Mainers Sending Stuff Through The Postal Service Will Pay More In The New Year

Mainers who utilize Priority, Priority Express, Ground Advantage, or Parcel Select options to ship items through the United States Postal Service will see an increase of between 5% and almost 8% in the cost of those services come 2026.

The change was approved earlier this month and will be implemented after the new year. Therefore, individuals mailing out their holiday parcels and packages should not be affected.

Read More: Here's How To Keep Yourself And Your Stuff Safe This Holiday

According to a recent statement released by the USPS, this is part of a ten-year plan to not only help keep the Postal Service financially sustainable but also to help the organization compete with other carriers in the industry.

Read More: How The Stillwater River Trail Became A Holiday Tradition

"The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations...Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the consumer price index, Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions... As the Postal Service previously announced, the organization will not raise prices in January for Mailing Services. This means the price of a First-Class Mail stamp will not change."

The new pricing structure for packages will take effect on January 18th.

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By the way, the new 2026 stamps are now available, in case you're interested, and feature some really cool designs like Bald Eagles, American Bison, Squirrels and Chipmunks, historical and cultural personalities like Figures of the American Revolution,  Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, and even Maine's own Sarah Orne Jewett.