Will gift giving be more expensive in 2024? The Postal Service Says Yes, Here’s Why
Just in time for the start of the 2024 holiday shopping season, the US Postal Service has implemented a new shipping fee increase.
Given the preponderance of parcels and parcels shipped during the gift-giving holidays, the last three months of a given year are routinely by far the agency’s busiest time. For the 2022 holidays, the USPS reported that it processed 11.7 billion pieces of mail. The end of 2022 was also the last holiday season in which the agency implemented a temporary rate increase to help manage the spike in revenue. In 2023 it is rates kept the samewhile competitors like UPS and FedEx implemented rate increases. Read on to find out how much prices will rise this year and how long this rate hike will last.
For more information, find out how to change your address after a move and how to get free COVID-19 tests at the post office.
When did these postage price increases come into effect?
These holiday shipping price increases went into effect on Sunday, October 6 at midnight CT. They will remain in effect throughout the giving season and slightly beyond, ending at midnight CT on January 19, 2025.
While USPS has emphasized that this is a temporary increase, it also recently announced this plans for numerous permanent price increases between now and the end of 2027. While these increases must be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, USPS nevertheless plans to increase prices in July 2025, and then twice annually in January and July 2026 and 2027. The exact amounts for these proposed increases are not confirmed.
How much will shipping costs increase during the 2024 holiday season?
During this temporary increase, the amount by which the cost of a package has increased will vary based on a number of factors. The rate increases affect USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express, with factors like the weight of the package, whether it’s retail or commercial, and which postal zone it is in, causing rates to increase more or less.
USPS zones are the classifications the agency uses to determine how far a package should travel. Zone 1 is everything within a 50-mile radius, while Zone 9, the highest, is everything over 1,101 miles. The higher the zone of your post, the more the rate will increase during the holidays.
The smallest rate increase will be 30 cents, while the highest will be $16. Here is a chart showing these rates in detail:
USPS holiday retail shipping costs
| Zones | USPS land benefit | Priority mail | Priority mail express |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | $0.40 increase, 0 to 3 pounds | $0.40 increase, 0 to 3 pounds | $1.10 increase, 0 to 3 pounds |
| 1 to 4 | $0.55 increase, 4 to 10 pounds | $0.55 increase, 4 to 10 pounds | $2 increase, 4 to 10 pounds |
| 1 to 4 | $0.95 increase, 11 to 25 pounds | $0.95 increase, 11 to 25 pounds | $3.90 increase, 11 to 25 pounds |
| 1 to 4 | $4 increase, 26 to 70 pounds | $4 increase, 26 to 70 pounds | $9.75 increase, 26 to 70 pounds |
| 5 to 9 | $0.50 increase, 0 to 3 pounds | $0.90 increase, 0 to 3 pounds | $2 increase, 0 to 3 pounds |
| 5 to 9 | $1 increase, 4 to 10 pounds | $1.45 increase, 4 to 10 pounds | $4.85 increase, 4 to 10 pounds |
| 5 to 9 | $2 increase, 11 to 25 pounds | $3.25 increase, 11 to 25 pounds | $9 increase, 11 to 25 pounds |
| 5 to 9 | $5.85 increase, 26 to 70 pounds | $8.50 increase, 26 to 70 pounds | $16 increase, 26 to 70 pounds |
USPS announced this peak season price increase on Wednesday, October 2, noting that it had filed a notice of the increase with the Postal Regulatory Commission in early September.
For more information, get a head start on your holiday shopping with October’s Prime Day deals.
