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Bad news today fellow craft business owners, last week the United States Postal Service announced a planned temporary rate increase.
USPS Shipping Rate Increase Details
- Why the increase?
- The USPS cited ‘heightened demand for online shopping package volume due to the coronavirus pandemic and expected holiday ecommerce” (per usps.com) as the reason for the rate increase.
- When does the rate increase take effect?
- The temporary rate increase takes place between October 18th, 2020 until December 27, 2020.
- What mail classes are affected?
- Commercial domestic parcels are affected. This includes: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select, and Parcel Return Service. Retail and International Rates will remain the same.
- How much is the increase?
- The increase is small across the board, ranging from $0.06 to $0.40. The full chart can be found in the official press release at this link.
- What else should I know?
- Historically, the USPS raises rates in January. Be on the lookout for that announcement.
What Should You Do?
If you sell online, be sure to raise your prices so that you aren’t losing money. Remember, if you are an Etsy seller, Etsy favors those who offer free shipping. Read more about this in this post.
Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also enjoys teaching other crafters how to create digital SVG designs, available through the Design with Me series.