.5%, with savings up to $3.03. However, some packages under one pound increased by about 1.3%.
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Ground Advantage Cubic: Rates decreased by about 1.2%, offering savings up to $1.69.
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Priority Mail: Rates dropped by 5.7%, with some decreasing up to $10.50.
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Priority Mail Flat Rate: Rates decreased by about 1.7%, with savings up to $1.30 in some areas.
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Priority Mail Cubic: Rates decreased by about 3.4%, offering savings of up to $4.88 in certain areas.
Mailing Services will not experience a price increase on January 19, 2025, with the cost of a First-ClassMail (1 oz.) stamp staying at $0.69.
To handle the holiday shipping rush, USPS implemented peak surcharges that started on October 6, 2024, and will end on January 19, 2025. After this date, shipping rates will return to standard pricing as the seasonal fees are removed.
Starting January 19, 2025, the USPS will introduce a "Live Animal and Perishable Handling Fee" for shipments that include live animals or perishable goods. This additional fee will cover costs associated with handling and transporting these items.
The following services are available for shipping live animals and include the fees mentioned:
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Priority Mail Express®: $7.50 per label
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Priority Mail®: $15.00 per label
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USPS Ground Advantage™: $7.50 per label
Surcharges for Day-Old Poultry: A Live Animal Transportation fee of $0.20 per pound is charged when Day Old Poultry (newly hatched chicks) with Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail when shipping to Zones 5–9.
In September 2024, USPS identified a specific list of rural ZIP Codes. The updated list now reflects 12 fewer rural ZIP Codes, with some being removed and others added. To check if a particular ZIP Code is affected by these changes, please contact our support team for assistance.
The rate tables below compare the USPS Retail and Commercial rates, effective January 19, 2025.
Stamps.com customers enjoy additional discounts over most commercial rates, which will automatically appear in your account.
Below are common questions about the USPS rate changes. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Stamps.com offers discounted USPS rates for businesses of all sizes. All Stamps.com plans have access to USPS Commercial Rates where offered, plus additional savings on Domestic and International Priority Mail®, Priority Mail Express®, and Ground Advantage® (formerly First-Class Package and Parcel Select Ground) services.
Fees and surcharges may apply to Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Ground Advantage shipments based on the package volume and dimensions.
Dimensional weight, also called DIM weight or volumetric weight, is a pricing method that uses an estimated weight calculated from the length, width, and height of a package divided by a specific divisor determined by the carrier. For certain carriers, like USPS, UPS, and FedEx, a shipment's billable shipping cost is calculated based on dimensional weight if that value is higher than the actual weight.
To ensure you are receiving accurate shipping quotes, we recommend that you always include a package's total weight and package dimensions.
We suggest reviewing your shipping process to ship in the smallest box possible to avoid these surcharges. When shipping packages, select Large Package.
Flat Rate packages are not affected.
If dimensions are not provided or if dimensions are inaccurate: A $1.50 fee will be added for packages that are greater than one cubic foot in volume or have a box length greater than 22 inches.
Enter Dimensions to Avoid Surcharges
When preparing a package for shipment, if the dimensions section is present, be sure to enter the size of your package to ensure an accurate rate and avoid post-shipping adjustments.
We suggest using Favorites to store regularly used package sizes to save time.
If packages have dimensions that exceed machinable sorting requirements, nonstandard sizing fees will apply as follows:
USPS Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express
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If the longest side of a package is more than 22 inches but less than 30 inches, a $4.00 surcharge will be applied
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If the longest side of a package is greater than 30 inches, a $15.00 surcharge will be applied
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If the volume of the package is greater than 2 cubic feet, a $30.00 surcharge will be applied*
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Packages with missing or incorrect package dimensions that result in any dimensions-based fees, a $1.50 surcharge will be applied
USPS Ground Advantage
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If the longest side of a package is more than 22 inches but less than 30 inches, a $4.00 surcharge will be applied*
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If the longest side of a package is greater than 30 inches, a $8.40 surcharge will be applied*
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If the volume of the package is greater than 2 cubic feet, a $18.00 surcharge will be applied*
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Packages with missing or incorrect package dimensions that result in any dimensions-based fees, a $1.50 surcharge will be applied*
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Does not apply to Media Mail.