Postal and Industry Updates
Stability in a Changing Postal Landscape
Latest Updates
Deborah Damore and GrayHair Software bring you the latest from the USPS and the postal industry.
Postal Updates: week of 9/28/2026
KEY HIGHLIGHTS August Financials: With the 2026 fiscal year near its close there is a positive trend in marketing mail volume, but not enough to offset a significant milestone ahead. Pilots: Two major pilots kicking off this week with possible consequence for USPS....
Upcoming Events
Join industry experts and peers as we explore new ideas, share practical strategies, and discuss the trends shaping our field.
SunStates PCC, October 2nd, 2026, Lake Buena Vista, FL
National Postal Policy Council October 8th, Arlington, VA
Fall MTAC, October 20th-21st, Washington, D.C.
2027 Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) Dates
All meetings at USPS Postal Headquarters 475 L’Enfant Plaza, Washington D.C. 20260
- January 26th – 27th, 2027
- April 20th – 21st, 2027
- July 20th – 21st, 2027
- October 19th – 20th, 2027
Rates, Pricing & Economics
What will mail cost, now and next?
Possible January 2027 Market Dominant Price Change
KEY HIGHLIGHTS Possible January 2027 Market Dominant Price Change: USPS is looking to change from a July cadence to a January cadence starting with this January. Why do they need PRC approval: USPS is already allowed to do a price change in January if that would be...
July 12th, 2026 Price Change
The Market Dominant and Competitive price changes took effect on Sunday, July 12, 2026. While all have been preparing for the postage increase, many were unprepared for the impacts associated with the structural changes- namely, the system limitations of PostalOne! ...
2027 Promotions – What’s changed from 2026?
Adjusted Promotions: Tactile, Sensory & Interactive (MM, FCM), NEW two-tier discount structure, 3% for standard finishes, 5% for complex finishes. First-Class Advertising (FCM), now allowing marketing free standing inserts/coupons in FCM pieces to qualify, NEW...
Regulation, Compliance & PRC
What rules govern how we mail?
Federal Agency Proposed Rules of Impact on Volume
Recent activity at the Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC) and Department of Labor (DOL) could spell mail volume losses for First-Class in 2027 of over 3 billion pieces. SEC Rulemaking: Proposed Regulation E-Delivery On July 16th, 2026, the SEC proposed...
Postal Regulatory Commission Activity
Key active dockets and proceedings at the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that generate substantial interest among USPS commercial mailers, logistics partners, and industry advocacy groups focus on rate structures, network transformations, service performance, and...
Update on Ballot Mail for Federal Elections
A proposed USPS rule—unveiled on June 2, 2026—stemmed from a March 31, 2026, Executive Order ("Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Election"). The order sought to significantly expand the role of the USPS by requiring states to submit lists of...
Operations, Network & Service
How is the mail actually moving?
Network Expansion
Greg White, Network Solutions and Performance Excellence VP gave an update on the RPDC and RTH roll outs at the summer MTAC meetings. As of July 9th, there are 18 Regional Processing and Distribution Centers in various stages of activity. When asked about the final...
2027 Promotions
USPS has begun to release additional details for the 2027 Postal Promotions. First-Class Advertising (FCM), now allowing marketing free standing inserts/coupons in FCM pieces to qualify, NEW nine-month promotion period. 5% discount. Registration: February 15th,...
Secure Destruction, is it for you?
The newest primer on Secure Destruction provides detailed instruction on how to enroll and participate in Secure Destruction (SD). Each year USPS returns over 1.2 billion pieces of Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) First-Class Mail to mailers. SD was designed to...
Financials, Performance & Market Trends
Is USPS healthy? Who’s winning?
USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) Activity
The OIG plays a key role in maintaining the integrity and accountability of America’s postal service, conducting and publishing audits, evaluations, research, and investigations. In late August the OIG released a long anticipated white paper with their analysis of...
USPS FY26 Q3 Performance
Financials The United States Postal Service (USPS) FY26 Q3 10-Q report was published on Friday August 7th, covering the three-month period ending June 30, 2026. Financial Performance Key Metrics: Operating Revenue: Totaled $19.94 billion for Q3 FY26, up 6.1% from...
USPS Postage Forecast for 2027
In June 2026 USPS was forecasting an increase of approximately 7.8% for July 2027. Since that time they lowered their July 2027 estimates to 6.2% a full 1.6% less. The decrease is due to better than original forecasted Marketing Mail volumes which will lower the...
Leadership, Strategy & USPS Direction
Who’s in charge and where are we going?
USPS Board of Governors Meeting 8/7/2026
Chairwoman McReynolds Remarks Chairwoman Amber McReynolds began the meeting with the commitment USPS has made to the vote by mail public, especially the rural ones to provide a secure and efficient way for voters to participate. She also shared news of a new committee...
Legislative Roundup of Possible Impact to USPS
This is a busy political season with several highly contested seats up for reelection in the house and senate this fall, so consequently we usually see very few formal activities impacting postal out the legislative process. But that doesn’t mean there are no...
USPS Board of Governors (BOG) Update – June
The USPS BOG is comparable to the board of directors of a publicly held corporation. The board consists of up to nine Governors made up of industry individuals presidentially nominated and senate approved. The addition of the DeputyPMG and the Postmaster General make...
Industry Events & Context
The community and the big picture.
National Postal Customer Council (PCC) Week
This year's PCC week is September 28th - October 2nd. Many of the PCC’s across the country will either by themselves or consolidate with other PCCs in their area hold an annual meeting to announce award winners and share Postal Services planned messages. On...
House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations Hearing
Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) announced a hearing with the Commissioners of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). This past March the committee held a hearing with witnesses PMG David Steiner and David Marroni Director,...
National Postal Forum Education Continues
The NPF has created a series of year-round online education opportunities for mailers and shippers under the banner of Delivered(™). The sessions are complementary and the topics vary designed to promote professional growth, operational excellence, and innovation....
About Deborah
Deborah Damore is the Head of Postal Affairs at GrayHair Software, bringing over 20 years of expertise in the mailing and logistics market. She specializes in driving success and innovation through enterprise-wide mail management solutions for diverse sectors, including financial services, insurance, direct marketing, and nonprofits.
A dedicated industry advocate, Deborah champions the interests of mailers and shippers nationwide. Her commitment is demonstrated by her leadership roles, including serving as the Industry Co-Chair of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) and holding board positions with PostCom and the NPPC. She presents regularly at NPF, PCCs, AIMs, and Industry Trade conferences.
Her downtime, while limited, is spent with her growing family, traveling, and reading a good book.
