Priority Mail: Summary of 2018 Shipping Rate Increase
Priority Mail is a quick yet economical shipping service that provides delivery anywhere in the U.S. within two to three days. The maximum allowable package weight for this mail class is 70 pounds. Priority Mail also includes USPS Tracking and up to $50 of insurance with most shipments.
Stamps.com customers enjoy discounts of up to 39 percent over the Post Office rate on all Priority Mail shipments, depending on weight and distance. These discounts are automatically calculated by the Stamps.com software.
Price Changes to Priority Mail in 2018
Priority Mail rates will see an average increase of 6.2 percent starting Jan. 21, 2018. A one-pound package traveling from Los Angeles to New York (Zone 8) will cost $7.76 in 2018, up from $7.25 in 2017.
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Priority Mail – 2018 Rates (Commercial Base Pricing) |
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INCREASE PER PACKAGE – 2018 rates vs. 2017 rates |
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|
Mailpiece Weight |
2018 |
2017 |
Increase |
|
1 lb. – Zone 8 |
$7.76 |
$7.25 |
$0.51 |
|
2 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$10.80 |
$10.28 |
$0.52 |
|
3 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$15.34 |
$14.90 |
$0.44 |
|
4 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$18.15 |
$17.61 |
$0.54 |
|
5 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$21.03 |
$20.41 |
$0.62 |
|
6 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$24.07 |
$23.37 |
$0.70 |
|
7 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$27.04 |
$26.25 |
$0.79 |
|
8 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$30.36 |
$29.47 |
$0.89 |
|
9 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$33.75 |
$32.77 |
$0.98 |
|
10 lbs. – Zone 8 |
$36.71 |
$35.64 |
$1.07 |
Rates for Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes and Flat Rate Envelopes will also increase in 2018. A Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope will cost $7.10 in 2018, up from $6.50 in 2017.
| Priority Mail Flat Rate – 2018 Rates (Commercial Base Pricing) | |||
|
INCREASE PER PACKAGE – 2018 rates vs. 2017 rates |
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|
Mailpiece |
2018 | 2017 |
Increase |
|
Flat Rate Envelope |
$6.55 | $5.95 | $0.60 |
|
Legal Flat Rate Envelope |
$6.85 |
$6.25 |
$0.60 |
|
Padded Flat Rate Envelope |
$7.10 |
$6.50 |
$0.60 |
|
Small Flat Rate Box |
$7.05 |
$6.45 |
$0.60 |
|
Medium Flat Rate Box |
$12.85 |
$12.40 |
$0.45 |
|
Large Flat Rate Box |
$17.65 |
$17.05 |
$0.60 |
| APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Box | $16.15 | $15.55 |
$0.60 |
While prices for Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes will increase for most Zones in 2018, it’s worth noting that rates are dropping by $0.30 for Box B in Zone 5, and rates will remain the same for Box A in Zone 5.
Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes provide a great cost savings over regular Priority Mail when your parcel is over two pounds. For example, a Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A that weights five pounds for delivery to Zone 8 will cost $10.80 in 2018 compared to $21.03 for regular Priority Mail.
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Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes – 2018 Rates (Commercial Base Pricing) |
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INCREASE PER PACKAGE – 2018 rates vs. 2017 rates |
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| Box A | ||||||||
| Period | Zones 1 & 2 |
Zone 3 |
Zone 4 |
Zone 5 |
Zone 6 |
Zone 7 |
Zone 8 |
Zone 9 |
| 2017 | $6.52 | $6.60 | $6.83 | $8.15 | $9.19 | $9.99 | $10.28 | $15.14 |
| 2018 | $7.10 | $7.25 | $7.40 | $8.15 | $9.47 | $10.29 | $10.80 | $15.33 |
| Change | $0.58 | $0.65 | $0.57 | $0.00 | $0.28 | $0.30 | $0.52 | $0.19 |
| Box B | ||||||||
| Period | Zones 1 & 2 |
Zone 3 |
Zone 4 |
Zone 5 |
Zone 6 |
Zone 7 |
Zone 8 |
Zone 9 |
| 2017 | $7.17 | $8.01 | $9.19 | $10.95 | $15.68 | $17.93 | $20.41 | $28.72 |
| 2018 | $7.41 | $8.42 | $9.37 | $10.65 | $16.15 | $18.47 | $21.03 | $29.15 |
| Change | $0.24 | $0.41 | $0.18 | ($0.30) | $0.47 | $0.54 | $0.62 | $0.43 |
Get more information on the 2018 USPS postage rate increase.