Recently shipping prices have increased. This is partially because in 2021 there were shutdowns due to the pandemic and because that resulted in a lack of empty shipping containers. Recently the United States Postal Services have raised the prices. The changes took effect on January 21. 2024. This caused the USPS Ground Advantage shipping prices to go up by 5.4%. Priority Mail increased by 5.7%. And Priority Mail Express went up 5.9%. Also, the First Class Mail stamps increase from 66 cents to 68 cents.
The prices are also increasing because the extra money they will be making from the shipping will give the United States Postal Service extra money that they need. The extra revenue will be helping with a ten-year project called Delivering For America. The plan started on March 23, 2021. The plan will help the company be more efficient, high-performing, and more financially stable. USPS says that the plan will help their “ability to fulfill our universal service mission. This includes visiting every residence and business, with six days of mail delivery and seven days of package delivery, and doing so affordably, reliably, and securely.” After the plan went into place time deliveries have been the highest they have been in five years. This caused the White House to allow USPS to deliver Covid test kits to homes across the nation.
The Postal Service also says, “We will invest $40 billion in our people and infrastructure over 10 years. This includes investments across our delivery, processing, and retail operations with new information technology systems, parcel sorting equipment, mobile devices for carriers, as well as a faster pace of innovation in our product and service offerings.” The company is improving its systems significantly, and they need the extra funds to do so. This explains why the shipping prices have gone up recently.
Most people are probably frustrated with the shipping rates going up because now even simple things are becoming expensive.
