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is linked to its appropriate domestic rate (e.g., the Lady Liberty and U.S. Flag stamp has a postage value of 39 cents). The postage value of the Forever Stamp is always the domestic First-Class Mail single-piece 1-ounce letter rate that is in effect on the day of use. Since the international postage rates are always higher than the comparable domestic rates, additional postage would have to be affixed.

Will the price of the Breast Cancer Research Semipostal Stamp change?

Yes, this increase in the First-Class Mail letter rate requires us to raise the selling price to 55 cents each to maintain the relationship between price and contribution.

Will there be 17-cent stamps available for the lower First-Class Mail additional ounce rate?

A new 17-cent stamp will be issued May 21.

Did the rate for First-Class Mail postcards increase?

Yes, the new rate is 26 cents for postcards eligible for the card rate.

Why are rates going up again?

The costs of doing business — fuel, transportation, utilities and health care benefits — have continued to increase. Without an increase to keep up with rising costs, we face significant losses. Many people do not know that postal operations are not subsidized by tax dollars. We rely on the sale of postal products and services to cover our operating costs.

USPS raised prices Jan. 2006 — why another increase so soon?

The Jan. 8, 2006, across-the-board price increase was to meet an escrow payment mandated by Public Law (PL) 108-18. This is the first time since January 2001 that we have restructured our prices. A lot has happened since then. As part of our Strategic Transformation
Plan, we’ve made extensive changes to our operations and increased our efficiency. And the market has changed too — we’re using this opportunity to reflect changes in operations and respond to market changes. We’ve done that by re-aligning our classifications and their prices.

Why don’t you just make the price of a stamp an even 50 cents?

No one should have to pay more than necessary. We want to make sure the mail remains a great value. A price increase of more than 2 cents for a First-Class Mail stamp would impose an unfair share of the burden of operating the Postal Service on First-Class Mail

users. A 2-cent increase results in a more equitable distribution of postal costs among all mail classes.

Also, the majority of customers purchase stamps not in singles but in booklets or panes of 10 or 20 stamps and in coils of 100 or more, so pennies are not usually involved in the transaction.

Did the fees for Repositionable Notes (RPNs) increase?

Since RPNs are an experimental classification, they were not part of the filing. The fees remain:

• First-Class Mail — $0.005 each.
• Periodicals and Standard Mail — $0.015 each.

Where can I find additional information regarding the new rates and fees?

Additional information on domestic (as well as international) changes is available at usps.com/ratecase.

First-Class Mail

Is there still a nonmachinable surcharge for First-Class Mail?

Yes. The nonmachinable surcharge continues to apply to letters weighing 1 ounce or less, and will be 17 cents. Keep in mind, the Governors have asked the PRC to reconsider its recommendation that limits the surcharge to 1-ounce letters instead of applying it to letters of any weight (up to the 3.5-ounce maximum for letters).

Will large envelopes weighing 1 ounce or less continue to be subject to a nonmachinable surcharge?

No, since large envelopes now have their own price structure (flats prices), the nonmachinable surcharge no longer applies.

Why do all the prices for letters go up to only 3.5 ounces?

With pricing by shape, the maximum weight for letters is now 3.5 ounces. Letters weighing more than 3.5 ounces would be subject to the prices for flats or large envelopes. The maximum weight for large envelopes and packages remains 13 ounces.