The Chicagoland area (where J&Q is located), and the rest of the Midwest are coming out of the polar vortex – thank goodness! After surviving wind chills as low as -45 to -55 degrees on Wednesday, mailers are also experiencing higher postage rates.

Postage prices increased on January 27, 2019, and J&Q direct mail clients are experiencing a $.007 to $.008 increase per package.

For consumers the price of a First-Class Forever stamp increased from 50 cents to 55 cents – a 10% increase! However, the single-piece additional ounce price was reduced from 21 cents to 15 cents. Heavier packages like wedding invitations will cost less to mail – from 71 cents to 70 cents.

For business mailers, the price of postage increases from $.005 to $.01 per piece depending on the size and concentration of their mailings.

Here are some of the key changes:

• For most of our clients, the increase is $.007 to $.008 per piece, and an overall 2.5% increase.
• The USPS had previously miscalculated the savings for drop shipped mailings, so SCF-entry and NDC-entry rates increased more than origin-entry mail.
• Also, carrier route preparation by mailers is not saving the USPS as much as estimated, so those rates increased at a high percentage (from 3.3% to 6.5%) for NDC and SCF entries.
• Good news – the Intelligent Mail full service discount on Marketing Mail increased from $.001 to $.003 per piece which does lessen the impact of the increase for direct mailers that receive that discount.
• Commercial First-Class automation mail increases about 1%.
• Pricing for the First-Class Postcard remains the same.

For a chart of the new postage rates, download J&Q’s FREE Direct Mailer’s Deskside Companion, a handy reference guide.

If you have questions or need more information on how the rate increase may affect your direct mail budgets, contact us at 847.588.4800 or jqinfo@j-quin.com and ask for Sales.