2020 Postage Rate Increase Now Trending Below 2% 

September 11, 2019

The latest 12-month average CPI number published by the Postal Regulatory Commission is 1.978 percent, the lowest in the last two years.  It incorporates the July CPI published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on August 14.  The last and final component will be the August CPI to be released tomorrow, September 12.  It is expected to remain below 2 percent, perhaps 1.8 percent, further sinking the PRC moving average cap calculation. 

Remember that the cap applies to each class of mail—First Class, Marketing, and Periodicals—and that individual rates will vary around the average.  Also recall that there are indications that USPS will not ding Marketing Mail letters that are drop-shipped (read fundraising) as much as the last three years.