Fuel prices are going to make sending your packages more expensive


Business Insider
March 25, 2026

The US Postal Service said on Wednesday that it's planning to hike prices by 8% across several categories: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select.

The postal service says this price hike is a "time-limited adjustment" that will help it cover its basic costs. The price change runs from April 26 to January 17, 2027.

At that time, the USPS "can determine if a different long-term approach is needed."

"Transportation costs have been increasing, and our competitors have reacted with a number of surcharges," the postal service said in its Wednesday statement.

"We have steadfastly avoided surcharges and this charge is less than one-third of what our competitors charge for fuel alone, so even with this change, the Postal Service continues to offer great value in shipping with some of the lowest rates in the industrialized world," the agency said in the statement.

David Steiner, the postmaster general, told lawmakers earlier this month that the agency is running out of money.