POSTAL SERVICE PRICES INCREASE MAY 11

2 CENTS MORE FOR A POSTAGE STAMP

DALLAS, TX – Postage will increase this Monday, and a First Class stamp will go from 42 to 44 cents. However, customers can continue to mail letters at today’s prices by purchasing the Forever Stamp before May 11. They purchase them at www.usps.com, by selecting, “find a post office,” and “alternate locations to buy stamps.” This route will save time, energy and fuel, and allow them to buy their stamps online or at the nearest postal retail site.

“The Forever Stamps were developed to help consumers ease the transition during price changes,” said Pat Williams, Dallas Postmaster. “Forever Stamps do not have a denomination and will be honored whenever they are used with no need for additional postage for a one-ounce letter mailing. On May 11, the price of a Forever Stamp will be 44 cents.”

Rising operational costs make the price adjustments necessary; the increase tracks the 2008 rate of inflation. “The Postal Service is not immune to rising costs which are affecting homes and businesses across Dallas today,” Ms. Williams explained. “Even with the increases, the Postal Service continues to offer some of the lowest postage prices in the world.”

For the average household, the First-Class Mail stamp price change will represent an additional $3 over the course of the year. When compared to annual increases in other household expenses, such as groceries, healthcare and utilities, the Postal Service continues to be an economical choice for shipping and mailing during tough economic times. For First-Class Mail, there will be no changes in the current additional ounce price, which remains at 17 cents.

Other price changes on May 11 include:

A postcard increases a penny to 28 cents.
The first ounce of a large envelope (flat) increases 5 cents to 88 cents.
The first ounce of a parcel increases 5 cents to $1.22.
New First-Class Mail International postcard and letter (first ounce) prices are:
- Canada – 75 cents
- Mexico – 79 cents
- Other countries – 98 cents

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.