In a surprise announcement on October 1st, the cash strapped US Postal Service announced that it would hold off on its now customary January rate increase. This follows on the heels of the Postal Service actually lowering some Priority Mail rates in September, with some rates going down nearly 60%.
In their press release, the Postal Service said the Board of Governors "will continue to evaluate pricing strategies and will communicate about any potential price change filings in early 2015". So even if the BOG announced their intention to raise 2015 postage rates in early January, the earliest date for a 2015 rate increase would be early May, since there is typically a four month waiting period between any announcement and the actual effective date.
This will be the first time since 2011 that the Postal Service has not had a January rate increase.
In their press release, the Postal Service said the Board of Governors "will continue to evaluate pricing strategies and will communicate about any potential price change filings in early 2015". So even if the BOG announced their intention to raise 2015 postage rates in early January, the earliest date for a 2015 rate increase would be early May, since there is typically a four month waiting period between any announcement and the actual effective date.
This will be the first time since 2011 that the Postal Service has not had a January rate increase.
![ThinkstockPhotos-504302706 [Converted]](https://cms-static.wehaacdn.com/mailingsystemstechnology-com/images/ThinkstockPhotos-504302706--Converted-.566.widea.0.jpg)
