USPS Rates Are Increasing Again in January 2026
USPS has announced its 2026 General Rate Increase (GRI), with updated shipping rates scheduled to take effect on January 18, 2026, pending approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
These annual adjustments primarily affect USPS Shipping Services, including Priority Mail and Ground Advantage, while Mailing Services such as First-Class Mail letters remain unchanged in January.
For ecommerce brands, distributors, and fulfillment teams, these increases reinforce a familiar reality: carrier costs change regularly, and staying competitive requires visibility and flexibility.
Disclaimer: Actual pricing impact may vary depending on individual customer contracts.
What’s Changing in the January 2026 USPS GRI?
USPS parcel shipping services will see increases across most products.
Key USPS Shipping Rate Changes (Effective Sunday, January 18, 2026):
- USPS Ground Advantage: ~7.8% increase
- Priority Mail: ~6.6% increase
- Priority Mail Express: ~5.1% increase
- Parcel Select: ~6.0% increase
Even modest percentage increases can significantly affect margins for high-volume shippers, especially without automated rate comparison.
What’s Not Changing?
Not all USPS services are impacted this January.
Mailing Services (First-Class Mail letters):
- No January 2026 increase
The last major Mailing Services update occurred in July 2025, when Forever stamps increased from 73¢ to 78¢.
For organizations shipping parcels at scale, cost pressure remains concentrated on package delivery.
What the 2026 GRI Means for Shippers
The January 2026 rate increase highlights a growing challenge for brands, merchants, distributors, consolidators, and 3PLs alike:
- Shipping costs are less predictable
- Single-carrier strategies increase risk
- Manual rate checks do not scale with volume
As shipment volume grows, teams need tools that can compare USPS, UPS, and FedEx rates automatically without slowing down operations. This is especially important for Shopify-based sellers, fulfillment partners, marketplaces, and ops teams managing peak periods and geographically distributed customers.
How ShipBae Helps Teams Stay Ahead of Rate Increases
ShipBae is built for environments where carrier pricing changes frequently.
As a multi-carrier shipping platform and ShipStation alternative, ShipBae helps teams:
- Compare USPS, UPS, and FedEx rates in real time
- Automatically surface the most cost-effective option per shipment
- Use AI-powered rate shopping to reduce shipping costs without manual effort
- Centralize fulfillment with automated shipping software
- Connect seamlessly as a Shopify shipping app
Always see the most cost-effective shipping option.
No hidden fees. No carrier lock-in.
Instead of relying on a single carrier, ShipBae gives shippers the flexibility to choose the best option for every order based on cost, speed, and destination.
The Bigger Picture: Rate Increases Reveals A Need For Better Tools
The most resilient shipping operations assess tools based on:
- Treat shipping as a strategic system, not a fixed cost
- Rely on shipping rate comparison tools
- Use automation and AI to adapt quickly
- Avoid dependency on a single carrier or legacy platform
- Tools that provide real-time visibility
Rest assured, we do our best to pass savings to our clients.
Compare rates. Automate decisions. Ship smarter with ShipBae.
Disclaimer: USPS pricing impact may vary depending on individual customer contracts and service agreements.
