USPS customers face price hikes and store closures in a massive overhaul that would come down on July 13.
As the future of the service faces uncertainty while complaints of delays and lost letters grow, mail price rates could jump up by 7.4% as the USPS tries to achieve financial stability.
Postal Service officials recommended the changes earlier this month but warned customers what the pricing system would look like under the new rules.
The USPS confirmed that starting on Sunday, July 13, first-class Forever stamps could jump by five cents each, going from 73 cents to 78 cents.
Domestic postcard stamps would rise from the current cost of 56 cents to 62 cents.
Metered letters would go from 69 cents to 74 cents, while international postage would hike from $1.65 to $1.70.
But the raised costs aren’t the only price adjustments.
Pallet discounts would apply to first-class mail, which means businesses that require pallets might be able to lower costs.
Plus, heavy materials could also see discounts, which would make it easier to mail things in bulk.
The overhaul would also bring closures to the company, according to the new proposed standards.
The USPS would phase out the 21 national distribution centers across the country.
The NDCs, which are considered mail processing plants, are set to be eliminated in an attempt to modernize the USPS network.
Customers would see changes in the way mail is processed and routed due to the cuts.
The proposed moves are part of the Delivering for America restructuring plan.
The agency filed a notice about the plan with the Postal Regulatory Commission on April 9.
“As changes in the mailing and shipping marketplace continue, these price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the organization’s Delivering for America 10-year plan,” the USPS said at the time.
“USPS prices remain among the most affordable in the world.”
USPS mess-ups
The United States Postal Service is facing customer complaints as the mail agency struggles to stay afloat admit workforce cuts and financial loss.
The agency promised to “release additional communications to address price changes in these categories.”
The changes are set to be reviewed before they go into effect in July.
Customers have complained of issues receiving their mail lately as the agency faces severe cuts while undergoing a major shake-up.
The Department of Government Efficiency recently announced it would cut 10,000 postal workers’ jobs by 2026 to reduce government costs.
The cuts have left customers across America fuming as they deal with complications and downgraded services caused by reduced funding and short staffing.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy admitted in a letter to Congress that the agency’s system is broken after years of financial loss.
