USPS Peak Season Temporary Rate Adjustments

By Rob Zaleski
Aug 10, 2022

2022 USPS Peak Season Temporary Rate Adjustments blog header featuring a gift, an empty box, and a 2022 calendar

As of July 9, 2023, Retail Ground, Parcel Select, and domestic First-Class Package Service will be combined into USPS Ground Advantage™. Visit our blog for more information!

As has been the case since the 2020 holiday season, USPS has proposed its Peak Season Temporary Rate Adjustments. These adjustments are meant to help cover extra handling costs and ensure a successful season during one of the busiest times of the year for e-commerce merchants and shipping carriers.

Below is a full breakdown of the changes you can expect to services like Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, First-Class Package Service (FCPS), Parcel Select Ground, and USPS Retail Ground rates. Pending favorable review by the Postal Regulatory Committee, the USPS Peak Season Temporary Rates would go into effect at 12 a.m. Central on Oct. 2 and remain in place until 12 a.m. Central on Jan. 22, 2023.

Note: there are no planned rate adjustments on international services, parcel return rates, or Parcel Select Lightweight rates.

USPS Peak Season Temporary Rate Adjustments Breakdown

We’ve laid out both Commercial Rates and Retail Rates below. As a reminder, when you use ShippingEasy, we get you access to Commercial Rates normally only reserved for the largest merchants, regardless of your shipping volume.

Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express:

Commercial:
- $0.75 increase for PM and PME Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes
- $0.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs
- $0.80 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs
- $0.75 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs
- $2.80 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs
- $3.00 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs
- $6.50 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs
Retail:
- $0.95 increase for PM and PME Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes
- $0.30 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs
- $1.00 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs
- $0.95 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs
- $3.20 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs
- $3.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs
- $6.45 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs

First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select Ground, and USPS Retail Ground:

Commercial:
- $0.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs
- $0.40 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs
- $0.75 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs
- $1.60 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs
- $3.00 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs
- $5.50 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs
Retail:
- $0.30 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs
- $0.60 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs
- $0.95 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs
- $2.70 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs
- $3.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs
- $5.85 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs

As a reminder, First-Class Package Service can be used for packages up to 15.999 oz, whereas Retail can only be used for packages up to 13 oz. Thus the increases applying to that would be the 0-10 lbs increases.

Examples of the Rate Adjustments’ Effects

To help illustrate what the USPS Peak Season Rate Adjustments look like, we’ve put together some more specific examples for you. Since we offer USPS Commercial Rates, we’ve used those to illustrate the effects in the lists below.

A 5 lb package going Priority Mail to Zone 4

Standard 2022 shipping rate: $9.82
Peak Season shipping rate: $10.07
Percent increase: 2.48%

A 12 lb package going Priority Mail Flat Rate Small Box to Zone 6

Standard 2022 shipping rate: $8.25
Peak Season shipping rate: $9.00
Percent increase: 8.33%

An 8 oz package going First Class Package Service to Zone 6

Standard 2022 shipping rate: $3.88
Peak Season shipping rate: $4.28
Percent increase: 9.34%

Merchants who sell lighter items and often use First-Class Package Service have some of the largest effects, which will be significant for the 2022 holiday season.

Would you like to see a full list of 2022 Priority Mail and First Class Package Service rates? You can find them here, then do more math to discover what some of your standard packages may cost to ship this peak season. If you want to make sure you have access to Commercial Rates, click below to start your 30-day free trial of ShippingEasy!

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