The postal service is trying to get its fiscal house in order. It’s also alienating large shippers of first-class mail.
by Christian Britschgi
Reason.com
Beginning this month, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is implementing “new” service standards and prices. That is to say, costs are going up and delivery times are getting longer.
In the halcyon days of September 2021, the postal service had promised to get all first-class mail and periodicals sent within the lower 48 states to their destinations in three days.
That three-day guarantee will be replaced by new distance-based standards. Mail traveling upwards of 930 miles will now be considered on time if it gets to its intended recipient within four days. Anything sent to destinations over 1,907 miles away will now have a five-day delivery target.
The USPS’ implementation of longer delivery times comes sandwiched between a pair of price increases as well.