Alliance Alert 7-20-26

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by

kathleen Siviter
in

 

July 20, 2026

Dear Alliance Members:

The USPS late last week filed a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for a waiver to the rules around how the Density additional rate authority is calculated (the timing of the current process).  If the PRC grants the USPS’ request, it would allow the Density rate authority to be calculated early (and adjusted later on if need be) which would enable the USPS to do a Market Dominant price increase in January 2027.   The PRC today extended the deadline for comments on the USPS’ request to July 29, 2026.  ANM is planning to submit comments.
Some things to note:
  • Because Jan 2027 falls in Fiscal Year 2027 and the July 2026 increase falls in Fiscal Year 2026, the USPS is not prohibited from doing another change in January by the PRC’s order limiting it to one increase per Fiscal Year.
  • If the USPS’ waiver is approved and the Density rate authority is calculated in the manner the USPS proposes, we project that a Jan 2027 price increase would be in the ballpark of 4.5 percent (2.628 percent density authority + 1.8-1.9 percent CPI authority) for compensatory classes, and about 6.5 percent for non-compensatory classes (e.g., Periodicals, Marketing Mail flats).
  • The USPS in its request does not say definitively that it would do a Jan 2027 price change, it states that its management “is evaluating a shift to its planned annual market dominant rate adjustments to a more traditional January cycle, subject to approval of the Governors.”
The USPS’ request can be found here:  https://prc.arkcase.com/portal/filings/140418.   The Postal Service has asked the Commission to approve the waiver by August 16.   The PRC extension to the comment deadline can be found here:  https://prc.arkcase.com/portal/filings/140454.
ANM is planning to submit comments on the USPS’ waiver request — to facilitate our response, please respond to the below and reply by email ASAP:
  • Does your organization, for budgeting purposes, prefer an annual USPS price change to occur in January or July (we know that no one supports a Jan 2027 change, but what if it did not start until Jan 2028 but then stayed on a January cycle)?
  • If you know the answer, what percentage increase did your organization experience from the July 2026 price change (please specify what class/category of mail)?

About the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers

The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers (ANM) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) membership organization established in 1989 to protect and advance the interests of nonprofit mailers.

Representing leading charities, associations, and nonprofit organizations, ANM advocates before Congress, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Postal Regulatory Commission to preserve affordable, reliable access to the U.S. Mail—ensuring that America’s nonprofits can continue to fulfill their vital missions.

Nonprofit Mail – Connecting with Americans for Good

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Sincerely,

 

Kathleen Siviter, CAE

Executive Director

Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers

2021 L Street, NW, Suite 101-248

Washington, DC 20036

Tel: 202-360-3776

 

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