ABM forecasts postal rates will rise 3.5% in 2013
September 6, 2012, 12:31 pm EDT
SEE UPDATE BELOW
New York—American Business Media is projecting that commercial mailers and marketers could face a 3.5% increase in postal rates next year.
The U.S. Postal Service is allowed by law to boost postal rates based on cost of living increases as measured by the Consumer Price Index, currently 2.5% to 3.0%. It also can base rates on any unused CPI amounts it has “banked,” which currently is about 0.5% for various postal products.
Legislation being considered by Congress, and urged by the ABM, would delay any rate increases for periodicals for at least two years.
UPDATE: Subsequent to this story, the ABM learned that the USPS "banked" increase percentage is no longer a consideration, and thus the ABM is amending its recommended forecasted budget increase for direct mail expenditures to 3% instead of 3.5%.