2011 USPS Certified Mail New Postal Rate Increase

The USPS Certified Mail Special Service rates may increase the cost to send Certified Mail to $5.84 in 2011. That’s a $0.30 cent price increase per letter.  USPS Certified Mail letters cost  $5.54 today and the rate is made up from three postage fees. The Certified Mail Special Service fee that costs $2.80 is proposed to jump $0.15 cents per letter to cost $2.95. Second the Return Receipt service is available in two options.  The old fashioned green cards now costs $2.30 each and will increase $0.10 cents to cost $2.40, or the Return Receipt Electronic service can be used in place of the green cards.  This service costs $1.10 today and is proposed to increase $0.05  per letter to $1.15 next year. The third and final postage fee that makes up a Certified Mail letter is USPS First Class postage.  The one OZ rate is currently proposed to increase $0.02 cents from $0.44 cents to $0.46 cents per letter starting January 2011.

USPS Mail Service	Current Cost	Proposed Increase	Proposed 2011 Rate
Certified Mail	$ 2.80	+ $0.15	$ 2.95
Green Card Return Receipt	$ 2.30	+ $0.10	$ 2.40
Return Receipt Electronic (PDF)	$ 1.10	+ $0.05	$ 1.15
First Class Postage	$ 0.44	+ $0.02	$ 0.46
Total Cost using Green Card	$5.54		$5.84
Total Cost using Certified Mail Envelopes with ERR			$4.56

How To Reduce USPS Certified Mail Costs?You can reduce the costs to send USPS Certified Mail by using the Electronic Return Receipt – ERR in place of the old fashioned green card Return Receipt.  The Electronic Return Receipt provides in-route tracking scan information and the final delivery confirmation from USPS when your letter is delivered. This reduces the total cost of each letter from $5.54 to $4.79.  It is a true $0.75 cent savings per letter not to mention the time savings.  The Electronic Return Receipt is included with each Certified Mail Envelope and eliminates any forms or peel and stick lalels.  Just slide your letter into the envelope and log-in online to print the bar coded address sheet.  Its that simple.  No more labels, or forms to fill out.  No more green cards to file or loose.

 Certified Mail Envelope Costs

1.  First-Class Postage $0.44  (this is a letter size envelope, up to 1 oz in weight)
2.  Certified Mail Fee $2.80
3.  Electronic Return Receipt – ERR included with USPS Certified Mail Envelope $1.55

Total Cost per Letter $4.79   (Includes postage and material costs)

You can try the service free by signing up for the free trial.  No credit card is needed. You still need to add postage ($2.80 + $0.44), but you can save the cost of the $2.30 green card return receipt fee.  This free trial allows you to see how the Electronic Return Receipt works.  You get setup with a web based login to address, print address sheets, track and report each mailing. You have access 24/7 and they file and store each Electronic Return Receipts for 7 years automatically.  USPS has approved Certified Mail Envelopes so the process is fast and easy to use.  No monthly fees or hidden costs.  All you need to do is add postage.  

Free Trial Evaluation:  Get 2 Certified Mail Envelopes with Electronic Return Receipt
 Certified Mail Envelopes – Free Trial Sign-Up    http://www.certified-mail-envelopes.com/free-trial/

Follow this link to read more about the Electronic Return Receipt – ERR.
http://www.certified-mail-envelopes.com/electronic-return-receipt-for-usps-certified-mail/

Other 2011 USPS Certified Mail Postal Rate Increases include the After Mailing cost to purchase the Return Receipt Electronic Signature.  This cost is proposed to increase $0.25 to $4.85 per letter.  USPS said the new postal rates must go up to help cover a potential $7 billion loss projected in 2011.  Each additional ounce of weight would also increase from 17 cents to 18 cents.

The USPS must prove “exceptional or extraordinary circumstances” in order for the new Postal Rate Increase in 2011 to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to approve prices above the rate of inflation.  The PRC will approve the request if it finds pricing above CPI to be “reasonable and equitable and necessary.” The country continues to work through the worst recession since the 1930s. Key business customers have been devastated and have withdrawn from using the mail: credit card companies, financial institutions, real estate companies, retailers.

USPS mail volume has plummeted by more than 25.6 billion pieces, or 12.7 percent, in one fiscal year. Total volume stands at 177 billion pieces.  USPS First-Class Mail is the highest revenue contributor to the Postal Service bottom line and also the fastest volume decline.

Mail volume in general has declined at a higher rate than it did following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. More and more Americans are switching to electronic alternatives, further eroding a dwindling customer base. The Postal Service seeks to balance its financial challenges against the needs of its customers through a moderate increase and to gradually increase some prices to improve their financial performance while mitigating the effect on customers.

Experts believe future price increases can be greatly alleviated if the Postal Service was deregulated and became more competitive  or given the tools necessary to be a more flexible, customer-focused: change delivery frequency, restructure the pre-payment of retiree health benefits and expand access to products and services that are more convenient to customers.

Included in this new proposal is stopping delivery of mail service on Saturday.  A significant USPS price increase is under consideration that will impact 2011 USPS Postal Rates & mailing costs including special services mail like USPS Certified Mail. This includes many of the USPS Special Services that include USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested service, USPS Certified Mail Restricted Delivery, and USPS Registerd Mail.  

For many consumers the initial focus or cost of mailing a First Class letter may appear to be increasing $0.02 per letter, however due to many new financial and regulatory requirements in banking, health care and lending the cost of sending compliance letters by USPS Certified Mail in 2011 could be much higher.