2026 Shipping Rate Changes: Two USPS Increases, Not One
UPS raised rates 5.9% on December 22, 2025, FedEx 5.9% on January 5, 2026, and USPS 5.1% to 7.8% by service on January 18, 2026. USPS then added a temporary 8% on April 26, 2026, and restructured commercial Ground Advantage and dimensional weight on July 12.
- 7.8%USPS Ground Advantage, January 18, 2026
- 5.9%FedEx average, January 5, 2026
- 5.9%UPS average, December 22, 2025
- 139USPS dimensional divisor, tightened from 166
USPS raised shipping prices twice in 2026.
On January 18, 2026 Priority Mail rose about 6.6%, Priority Mail Express 5.1%, USPS Ground Advantage 7.8% and Parcel Select 6.0%, as USPS filed them with the Postal Regulatory Commission; USPS published no single average across them.
Then from April 26, 2026 a temporary 8% increase applies to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, retail and commercial, until January 17, 2027.
July 12, 2026 was a restructure rather than a third increase: Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Flat Rate and Ground Advantage retail prices stayed where April left them, while USPS reworked commercial Ground Advantage ounce pricing, tightened the dimensional weight divisor from 166 to 139, raised the maximum single dimension for cubic pricing from 18 to 22 inches, added a $7.50 HAZMAT handling fee and a $50 HAZMAT noncompliance fee, and moved letter prices (a 1 oz stamped letter went from $0.78 to $0.82).
UPS raised rates an average of 5.9% effective December 22, 2025, and FedEx an average of 5.9% effective January 5, 2026, each once. The tighter divisor is the structural change with the longest tail, because any package over one cubic foot now bills at a higher dimensional weight for the same box, even though nothing about the box changed.
Retail pricing compounds the hikes shipment after shipment; commercial pricing lands the same percentage on a smaller base. I'd Ship That prints discounted USPS and UPS labels; FedEx is covered here for comparison and is not sold through I'd Ship That.
From October 4, 2026 to January 17, 2027, USPS adds temporary holiday pricing on top of the prices in effect since July 12, 2026, which already include the temporary 8% from April 26.
| Service | Retail, zones 1-4 | Retail, zones 5-9 | Commercial, zones 1-4 | Commercial, zones 5-9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage, up to 3 lb | +$0.50 | +$0.75 | +$0.40 | +$0.55 |
| Ground Advantage, over 25 lb | +$3.90 | +$7.50 | +$3.15 | +$7.70 |
| Priority Mail, up to 3 lb | +$0.50 | +$1.00 | +$0.40 | +$0.85 |
| Priority Mail, over 25 lb | +$3.90 | +$9.10 | +$3.15 | +$9.10 |
| Priority Mail Express, up to 3 lb | +$1.40 | +$2.35 | +$1.40 | +$2.35 |
| Flat Rate boxes and envelopes, except Large | +$1.00 | +$1.00 | +$0.85 | +$0.85 |
| Large Flat Rate Box | +$2.10 | +$2.10 | +$1.75 | +$1.75 |
Source: USPS announcement, August 25, 2026 and USPS Notice 123 time-limited prices.
- FedEx. FedEx standard list rates for U.S., U.S. export and U.S. import package services rise an average of 5.9%. Listed for comparison; I'd Ship That sells USPS and UPS labels. Source: FedEx rate changes, checked October 1, 2026.
On This Page
Medium Flat Rate Box retail, through 2026
- Dec 22, 2025UPS. UPS raised rates by an average of 5.9% effective December 22, 2025.
- Jan 5, 2026FedEx. FedEx raised U.S. package list rates by an average of 5.9% for 2026.
- Jan 18, 2026USPS. Priority Mail rose about 6.6%, Priority Mail Express 5.1%, USPS Ground Advantage 7.8% and Parcel Select 6.0%. Medium Flat Rate Box $21.05 to $22.95.
- Apr 26, 2026USPS. A temporary 8% increase applies to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, retail and commercial. Medium Flat Rate Box $22.95 to $24.80.
- Jul 12, 2026USPS. Tightened the dimensional weight divisor from 166 to 139; added a $7.50 HAZMAT handling fee and a $50 HAZMAT noncompliance fee. Medium Flat Rate Box unchanged at $24.80.
- Oct 4, 2026USPS. Temporary holiday pricing begins, on top of the temporary 8%, until January 17, 2027. Medium Flat Rate Box $24.80 to $25.80.
- Jan 17, 2027USPS. The temporary 8% is scheduled to run until January 17, 2027.
USPS Rate Changes#
USPS filed its January 2026 shipping price change on November 14, 2025, effective January 18, 2026: about 6.6% for Priority Mail, 5.1% for Priority Mail Express, 7.8% for USPS Ground Advantage and 6.0% for Parcel Select. Those are averages across each product's whole price table, so a single cell can move more or less, as the 1 lb and Flat Rate retail prices below show.
Stamps and other Mailing Services did not change in January. From April 26, 2026 USPS added a temporary 8% to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, retail and commercial, scheduled to run until January 17, 2027, so the prices in force today carry both increases.
Remember that these are retail figures. The rates you get inside I'd Ship That sit below USPS commercial pricing on almost every label and well below these retail numbers, so the increase lands on a much smaller base. The July 12, 2026 restructure is covered in its own section below.
What April 26 did to Flat Rate list prices#
The temporary 8% from April 26, 2026 landed on Flat Rate too. These figures compare the retail list price after January 18 with the price from April 26, which July 12 left unchanged and which is scheduled to run until January 17, 2027.
| Service | From January 18 | From April 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope | $11.95 | $12.90 | +7.9% |
| Small Flat Rate Box | $12.65 | $13.65 | +7.9% |
| Medium Flat Rate Box | $22.95 | $24.80 | +8.1% |
| Large Flat Rate Box | $31.50 | $34.00 | +7.9% |
| Service | Retail from July 13, 2025 | Retail from January 18, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage, 1 lb, Zone 1 | $8.70 | $8.85 | +1.7% |
| Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 1 | $10.05 | $10.20 | +1.5% |
| Priority Mail Express, 1 lb, Zone 1 | $31.95 | $33.25 | +4.1% |
| Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope | $11.00 | $11.95 | +8.6% |
| Small Flat Rate Box | $11.70 | $12.65 | +8.1% |
| Medium Flat Rate Box | $21.05 | $22.95 | +9.0% |
| Large Flat Rate Box | $29.95 | $31.50 | +5.2% |
Buy USPS labels through I'd Ship That instead of at the retail counter. I'd Ship That prints below commercial on almost every label, $2-$5 under Post Office retail on light packages and $7-$35 on heavy ones at the Pro price, which more than offsets the 2026 increases. You see the full price before you buy, with every fee shown up front.
USPS July 2026 Rate Changes#
July 12, 2026 was the third USPS pricing event of the year, and not an across-the-board increase: Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Flat Rate and Ground Advantage retail prices stayed at the levels the temporary April 26 increase set. What changed is structural, and it raises the effective cost of bulky and mis-declared packages.
The dimensional weight divisor tightened from 166 to 139, so any package over one cubic foot now bills at a higher dimensional weight for the same box size. The maximum single dimension for cubic pricing rose from 18 to 22 inches, which lets more long, low-volume parcels qualify for cubic rates.
USPS reworked commercial Ground Advantage ounce pricing, added a $7.50 HAZMAT handling fee and a $50 HAZMAT noncompliance fee, so mark hazmat correctly every time, and moved letter prices: a 1 oz stamped letter went from $0.78 to $0.82.
The table below pairs the retail list price in force on July 12 with USPS's published commercial rate for the same service, so you can see the gap on the shipments you send most, and it is worth comparing flat rate against weight-based on each lane before you commit. The nonmachinable letter surcharge is $0.49.
July 12 retail list price against USPS's published commercial rate for the same service#
| Service | Retail on July 12 | USPS commercial, published | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 1 | $11.00 retail | $9.04 commercial | $1.96 below retail |
| Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 2 | $11.50 retail | $9.32 commercial | $2.18 below retail |
| Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 3 | $11.65 retail | $9.71 commercial | $1.94 below retail |
| Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 4 | $11.90 retail | $10.40 commercial | $1.50 below retail |
| First-Class Mail letter, 1 oz | $0.82 stamped | $0.621 metered | Commercial 5-digit automation rate |
| Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope | $12.90 retail | $11.12 commercial | $1.78 below retail |
| Small Flat Rate Box | $13.65 retail | $12.10 commercial | $1.55 below retail |
| Medium Flat Rate Box | $24.80 retail | $21.17 commercial | $3.63 below retail |
| Large Flat Rate Box | $34.00 retail | $31.00 commercial | $3.00 below retail |
The July changes hit bulky and mis-declared packages hardest. Right-size boxes so the tighter 139 divisor does not inflate your dimensional weight, mark hazmat correctly to dodge the $50 fee, and buy through I'd Ship That, below commercial pricing on almost every label, so the new list prices land on a lower base. You see the full price before you buy, with every fee shown up front.
Every I'd Ship That and in-app price on this page is a Pro price. Prices marked Pro price are what Pro members pay. On the free Starter plan, each label adds a platform fee of about 10% of the postage, rounded to the nearest $0.25, at least $0.50 and at most $2.50. Prices shown are for paying from your I'd Ship That balance; paying by card costs slightly more.
FedEx Rate Changes#
FedEx's 2026 general rate increase took effect January 5, 2026: an average 5.9% on standard list rates for U.S., U.S. export and U.S. import package services, published as one figure rather than per service. Surcharges moved by their own amounts, most by roughly 5% to 8%, so a label that carries residential or Additional Handling charges does not move by exactly the headline percentage.
The table shows the 2026 list rate for a 1 lb package at the near and far ends of the zone chart. The fix is to compare FedEx against USPS and UPS on every shipment rather than defaulting to one carrier out of habit.
2026 FedEx list rates for a 1 lb package#
| Service | Zone 2 | Zone 8 | Zone 8 over zone 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx Ground | $11.99 | $15.01 | +$3.02 |
| FedEx Express Saver | $23.84 | $41.41 | +$17.57 |
| FedEx 2Day | $26.46 | $46.97 | +$20.51 |
| FedEx Priority Overnight | $45.22 | $113.48 | +$68.26 |
When FedEx raises rates, rate-shopping matters more than ever. I'd Ship That shows USPS and UPS rates side by side so you always pick the cheaper option, and you see the full price before you buy.
UPS Rate Changes#
UPS implemented its 2026 rate increase ahead of the new year, effective December 22, 2025: an average net 5.9% on published daily rates for UPS Ground, Air and International services, stated as one figure rather than per service.
Surcharges such as the residential and Additional Handling charges moved by their own amounts, and UPS's peak and demand surcharges sit outside the headline percentage, so the only way to know your true cost is to price the actual shipment. The table shows the 2026 published daily rate for a 1 lb package at the near and far ends of the zone chart.
2026 UPS daily rates for a 1 lb package#
| Service | Zone 2 | Zone 8 | Zone 8 over zone 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground | $11.99 | $15.03 | +$3.04 |
| UPS 3 Day Select | $16.90 | $40.83 | +$23.93 |
UPS rates on I'd Ship That are well below published rates. Compare before you ship, see the full price up front, and skip the retail counter markup entirely.
Re-check Flat Rate against weight-based on every lane#
Flat Rate rose twice in 2026. The Medium Flat Rate Box went from $21.05 to $22.95 on January 18, 2026 and to $24.80 with the temporary 8% on April 26, and the Large box from $29.95 to $31.50 and then $34.00, so weight-based and cubic pricing now win more lanes than they used to.
- Medium Flat Rate Box: $22.95 to $24.80 on April 26, up 8.1%
- Large Flat Rate Box: $31.50 to $34.00 on April 26, up 7.9%
- Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: $11.95 to $12.90 on April 26, up 7.9%
- USPS commercial pricing puts the Medium box at $21.17, which is $3.63 below the retail list price
The divisor change costs more than the price change#
On July 12, 2026 USPS tightened the dimensional weight divisor from 166 to 139. Nothing about your carton changed, but anything over one cubic foot now converts to a heavier billable weight and prices off a higher row.
- Dimensional divisor: 166 to 139, effective July 12, 2026
- Only packages over one cubic foot are affected, and low-density ones move the most
- The maximum single dimension for cubic pricing rose from 18 to 22 inches, which pulls some long, low-volume parcels into cubic rates
- Right-size the carton first, then re-price the lane
Both raised ground about 6%, on different dates#
UPS moved first, effective December 22, 2025, and FedEx followed on January 5, 2026. Neither headline percentage includes the peak and demand surcharges that sit on top of it.
- UPS Ground, 1 lb, 2026 daily rate: $11.99 at zone 2 to $15.03 at zone 8
- FedEx Ground, 1 lb, 2026 list rate: $11.99 at zone 2 to $15.01 at zone 8
- UPS adjusted its 2026 peak and demand surcharges separately from the general increase
- Residential and Additional Handling surcharges moved by their own amounts, most by roughly 5% to 8%
January moved the base and July moved the gap#
The January 18, 2026 increase raised Ground Advantage 7.8% and Priority Mail about 6.6% on average, April 26 added a temporary 8%, and the July 12 restructure then reset what USPS commercial pricing is worth against retail on the same parcel.
- Ground Advantage, 1 lb, Zone 1 retail: $8.70 to $8.85 on January 18, then $9.55 from April 26
- Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 1 retail: $10.05 to $10.20 on January 18, then $11.00 from April 26
- Priority Mail Express, 1 lb, Zone 1 retail: $31.95 to $33.25 on January 18, then $35.90 from April 26
- A $50 fee now applies to shipments carrying undeclared or noncompliant hazardous materials, so mark hazmat correctly every time
Impact Analysis#
For small businesses shipping 100-500 packages per month, the 2026 increases add up quickly if nothing changes. A seller spending $2,000 a month on USPS Priority Mail saw the January increase (about 6.6%) add roughly $132 a month, and the temporary 8% from April 26 adds about $171 a month on top of that while it lasts, just to ship the exact same orders to the exact same customers.
The real damage is in the compounding: every percentage applies to a higher base than the year before. USPS pushed that further in 2026 with two increases and a July 12 restructure, whose tighter dimensional weight divisor of 139 now bills bulky boxes at a higher weight even when the scale weight did not change.
Sellers who absorb shipping into their product price feel it first, because that cost is now growing faster than most sellers can raise prices. Sellers shipping heavier packages via FedEx or UPS face the steepest dollar increases, since the same percentage applies to a much larger base rate. Here is the cost-of-inaction math in plain terms.
Suppose retail overpay versus commercial pricing is just a few dollars per label. A seller shipping 30 orders a week at $3 of avoidable overpay is handing over about $90 a week, roughly $390 a month, and around $4,680 a year. Scale that to 100 orders a week and you are leaving well over $15,000 on the table annually.
These are illustrative figures, not a quote, but the shape holds: every retail label you buy out of habit is a small recurring leak, and the 2026 increases just widened it. The most effective way to fight the increases is to buy labels below retail and compare carriers on every shipment.
I'd Ship That prints below USPS commercial pricing on almost every label, $2-$5 under Post Office retail on light packages and $7-$35 on heavy ones at the Pro price, which more than offsets any annual increase. Beyond pricing, right-sizing packaging to avoid dimensional weight charges and choosing the cheapest valid service for each lane can save hundreds to thousands of dollars per month.
When you scale past a few dozen shipments a day, Ship Intelligence does the rate shopping for you by automatically selecting the cheapest valid rate and showing you the savings, and The Workbench lets you bulk import, rate-shop, and print a whole batch of labels in one pass instead of pricing them one at a time.
How to Save Despite Rate Increases#
-
Buy Labels Below Commercial Pricing
Buy USPS and UPS labels through I'd Ship That, which prints below commercial on almost every label, up to $35 a label under Post Office retail at the Pro price. That more than offsets a typical annual increase. Free to start, you pay per label, with every fee shown before you buy.
-
Compare Carriers for Every Shipment
USPS is usually cheapest for lightweight packages, but UPS often wins on heavier shipments. Always compare. Ship Intelligence picks the cheapest valid USPS or UPS rate for you automatically so you never have to guess.
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Right-Size Your Packaging
Dimensional weight pricing means oversized boxes cost more than their actual weight. Use the smallest packaging that safely fits your item, especially now that USPS tightened its dimensional weight divisor to 139 on July 12, 2026.
-
Use Flat Rate When It Makes Sense
USPS Flat Rate boxes suit heavy, compact items headed to far zones. A 20 lb item in a Medium Flat Rate Box ships for one price regardless of distance. Flat Rate rose on January 18 and again with the temporary 8% on April 26, 2026, so it now wins mainly on the farthest zones, while weight-based or cubic pricing often comes out cheaper on nearer lanes. Compare both before you pick.
-
Ship from a Lower Zone
Zone-based pricing means shorter distances cost less. If you have multiple fulfillment locations, ship from the one closest to your customer to drop a zone or two.
2026 Rate Changes: Key Takeaways#
- The 2026 rate increases require you to update your shipping setup now, not at quarter-end, to protect margin.
- Carrier published averages often understate the real increase once surcharges and dimensional weight kick in.
- Pricing below commercial offsets the bulk of an annual increase, often several times over.
- Comparing carriers on every shipment is the fastest path to recovering shipping profit, and Ship Intelligence automates the comparison.
- Retail label overpay is a recurring leak: a few dollars per order can total four figures a year for a busy seller.
- USPS raised prices twice in 2026, on January 18 and with a temporary 8% from April 26, then restructured on July 12: the dimensional weight divisor went to 139 and a $50 hazardous materials noncompliance fee arrived, so re-check bulky and hazmat shipments now.
How to Re-Price Your Lanes After Two 2026 USPS Changes#
USPS changed prices on January 18, April 26 and July 12, 2026, so a shipping cost model built early in the year is now understated on USPS lanes, while UPS and FedEx each moved once, at the turn of the year. Start by pricing your five or six most common shipments at current rates: the typical envelope, the typical small box, the typical heavy box. That produces exposure in dollars rather than percentages, which is the only form the number is useful in.
Then attack the highest-volume lanes first, because a small per-label change compounds fastest where the label count is largest. A profile you ship dozens of times a day at $2 of drift is worth more attention than a profile you ship twice a month at $8.
- Re-price your top three to five shipping profiles using current 2026 carrier tables.
- Move those profiles off the retail counter so the increase lands on a lower base.
- Re-measure your bulkiest boxes against the new USPS dimensional weight divisor of 139 introduced on July 12, 2026.
- Let Ship Intelligence pick the cheapest valid rate per order instead of defaulting to one carrier.
- For repeat-volume sellers, run those orders through The Workbench to bulk import, rate-shop, and batch-print in one pass.
What the 139 Dimensional Weight Divisor Costs a Bulky Box#
The July 12, 2026 USPS change tightened the dimensional weight divisor from 166 to 139, and that is the adjustment most likely to surprise a shipper who only read the headline percentage. Above one cubic foot, USPS bills the greater of actual weight and length times width times height divided by 139, rounded up.
The same box that priced against a 166 divisor in June now bills at a higher weight in July without anyone repacking anything. USPS now matches UPS and FedEx on the divisor, so the remaining USPS advantage is the trigger rather than the formula: USPS applies dimensional weight only above one cubic foot, while UPS and FedEx apply it to every package regardless of size.
12 × 10 × 16 in = 1,920 cu in, ÷ 166 = 11.57, rounded up to 12 lb.
12 × 10 × 16 in = 1,920 cu in, ÷ 139 = 13.81, rounded up to 14 lb.
The same box bills 12 lb at divisor 166 and 14 lb at divisor 139.
Carriers raise rates almost every year, so a one-time cleanup will not hold. What holds is one person who owns the cost-per-order number, a cheapest-valid-rate default on every order, and packaging discipline that keeps everyday boxes under one cubic foot so the divisor never engages.
- Pick one person to check shipping cost-per-order on the first of each month.
- Make cheapest-valid-rate the default on every shipment, not a manual choice.
- Flag any package whose box volume forces a dimensional weight charge, then downsize it.
- Review your savings analytics each month so you can see what comparing carriers actually saved you.
Common Mistakes After the 2026 Rate Increase#
| Mistake | Why It Hurts | Better Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Raising all your prices without checking lane-by-lane cost | You can scare off buyers and still miss your cost-recovery target. | Price the rate impact on your real order profiles and destinations before you reprice anything. |
| Ignoring surcharges and dimensional weight | Your actual shipping spend grows faster than your forecast, and you find out at the worst time. | Track the full label price you actually pay, not the published base rate, and right-size boxes to kill DIM charges. |
| Defaulting to one carrier out of habit | You overpay on every shipment where another carrier was cheaper for that weight and zone. | Compare USPS and UPS on every order, or let Ship Intelligence pick the cheapest valid rate automatically. |
| Pricing high-volume orders one label at a time | You burn hours and miss savings when you are shipping dozens or hundreds of orders a day. | Bulk import and batch-print through The Workbench so every order gets rate-shopped in one pass. |
| Shipping hazardous materials without declaring them | As of July 12, 2026, USPS charges a $50 fee for undeclared or noncompliant hazardous materials, on top of any delays or returns. | Screen products like batteries, aerosols, and flammables, and mark hazmat correctly on every affected label. |
2026 Rate Increase Response Checklist#
- Price your five most common shipments at the new 2026 rates to find your real exposure.
- Switch your highest-volume profiles off retail to below-commercial pricing.
- Make cheapest-valid-rate the default on every order with Ship Intelligence.
- Downsize any box that triggers a dimensional weight charge.
- Batch-print high-volume orders through The Workbench instead of one at a time.
- Re-measure your bulkiest boxes against the tighter USPS dimensional weight divisor of 139 that took effect July 12, 2026.
- Confirm any hazardous-material shipments are declared correctly to avoid the new $50 USPS noncompliance fee.
- Check shipping cost-per-order on the first of each month so drift never sneaks up on you.
Real 2026 Rate-Increase Scenarios#
Same box, same contents, two increases fourteen weeks apart, and the second one is temporary.
- January 18, 2026: $21.05 to $22.95, up 9.0%
- April 26, 2026: $22.95 to $24.80, up 8.1%, scheduled to run until January 17, 2027
- USPS commercial, published: $21.17, or $3.63 below the retail list price
- Together the two moves add $3.75 a box over July 2025, which is what makes re-pricing the lane worth the hour
Every carrier moved its 1 lb ground rate for 2026, and none of them moved it by the same amount or on the same date.
- USPS Ground Advantage, 1 lb, Zone 1 retail: $8.70 to $8.85, up 1.7%, effective January 18, 2026, then $9.55 from April 26
- UPS Ground, 1 lb: $11.99 at zone 2 on the 2026 daily rates, part of a 5.9% average effective December 22, 2025
- FedEx Ground, 1 lb: $11.99 at zone 2 on the 2026 list rates, part of a 5.9% average effective January 5, 2026
- Three dates and three percentages, so a carrier choice made in 2025 is not automatically still the right one
The table pairs the retail list price in force on July 12 against the commercial rate for the same service, which is where the increases actually land for anyone buying below retail.
- Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 1: $11.00 retail against $9.04 commercial, a $1.96 gap
- Priority Mail, 1 lb, Zone 4: $11.90 retail against $10.40 commercial, a $1.50 gap
- Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: $12.90 retail against $11.12 commercial, a $1.78 gap
- The percentage increase is published against retail, so the smaller your base, the smaller the dollar hit
2026 Rate Changes: Questions Shippers Ask#
USPS raised shipping prices twice in 2026. On January 18, 2026 Priority Mail rose about 6.6%, Priority Mail Express 5.1%, Ground Advantage 7.8% and Parcel Select 6.0%; USPS published no single average. From April 26, 2026 a temporary 8% increase applies to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, retail and commercial, until January 17, 2027. On July 12, 2026 USPS left those retail prices in place but tightened the dimensional weight divisor from 166 to 139, raised the cubic pricing maximum single dimension from 18 to 22 inches, reworked commercial Ground Advantage ounce pricing, and added HAZMAT handling and noncompliance fees.
July 12, 2026 was a restructure, not a general increase. Priority Mail retail stayed at the April 26 level, $11.00 for a 1 lb Zone 1 parcel, which is $9.04 at USPS commercial pricing, while a 1 oz stamped First-Class letter went from $0.78 to $0.82. USPS also tightened the dimensional weight divisor from 166 to 139, raised the cubic pricing maximum single dimension from 18 to 22 inches, reworked commercial Ground Advantage ounce pricing, and began charging a $50 fee for noncompliant hazardous materials. Right-size bulky boxes and declare hazmat correctly so these structural changes do not catch you out.
FedEx raised standard list rates for U.S. package services by an average of 5.9% effective January 5, 2026, published as one figure rather than per service. Surcharges moved by their own amounts, most by roughly 5% to 8%, so check the full price of a residential or oversized label rather than applying the headline percentage.
UPS raised its published daily rates by an average net 5.9% effective December 22, 2025, one figure covering UPS Ground, Air and International services. UPS also adjusts peak and demand surcharges separately, so your holiday-season cost can run higher than the headline number.
No. I'd Ship That prints discounted USPS and UPS labels. The FedEx increases are reported on this page so you can compare all three 2026 carrier changes side by side and see which lanes moved, but a FedEx label is not sold through I'd Ship That. Every rate you can actually buy here is a USPS or UPS rate.
Buy labels below retail through a platform like I'd Ship That, which offers USPS pricing below commercial on almost every label plus discounted UPS rates. Compare USPS and UPS on every shipment, see the full price before you buy, and start free, you only pay per label.
For packages under 1 lb, USPS Ground Advantage is usually cheapest, and commercial pricing takes it lower still. For 1-10 lb packages, USPS Priority Mail with commercial pricing is typically cheapest, starting at $9.04 for a 1 lb Zone 1 parcel at the prices in force since April 26, 2026. For packages over 20 lbs, FedEx and UPS Ground become more competitive. There is no single answer, which is exactly why comparing every shipment matters.
Even a few dollars of overpay per label adds up fast. A seller shipping 30 orders a week at $3 of avoidable overpay loses roughly $390 a month and about $4,680 a year. These figures are illustrative, but the pattern is real: retail labels leak money on every shipment, and the 2026 increases made the leak bigger.
Beat the Rate Increases#
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