Standard Mail Rates Effective in May; Periodicals in July.

On March 17, 2007, the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors approved most of the postage rates recommended by Postal Regulatory Commission. The new rate for Standard Enhanced Carrier Route High-Density mail – used by many newspapers for Total Market Coverage (TMC) products – will increase by 6.2 percent, compared to the original USPS request of an 11 percent increase. However, some High-Density rates will receive reductions because the commission increased discounts for destination entry.

For periodicals, the Postal Regulatory Commission reduced the proposed increase for Within-County Periodicals from the 24.2 percent proposed by the USPS to an increase of 18.3 percent for the subclass. The PRC also denied a USPS request to charge an 85 cent container charge for periodicals mail.

Rates for other Standard Mail products went into effect on May 14. Periodical rates for were implemented on July 15, giving newspapers more time to adjust software systems to comply with a very complicated rate structure.

First Published:
July 31, 2007