February 17, 2016

We expect that the Postal Service will announce the date of the exigent surcharge removal this week or next.

Through Valentine’s Day, USPS exigent surcharge revenue was $4.347 billion. The cap is $4.634 billion, leaving $287 million left to collect. In the first half of its second quarter, the Postal Service collected $257 million in surcharge revenue, a rate of $5.7 million a day. If that daily rate were to continue, the exigent removal would happen 50 days after Valentine’s Day, or on April 4. And the USPS would give the required 45-days’ notice by the end of this week.

Many in the mailing business hope that the Postal Service stays with Sunday rate changes, which might mean a notice by next Thursday, February 25 for the change on Sunday, April 10.

The USPS published its spring rollback pricing tables on February 5, helping to ensure a smooth transition.