Post Office Announces Major Rate Increase For Louisiana Customers

(KMDL-FM) Usually, when you hear the term "sticker shock," it's in connection with the purchase of a new automobile. However, suppose you use the United States Postal Service to handle your shipping. In that case, you may soon experience the same uneasy feeling due to a major rate increase recently confirmed by the United States Postal Service. 

If you haven't had to ship anything this holiday season yet, let me warn you, the cost of shipping almost anything to almost anywhere is a lot more than you think it will be. I went this past Tuesday to send a priority package to my daughter in Seattle. I was quoted a price of over $200 to have a package shipped on Tuesday and arrive by Saturday.

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Oddly enough, the price of shipping that same package dropped to $60 if I could wait for the parcel to be dropped off on Monday. Which is why I suggest that when you do have shipping to do that you visit a shipping outlet that offers services from UPS, FedEx, and USPS so you can compare the rates. And yes, those kinds of places exist. 

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How Much Will The New Postal Rates Affect the Price of First-Class Stamps?

This past Friday, the USPS filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission asking for a price adjustment on certain shipping products. Earlier in the year, we reported that the Postal Service would not be seeking rate increases for the price of a First Class Stamp. The price of those went up this past July from 73 cents to 78 cents, so we won't be paying more for those.

What we will be paying more for at the Post Office, as of January 18, 2026, is more for Priority Mail Express, Parcel Select, Priority Mail Service, and USPS Ground Advantage. Since you have probably not completed your USPS training, let me break down what each of those services entails.

Which Postal Services Will Have Rate Increases in 2026?

Priority Mail Express: is the USPS's fastest domestic shipping service, offering guaranteed 1- to 3-day delivery with a money-back guarantee to most U.S. addresses. It includes $100 of insurance coverage, tracking, and is available 365 days a year (including Sundays and holidays) in many locations. This service is ideal for urgent or important mail and packages. The cost of using that service is going up 5.1% in 2026.

Parcel Select: a United States Postal Service (USPS) commercial shipping service for businesses that offers discounted rates for high-volume shipments. It is not available for retail customers at the post office and is designed for packages that do not have a hard deadline for delivery. The cost of using that service will rise by 6% in 2026.

Priority Mail Service: This service delivers packages and mail within 2 to 3 business days. It is an option for items over 13 ounces (which are automatically sent this way) or for smaller items that you want to send more quickly than First-Class Mail. The cost of using this service will rise 6.6% in 2026.

USPS Ground Advantage: This service is a reliable and affordable ground shipping service for packages up to 70 pounds, with delivery in 2-5 business days across the U.S.. It includes $100 of insurance, end-to-end tracking, and free package pickup at your home or office. The cost of using this service will rise by 7.8% in 2026.

Postal officials say the rate increases are necessary to keep USPS competitive with other providers and will provide the organization with needed revenue. In case you were wondering USPS shipping prices are determined by market conditions. The price for mailing services is determined by the Consumer Price Index.