New U.S. postage rates, effective today! My favorite visual reference for the new rates comes from The Letter Writers Alliance, seen in the handy chart above.
For domestic letters and postcards, the rate changes are miniscule - one cent up each. International is a bit steeper, up to $1.10 for letters (up to one ounce, of course) and postcards alike, with no discounts for Canada and Mexico as there have been in the past.
I am perhaps not as well-versed in the package increases as I should be, though I do know that first class international packages are now going to cost quite a bit more. It's worth it. We still have a world-class postal service and I think they deserve to be paid fairly for their good work.
There are some great new stamps coming out, including the new circular international first class stamp, but my post office is unlikely to have any of them any time soon. The postal workers at the counter said they often don't get new rate change stamps for months, because for some reason they're supposed to USE UP the old ones that they have? I recall having to wait ages last year for the $1.05 stamps to be available for purchase at my post office, so I just went ahead and ordered a bunch of the new release stamps online. Can't wait until they show up in my mailbox...
Happy mailing!
