The USPS said the price of First-Class postage will not change, but prices for Priority Mail will change on January 4, 2010. In addition to an overall price increase of 3.3 percent, on average, for Priority Mail, there will be new prices for Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, Parcel Select and Parcel Return Service, also effective January 4. The new prices and product changes are pending Postal Regulatory Commission review.

There will be a decrease in the domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope retail price from $4.95 to $4.90. The Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box will remain at $4.95. A new Priority Mail Flat Rate padded envelope measuring 9.5 x 12.5 inches will be available exclusively for Commercial Plus shippers. This envelope is specially designed for jewelry, electronics and other delicate goods. And a Priority Mail half-pound price, based on distance, will be added only in the Commercial Plus pricing category.

Prices for First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Parcel Post and other mailing services products will not change in 2010, with the cost of a First-Class Mail stamp remaining at 44 cents.

In a first for the shipping industry, the Postal Service is introducing cubic volume-based pricing for large volume commercial Priority Mail shippers. Customers who ship small dense, space-efficient packages will receive a financial incentive through a new, tiered pricing option. "This encourages greener, more efficient shipping and is one more way the Postal Service is eco friendly," according to the announcement.

Customers who pay for their shipping services online will continue to save compared to retail prices. Online costs will be, on average, 5 percent less than retail for Express Mail and 5.7 percent less for Priority Mail. Online savings for international shipping will be 10 percent less than retail for Global Express Guaranteed, 8 percent less for Express Mail International and 5 percent less for Priority Mail International.

A complete listing of 2010 prices is available at http://pe.usps.com under the "Jan. 2010 Price Change" link. Note that commercial plus prices are available to Priority Mail customers who ship more than 100,000 pieces in the previous calendar year and to Priority Mail Open and Distribute (PMOD) customers who ship more than 600 PMOD containers in the previous calendar year under a Manifest Mailing System (MMS).

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