USPS Reduces Some Proposed Letter Rates

The U.S. Postal Service has reduced prices by 1.1 cents for both commercial and nonprofit standard mail machinable (nonautomation) mixed automation area distribution center (AADC) letters.

This change comes in response to the Postal Regulatory Commission’s review of the USPS’s proposed price hike that takes effect May 12.

Last week, the Commission said the USPS it may need to file a new notice with the PRC in order to justify a 1.4 cent-per-piece discount it wants to offer mailers in return for putting barcodes on those pieces (Direct Newsline, March 19)..

“The Commission finds the Postal Service’s proposed justifications inadequate,” according to the PRC’s Review of Postal Service Market Dominant Price Adjustment report. “First, the Postal Service’s concern that [such a] discount will not be enough to encourage mailers to pre-barcode is not persuasive.”