NEW

POSTAL UPDATES

11/17/26: Stay Ahead with the Latest Postal Industry Insights from GrayHair Software!

Request the full, 18 page report. Executive Summary  The USPS Board of Governors (BOG) met to review FY25 financial results and service performance, and to discuss the ongoing transformation under the "Delivering for America" plan. The key takeaway is a continued push...

Holiday Mail Delays – The USPS and the Government Shutdown: An Updated Holiday Warning

The U.S. Postal Service relies heavily on the infrastructure and personnel of other government agencies (like the FAA) and private contractors. This interdependence creates a serious indirect impact that threatens the predictable speed of your mail.

10/21/25: Stay Ahead with the Latest Postal Industry Insights from GrayHair Software!

Key Postal Update: Lower 2026 Postage Projections, Zone Pricing Denied, and Network Changes ⇓ DOWNLOAD THE NEWSLETTER (PDF) We've compiled the most critical updates from the latest postal developments to keep you informed of changes that may impact your direct mail...

No USPS Price Change

Big news from the USPS: There will be no price change in January 2026 for First-Class, Marketing Mail, and Periodicals. Here's a quick breakdown of what this announcement really means for mailers USPS Price Change Update: What Does "No January Increase" Actually Mean...

August 2025 USPS Financials

Today, September 24th, the Postal Service filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission their Unaudited Financials for the month of August 2025.   For months that do not close out a quarter USPS provides their unaudited financials revenues and volumes, reporting out the...

What’s in store for postage rates in January 2026?

The path forward for a potential USPS postage increase in early 2026 is anything but straightforward. Here's what you need to know: The Forecast: The USPS expects to have about a 1.2% rate authority available for a January price change. We'll know the final number...

Postmarks and Postal Possession Updates

The proposed rule educates, formalizes, and clarifies the public understanding of postmarks within the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)  By Deborah Damore, Head of Postal Affairs, GrayHair Software August 13, 2025 A notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal...

8/8/25: Stay Ahead with the Latest Postal Industry Insights from GrayHair Software!

Don’t miss out on critical developments affecting the postal landscape. Deb Damore, Head of Postal Affairs at GrayHair Software, brings you a concise breakdown of the most recent Board of Governors Meeting highlights, USPS financial performance, and service updates.

Milestone Dates in USPS History

Below are just a few of the dates of importance and and their significance to the Postal Service:  1639 - A former tavern in Boston becomes the first Post Office store. 1775 - Benjamin Franklin appointed as the first Postmaster General. 1815 - Steamboats begin...

USPS 250th Anniversary

The United States Postal Service turned 250 on Saturday July 26th, 2025, which is more than a year before the United States became the United States when on September 9th, 1776 the Second Continental Congress adopted the new name “United States of America” for what...

CLIENT LOGIN

USPS Zone Pricing Plans

The Postal Service has already shared with mailers information on its plan to change to Zone pricing for origin entry Marketing Mail and Periodicals through its classification filing at the PRC.  

More details continue to be released, but are subject to change before the official January filing. Mail will continue to be presorted, paying presort rates based on the container (bundle/tray) level, but now origin entered mail will be paying a zone price for entry based on the distance from origin to destination.  For mixed bundles and trays there will be a flat rate, not variable by distance.  Below is a rendering of a planned 3602 for Marketing Mail.

The USPS 3D base Service Standard Directory for Marketing Mail, Periodicals, Pkg Service and First-Class Mail uses a 3D to 3D ZIP Code directory listing the expected service days based on combination of origin/destination ZIPs.  

That same listing can be used now to identify what the Zone will be based on where entered.  Using the First-Class Mail (FCM) column you can assign the Zone based on the service days.  Using ZIP Code 601, this example shows some sample zones based on the destination of the mail.

2=zone A
3=zone B
4=zone C
5=zone D

You can also use the USPS Service Standards Map to see a visualization of the planned zones based on origin ZIP. Below is using ZIP Code 60119.  Click on the map to enter your own mail class and ZIP Code.

Previous

Next