The holiday season may be the most wonderful time of the year, but if you run an eCommerce store, you know it’s also the busiest—and often the most expensive. On top of stocking up, prepping promotions, and keeping customers happy, you’ll also want to take note of a temporary shipping rate adjustment from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that could impact your bottom line this holiday season.
On August 7, the USPS Board of Governors approved a temporary price change for several popular package services. Pending regulatory review, the new rates will take effect at midnight Central on October 5, 2025, and remain in place until January 18, 2026. This seasonal adjustment is designed to cover the extra handling costs the Postal Service incurs during the holiday rush and is in line with what other carriers, like UPS and FedEx, do during peak periods.
Which USPS Services Are Going Up?
- Priority Mail Express (PME)
- Priority Mail (PM)
- USPS Ground Advantage
- Parcel Select
How Much Are Rates Going Up?
The rate hikes vary based on weight and zone, with heavier packages traveling further seeing the biggest increases. The rates below are Commercial rates for businesses using services such as Stamps.com, Ship Station, Pirate Ship, etc. to ship packages. For those who ship via USPS, or take their packages to the post office, the Retail rates, as well as all rates, can be found here.
Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage: Zone 1-4, and Parcel Select (all entries)
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- $0.30 cents increase for Zones 1-4, 0-3 lbs and Cubic Tiers 1-3.
- $0.45 cents increase for Zones 1-4, 4-10 lbs and Cubic Tiers 4-5 (PM), 4-9 (GA).
- $0.75 cents increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs and Cubic Tier 10 (GA).
- $2.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs and Oversized.
Priority Mail Zone 5-9
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- $0.70 cents increase for Zones 5-9, 0-3 lbs and Cubic Tiers 1-3.
- $1.25 increase for Zones 5-9, 4-10 lbs and Cubic Tiers 4-5.
- $2.75 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs.
- $6.50 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs.
Priority Mail Flat Rate
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- $1.25 increase for Large Flat Rate Boxes.
- $0.70 increase for all other Flat Rate Products.
USPS Ground Advantage Zone 5-9
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- $0.35 cents increase for Zones 5-9, 0-3 lbs and Cubic Tiers 1-3.
- $0.75 cents increase for Zones 5-9, 4-10 lbs and Cubic Tiers 4-9.
- $1.25 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs and Cubic Tier 10.
- $5.50 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs and Oversized.
Priority Mail Express:
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- $1.00 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-3 lbs.
- $1.75 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-3 lbs.
- $1.50 increase for Zones 1-4, 4-10 lbs.
- $3.95 increase for Zones 5-9, 4-10 lbs.
- $3.50 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs.
- $7.50 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs.
- $8.95 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs.
- $13.00 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs.
Priority Mail Express Flat Rate
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- $1.75 increase for Flat Rate Envelopes.
What eCommerce Store Owners Should Do Now
While a few cents here and a couple dollars there may not seem like much, they add up quickly when you’re shipping hundreds (or thousands) of packages over the holidays. Here’s how to prepare:
- Update your shipping calculators – If your store offers real-time USPS shipping quotes, make sure you test your shipping calculators to make sure the proper rates are shown at the checkout starting October 5. If your shipping is based on manual tables, or non real-time rates, make sure your adjustments are in place for October 5.
- Review your shipping strategy – Consider whether you’ll absorb the increases, pass them on to customers, or adjust your free-shipping thresholds to offset the higher costs.
- Always rate shop – While USPS is oftentimes the most cost-effective option, don’t forget to shop rates with UPS and FedEx—especially for heavier packages.
- Optimize packaging – Cutting a pound here or reducing package size there can make a big difference in your shipping costs during peak season.
The holidays will always bring extra stress, but with a little planning, higher shipping rates don’t have to catch you off guard.
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.