USPS package price history since 2010
At USPS retail prices, a 1 lb Priority Mail package to Zone 4 costs $12.40 today, up from $5.05 on Jan 4, 2010 (+146%); 5 lb costs $18.30, up from $9.85. An 8 oz package costs $8.80 by USPS Ground Advantage to Zone 4. In 2010 it went as a First-Class Mail parcel for $2.41, one price for any distance. Today's prices are temporary: USPS's holiday prices (since Oct 4, 2026) sit on top of its 8% time-limited increase (since Apr 26, 2026), and both run until 12 a.m. Central Time on Jan 17, 2027. The last regular prices, from Jan 18, 2026, were $7.70 (8 oz), $11.00 (1 lb) and $16.20 (5 lb).
Retail prices from each USPS Notice 123 price list, keyed to the date each price took effect, with temporary prices marked. Download: CSV or JSON (CC BY 4.0). Every zone and weight today: Ground Advantage rates.
Rates verified on
Retail package prices, 2010 to now
- 8 oz package (First-Class Mail, then First-Class Package Service, now Ground Advantage)
- Priority Mail 1 lb
- Priority Mail 5 lb
- Temporary prices
- No final USPS price list
Every confirmed retail price since 2010
Newest first, grouped by the service the 8 oz package went by. The 15.999 oz column starts with Ground Advantage: the retail First-Class parcel and First-Class Package Service—Retail tables stop at 13 oz. The CSV and JSON add the USPS editions and price files each row was checked against.
| In effect | 8 oz | 15.999 oz | Priority 1 lb | Priority 5 lb | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 oz: USPS Ground Advantage—Retail, Zone 4 | |||||
| Oct 4, 2026 to now Temporary 2026 holiday prices, on top of the 8% time-limited increase | $8.80 | $11.10 | $12.40 | $18.30 | Notice 123 USPS notice |
| Apr 26, 2026 to Oct 3, 2026 Temporary 8% time-limited increase | $8.30 | $10.60 | $11.90 | $17.50 | Notice 123 USPS notice |
| Jan 18, 2026 to Apr 25, 2026 | $7.70 | $9.80 | $11.00 | $16.20 | Notice 123 |
| Oct 5, 2025 to Jan 17, 2026 Temporary 2025 holiday prices | $8.00 | $10.10 | $11.30 | $16.00 | Notice 123 USPS notice |
| Jul 13, 2025 to Oct 4, 2025 | $7.60 | $9.70 | $10.90 | $15.40 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 19, 2025 to Jul 12, 2025 | $6.20 | $8.85 | $9.90 | $15.40 | Notice 123 |
| Oct 6, 2024 to Jan 18, 2025 Temporary 2024 holiday prices | $6.30 | $8.85 | $10.20 | $15.75 | Notice 123 USPS notice |
| Jan 21, 2024 to Oct 5, 2024 | $5.90 | $8.45 | $9.80 | $15.20 | Notice 123 |
| Jul 9, 2023 to Jan 20, 2024 | $5.60 | $8.00 | $10.20 | $14.05 | Notice 123 |
| 8 oz: First-Class Package Service—Retail, Zone 4 | |||||
| Jan 22, 2023 to Jul 8, 2023 | $5.60 | n/a | $10.20 | $14.05 | Notice 123 |
| Oct 2, 2022 to Jan 21, 2023 Temporary 2022 holiday prices | $5.50 | n/a | $9.75 | $13.45 | Notice 123 USPS notice |
| Jan 9, 2022 to Oct 1, 2022 | $5.20 | n/a | $9.45 | $13.15 | Notice 123 |
| Dec 26, 2021 to Jan 8, 2022 | $4.90 | n/a | $8.25 | $12.50 | Notice 123 |
| Oct 3, 2021 to Dec 25, 2021 Temporary 2021 holiday prices | $5.20 | n/a | $8.50 | $12.75 | Notice 123 USPS notice |
| Jan 24, 2021 to Oct 2, 2021 | $4.90 | n/a | $8.25 | $12.50 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 26, 2020 to Jan 23, 2021 | $4.70 | n/a | $8.00 | $12.25 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 27, 2019 to Jan 25, 2020 | $4.49 | n/a | $7.85 | $11.60 | Notice 123 |
| 8 oz: First-Class Package Service—Retail, one price for any distance | |||||
| Jan 21, 2018 to Jan 26, 2019 | $3.75 | n/a | $7.30 | $11.95 | Notice 123 |
| Sep 3, 2017 to Jan 20, 2018 | $3.64 | n/a | $7.25 | $11.95 | Notice 123 |
| 8 oz: First-Class Mail retail parcels, one price for any distance | |||||
| Jan 22, 2017 to Sep 2, 2017 | $3.39 | n/a | $7.25 | $11.95 | Notice 123 |
| Apr 10, 2016 to Jan 21, 2017 | $3.40 | n/a | $6.85 | $12.45 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 17, 2016 to Apr 9, 2016 | $3.54 | n/a | $6.85 | $12.45 | Notice 123 |
| May 31, 2015 to Jan 16, 2016 | $3.54 | n/a | $6.00 | $11.30 | Notice 123 |
| Sep 7, 2014 to May 30, 2015 | $3.22 | n/a | $6.00 | $11.30 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 26, 2014 to Sep 6, 2014 | $3.22 | n/a | $5.85 | $11.35 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 27, 2013 to Jan 25, 2014 | $2.92 | n/a | $5.85 | $11.50 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 22, 2012 to Jan 26, 2013 | Not shown: the only archived price list for this period is marked DRAFT. First-Class Mail retail parcels rose an average of 10.9% and Priority Mail retail rose an average of 3.2% on Jan 22, 2012. | Postal Bulletin | |||
| Apr 17, 2011 to Jan 21, 2012 | $2.56 | n/a | $5.25 | $10.25 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 2, 2011 to Apr 16, 2011 | $2.41 | n/a | $5.25 | $10.25 | Notice 123 |
| Jan 4, 2010 to Jan 1, 2011 | $2.41 | n/a | $5.05 | $9.85 | Notice 123 |
Temporary prices
In the USPS price lists we found since 2010, USPS added temporary holiday prices to these retail packages 5 times (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026), plus an 8% time-limited increase from Apr 26, 2026. From Jan 22, 2017, the archive has a USPS price file for each price list; before that it doesn't hold a Notice 123 for every month, so an earlier holiday price can't be ruled out. Each change below is measured from the prices just before it.
| Started | What | 8 oz | Priority 1 lb | Priority 5 lb | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 4, 2026 | 2026 holiday prices, on top of the 8% time-limited increase | $8.80 (+$0.50) | $12.40 (+$0.50) | $18.30 (+$0.80) | Jan 17, 2027 |
| Apr 26, 2026 | 8% time-limited increase | $8.30 (+$0.60) | $11.90 (+$0.90) | $17.50 (+$1.30) | Jan 17, 2027 Followed on Oct 4, 2026 by 2026 holiday prices, on top of the 8% time-limited increase |
| Oct 5, 2025 | 2025 holiday prices | $8.00 (+$0.40) | $11.30 (+$0.40) | $16.00 (+$0.60) | Jan 18, 2026 |
| Oct 6, 2024 | 2024 holiday prices | $6.30 (+$0.40) | $10.20 (+$0.40) | $15.75 (+$0.55) | Jan 19, 2025 |
| Oct 2, 2022 | 2022 holiday prices | $5.50 (+$0.30) | $9.75 (+$0.30) | $13.45 (+$0.30) | Jan 22, 2023 |
| Oct 3, 2021 | 2021 holiday prices | $5.20 (+$0.30) | $8.50 (+$0.25) | $12.75 (+$0.25) | Dec 26, 2021 |
Change since 2010
From the first confirmed price to the price on Oct 14, 2026, with the last regular price (Jan 18, 2026) for comparison. The 8 oz starting price was one price for any distance; today's is Zone 4.
| Package | First price | Last regular | Now | Change | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 oz package from Jan 4, 2010 | $2.41 | $7.70 | $8.80 | +$6.39 | +265% |
| 15.999 oz Ground Advantage from Jul 9, 2023 | $8.00 | $9.80 | $11.10 | +$3.10 | +39% |
| Priority Mail 1 lb from Jan 4, 2010 | $5.05 | $11.00 | $12.40 | +$7.35 | +146% |
| Priority Mail 5 lb from Jan 4, 2010 | $9.85 | $16.20 | $18.30 | +$8.45 | +86% |
How the 8 oz service changed
- To Sep 2, 2017: First-Class Mail parcels. One retail price for any distance, with the table stopping at 13 oz. The 8 oz price was $2.41 on Jan 4, 2010 and $3.39 by Jan 22, 2017.
- Sep 3, 2017: First-Class Package Service—Retail. The first price list to use the name; 8 oz went from $3.39 to $3.64.
- Jan 27, 2019: priced by zone. 8 oz to Zone 4 cost $4.49, against one price of $3.75 the day before.
- Jul 9, 2023: USPS Ground Advantage—Retail. 8 oz to Zone 4 stayed $5.60, and the retail table runs from 4 oz past 1 lb, so a 15.999 oz package has its own price ($8.00 to Zone 4 at launch).
Questions
How much have USPS retail package prices gone up since 2010?
On Jan 4, 2010, a 1 lb Priority Mail package to Zone 4 cost $5.05 at retail; it costs $12.40 now (+146%), and 5 lb went from $9.85 to $18.30 (+86%). An 8 oz package went from $2.41 as a First-Class Mail parcel, one price for any distance, to $8.80 by USPS Ground Advantage to Zone 4. Those are today's temporary prices; the last regular prices, from Jan 18, 2026, were $11.00 (1 lb), $16.20 (5 lb) and $7.70 (8 oz). Prices are from the retail tables in USPS Notice 123 and its archive.
When did First-Class Package Service become Ground Advantage?
On Jul 9, 2023. The Notice 123 effective that day lists USPS Ground Advantage—Retail and no longer lists First-Class Package Service. The 8 oz Zone 4 price stayed $5.60, and the retail table now has a 15.999 oz price ($8.00 to Zone 4). First-Class Package Service—Retail itself first appears in the price list effective Sep 3, 2017; before that, USPS listed light retail packages as First-Class Mail parcels.
Are USPS package prices temporary right now?
Yes. Since Oct 4, 2026, retail Ground Advantage and Priority Mail prices include USPS's holiday prices on top of the 8% time-limited increase that started Apr 26, 2026. USPS says both stay in place until 12 a.m. Central Time on Jan 17, 2027. As of Oct 14, 2026, USPS hadn't published the prices that apply after that; see USPS price changes for 2027.
Does USPS raise package prices every holiday season?
Not every year. In the USPS price lists we found, retail holiday prices for these packages appear in 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026, adding $0.30 (2021), $0.30 (2022), $0.40 (2024), $0.40 (2025) and $0.50 (2026) to the 8 oz package. The Notice 123 effective Oct 18, 2020 shows the same retail prices for these packages as the one before it. In 2023, USPS said it would not add holiday surcharges. From Jan 22, 2017, the archive has a USPS price file for each price list; before that it doesn't hold a Notice 123 for every month, so an earlier holiday price can't be ruled out. Each holiday row in the table links USPS's announcement and says when the prices ended.
Why does the table use Zone 4?
USPS prices Priority Mail by distance (zone) and weight (Postal Bulletin 22326), so one zone has to be picked to compare years. We use Zone 4 for every row. Retail First-Class parcels had one price for any distance until Jan 26, 2019; from Jan 27, 2019, First-Class Package Service—Retail was priced by zone too, and those rows show Zone 4. Every zone at today's prices: Ground Advantage rates.
Why is 2012 missing?
USPS changed prices on Jan 22, 2012: First-Class Mail retail parcels rose an average of 10.9% (Postal Bulletin 22325) and Priority Mail retail rose an average of 3.2% (Postal Bulletin 22326). The only archived copy of that year's price list is marked DRAFT, and no USPS price file covers it, so we leave its prices out rather than guess. The Jan 27, 2013 row is the next confirmed price.
How we built this
We read the retail First-Class parcel, First-Class Package Service, Ground Advantage and Priority Mail tables in every archived Notice 123 since 2009 on USPS's Postal Explorer archive. Archive editions sometimes carry an older or newer price list than their own date, so each copy is keyed to the effective date printed on it. A row starts on the first price list that shows its prices and ends the day before the next price took effect; temporary rows end on the date USPS gave in its announcement, or the day before another temporary price is added on top. The table has 29 price periods, 6 of them temporary.
Every price is checked against at least one other USPS document. For 24 of the 29 rows, every price is checked against another copy of a price list in effect at the time: another Notice 123 edition, the archive's HTML copy or, from 2017, a USPS price file (the archive has one for each price list since Jan 22, 2017). The archive has no second copy for the rows starting Jan 2, 2011; Sep 7, 2014; May 31, 2015; Jan 17, 2016; and Sep 3, 2017 (Priority Mail 1 lb and Priority Mail 5 lb), so those prices are checked against an earlier or later USPS price list that shows the same price. That confirms the price but not the date it took effect, which comes from the Notice 123 itself. The JSON marks each check as same-period or other-period. We don't fill gaps with numbers from other websites.
Related: today's Ground Advantage rates, USPS 2026 holiday prices, USPS price changes for 2027, Media Mail price history, postage calculator, all price histories.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS Notice 123: price list (effective Oct 4, 2026)
- USPS Postal Explorer: Domestic Mail Manual archive (every Notice 123 edition used here)
- USPS Postal Explorer: Price and SKU File archive (price files used to cross-check rows from 2017)
- USPS Postal Explorer: price change files (Time-Limited Oct 2026)
- USPS newsroom, Aug 25, 2026: temporary price change for the 2026 holiday shipping season
- USPS newsroom, Mar 25, 2026: transportation-related, time-limited price change
- USPS newsroom, Aug 8, 2025: temporary price change for the 2025 holiday shipping season
- USPS newsroom, Sep 5, 2024: temporary rate changes for the 2024 holiday shipping season
- USPS newsroom, Aug 10, 2022: temporary rate adjustments for the 2022 peak holiday season
- USPS newsroom, Aug 10, 2021: temporary rate adjustments for the 2021 peak holiday season
- USPS newsroom, Sep 19, 2023: no holiday surcharges this season
- USPS Postal Bulletin 22325 (Dec 1, 2011): First-Class Mail retail parcels up an average of 10.9% on Jan 22, 2012
- USPS Postal Bulletin 22326 (Dec 15, 2011): Priority Mail retail prices up an average of 3.2% on Jan 22, 2012
- USPS Notice 123, effective Jul 9, 2023 (Postal Explorer DMM archive, Jul 9, 2023 edition)
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