USPS Promises No Rate Increase For Market Dominant Products In January 2026
USPS announces there will be no shipping rate increase for stamps and other Market Dominant products in 2026 amidst pricing pressure and calls to abandon Delivering For America plan.
According to a press release today, Postmaster General David Steiner is recommending to forgo the usual January rate increase for market dominant offerings (postal products for which the Postal Service typically has no close private-sector alternative) like First Class Mail, Marketing Mail, and Media Mail.
A recommendation by Postmaster General David Steiner not to raise prices in January 2026 for Market Dominant products, which includes First-Class Mail, was accepted by the governors of the United States Postal Service.
The price of a stamp to mail a 1-once single-piece First-Class letter will not increase in early 2026.
The Postal Service’s operational strategies are designed to maintain cost efficiency, boost service reliability and overall productivity.
“We continually strive to balance our pricing approach both to meet the revenue needs of the Postal Service and to deliver affordable offerings that reflect market conditions,” Steiner said. “We have therefore decided at this time to forgo a price change for First-Class Mail postage and other Market Dominant services until mid-year 2026.”
The move comes as shippers brace for "temporary" holiday rate increases that usually turn into permanent with the next update in January.
Liz Morton
This announcement means at least some shippers will be spared that usual increase but only those who use those Market Dominant services - those who use USPS Competitive Products like Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, or Priority Mail Express will likely still see changes coming sometime in January.
Steiner, who took on the PMG role earlier this year, is also under increasing pressure to address the Postal Service's continued and growing quarterly losses and calls to abandon his predecessor Louis DeJoy's Delivering For America plan.
Liz Morton
Non-profit advocacy group Keep Us Posted has been urging support for the “USPS Services Enhancement and Regulatory Viability Expansion and Sustainability for the U.S. Act” (or USPS SERVES US Act).
The bill, introduced by Congressman Sam Graves (R-Mo.), would give the Postal Regulatory Commission the power to stop onerous stamp hikes and mail delays, limit price increases to once per-year, and institute other reforms aimed at accountability, efficiency and success like creating an autonomous Office of Customer Advocate to hear Americans’ concerns and protect the public.
While that bill is still far from being enacted into law, the Postal Regulatory Commission is also considering a proposed rule, filed in June, which would limit USPS to only raising prices once per year.
Under this proposal, USPS would be limited to no more than one price adjustment of general applicability for market dominant products “per fiscal year from October 1, 2025, through October 1, 2030, unless such rate adjustment filings only include rate decreases or are de minimis [minimal] increases.”
However, it's important to note again that would only affect Market Dominant products but it would not apply to competitive products like Ground Advantage, Priority, or Priority Express services.
While this proposed rule change and the announcement of no rate increase in January are a welcome reprieve for many USPS customers across the country, the majority of online sellers are not likely to see a significant benefit.
