USPS customers may need to adjust their postage budget planning once more following a proposed shift to the annual rate change cycle currently under review.
For some years, mailers could expect to see postage rates increase twice a year: once in January and once in July. In both 2025 and 2026, though, the U.S. Postal Service chose to forego increasing prices in January and only implemented rate increases in July. In March of this year, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) ruled that the USPS would be limited to only one rate change per year moving forward, with the assumption that those would continue to occur in July. However, a July 16 motion filed by USPS proposed moving up the next rate increase to January 2027 and permanently shift the annual cadence from July to January.
The PRC is reviewing the proposed change, which would include a forecasted increase of 4.5% to postage rates in January 2027 versus an estimated 6.8% increase if the next rate changes take effect in July 2027 as planned. The rationale behind this change is that a January increase would better align with USPS customer budget planning for the entire calendar year rather than planning for one rate in the first half and a new rate in the second.
For anyone who wants to submit comments on the motion, the PRC will accept responses until July 29, 2026. USPS has requested a decision by August 16, 2026, at the latest.
Venture Solutions will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates on the resulting decision to help our clients better prepare for future mailing expenses.
