When you’re sending an important letter, you need to make sure that it gets in the right hands. Certified mail can help you do that.
Certified mail gives you a delivery receipt and verification. It’s why the government relies on certified mail. There’s no way for a recipient to say that they didn’t get the letter.
There is a price for this convenience, and it seems to continuously increase. There were several rate hikes in 2019, with more proposed changes coming in 2020.
Read on to learn the cost of certified mail postage, why postal rates are increasing, and why certified mail still is a great investment.
What Does Certified Mail Postage Cost?
As of January 29, 2019, the cost of certified mail increased to $3.50. This increase is only six cents, which doesn’t seem like much of a difference, but that’s only the cost of certified mail. To send a letter certified costs a bit more than $3.50. You have to add the delivery confirmation costs along with postage costs.
You can choose to have an electronic delivery confirmation receipt, which costs $.80. That didn’t change in 2019.
If you want to have the signed green card returned to you, that will cost $2.80, up 5 cents from 2018.
Certified Mail Options and Costs
The different rates and options of certified mail can get confusing. This is the cost of mail certified postage.
Certified Mail with Electronic Delivery costs $4.80. You get delivery confirmation and a receipt that you mailed the item.
Certified Mail with Return Receipt costs $6.40. Return receipt means that you’ll get the signed green card returned to you.
This option is the main reason why so many people use certified mail. For example, with a legal document, you want to have a record that someone signed for the item. You can then put the documentation of receipt into your records for future use.
Certified Mail with Return Receipt and Restricted Delivery costs $11.70. Do you need to deliver your document to the person it’s addressed to or their authorized agent? You can get this option to prevent someone like a neighbor signing for the documents. You’ll also get the green signature card returned to you.
There may be slight increases to certified mail postage rates in 2020. These proposed rate changes are under consideration right now. They still need the approval of the Board of Governors to take effect.
You’ll want to keep an eye on these rate changes before their approval and enactment in January of 2020.
Why Are Postal Rates Increasing
The United States Postal service is a vital institution in our country. Its roots go back to Revolutionary times when America was only an idea and fighting the British.
The Postal Service has had its share of ups and downs over the years, but it’s always delivered mail and packages across the country.
Today, it’s under a lot of pressure to deliver a profit by politicians while facing stiff competition from private carriers like UPS and FedEx. President Trump has tweeted multiple times that Amazon has fleeced the postal service by using them to deliver Amazon packages to consumers.
The costs of delivery have increased. Fuel, salaries, and operational costs have increased for several reasons, which makes delivering a profit next to impossible.
Part of the problem is that Americans see the USPS as a private business rather than a public service. By law, the USPS is required to provide postal services to every household in the country for a reasonable price.
Some of these places are difficult to get to. Private carriers won’t touch these areas because it’s not profitable for them to do so.
Think of the costs to run a small post office in a rural area. Multiply that by hundreds of various locations. Congress has also passed legislation in the past to make it less competitive.
The USPS has to balance its obligation with increasing costs and a ton of pressure to be profitable. That’s a delicate balance that is difficult to win.
Certified Mail is Still a Winner
You may look at these postal increases and decide that you don’t want to pay these increases. That’s your right, but it’s a shortsighted view.
Certified mail remains a fantastic deal for what you’re getting. The benefits do outweigh the costs and they’ll continue to do so.
One of the biggest benefits of certified mail is that you have documented proof that you sent a letter and the person received it.
The other benefit is that people notice and pay attention to certified mail. They realize that it’s something that demands attention.
Manage the Costs of Certified Mail Postage
Certified mail is a great option if you want to ensure that the correct person receives them. You may also need proof of delivery for legal or other reasons.
You can also use certified mail to get attention and make sure that your mail isn’t ignored. When you send certified mail, you’re letting people know that what you sent is important and requires attention.
The cost of certified mail postage depends on how you send and request delivery confirmation. These costs have increased in 2019 and may see further increases, as operation costs rise and pressure to keep costs low and still be profitable rise as well.
Many people and businesses depend on the Postal Service to deliver mail and packages, making price increases an issue that’s worth paying attention to.
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