How will the 2016 USPS Rates Increase Affect Your Business? Overall rating: ★★★★★ 5 based on 23 reviews
5 1

BlogSimplio Labs Blog

Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.
Albert Einstein

How will the 2016 USPS Rates Increase Affect Your Business?

Business Advice, E-Commerce No Comment

USPS-Rares-Increase-01

With the growing number of eCommerce sites, online shopping has become the norm for many people. In fact, there are countless websites that offer their online shopping services. However, as of this year online retailers will begin to experience many changes due to the fact that most shipping carriers such as UPS and FedEx have increased their prices. The United States Postal Service, more famously known as USPS, has also changed some of its products offerings aside from the price hike, which is the first in the last 3 years.

The USPS Rates increase may seem extreme, but USPS is still the best option for small businesses especially for light weight packages. You may visit the Pitney Bowes page or the Postal Regulatory Commission website for more information regarding the changes and new prices.  Given these, it’s high time for small businesses to think out of the box and explore other ways to deliver their products or even have a carrier mix to utilize different shipping providers in order to get the best service and costs.

It is not advisable for businesses to have just one carrier. They must create a shipping strategy that considers all factors in order to avail of the best service and prices. Cloud based shipping solutions are also available and these are good options for small businesses because it simplifies the shipping process. Lastly, having the right packaging is vital. Companies should use packaging for the sole purpose of making sure the items remain in good condition. Shipping small items in big packages is a waste of space and can incur additional costs.

Price Increase Overview

  • No changes for First Class Mail and the Forever Stamp
  • Overall Priority Mail Express Service 15.6% increase
  • Average retail price of Priority Mail Express 14.4% increase
  • Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Box has been discontinued
  • First-Class Package Service 12.8% increase
  • Standard Post is now called Retail Ground 10% increase
  • International Shipping Prices -Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) 7.1% and Priority Mail Express International (PMEI)6%

The USPS is also encouraging ecommerce companies to use the Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) and meet all its requirements to benefit from the commercial mailing prices.

What are the benefits of IMpb?

  • No more scanning. There is no need to scan a parcel 11 times. It is now easier for companies and customers to track information, while improving USPS customer service
  • FREE insurance without having to go to the post office to purchase it
  • 5-50% savings on postage, but depending on the package size, weight, class and distance of delivery.

In order to take advantage of IMpb, all packages must have unique tracking IMpb barcode. To qualify, businesses must have their own web based shipping solution or application. The good thing is that most businesses that have been transacting online already have applications that incorporate shipping charges into the shopping experience. But due to these changes, business owners should check with their providers how these changes affect them. Some apps like ShipperHQ  and WebShopApps have automatic updates while Magento has patches that need to be installed.

 

Good experience

★★★★★
5 5 1
SimplioWebStudio did a great job

Project accomplished

★★★★★
5 5 1
Project accomplished

Plugin developed successfully

★★★★★
5 5 1
Plugin developed successfully

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PROJECT

★★★★★
5 5 1
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PROJECT

Thank you Simplio team

★★★★★
5 5 1
Great experience

Working with Simplio Web Studio was a fantastic experience.

★★★★★
5 5 1
Working with Simplio Web Studio was a fantastic experience. The service provided was amazing and professional. It was a delight to work with Nir, who went the extra mile to meet our demands in a timely manner. He really made our vision a reality by creating us a classic site, but moreover the relationship we formed is something our company really appreciates. It was a pleasure working with Nir and the team at Simplio Web Studio. We highly recommend them to all and we look forward to working and doing more business with them in the future.

a great project

★★★★★
5 5 1
a great project

All the best

★★★★★
5 5 1
All the best to Simplio

My website is Live

★★★★★
5 5 1
My website is Live , thank you Simplio

From beginning to end, the team at Simplio provided top of the line customer service.

★★★★★
5 5 1
From beginning to end, the team at Simplio provided top of the line customer service. The web developers are incredible and made sure we got exactly what we were looking for! They truly went above and beyond to make us happy and we couldn’t have been more pleased with their talents. We would highly recommend them. Thanks so much Nir!

After over two years of research we chose Simplio.

★★★★★
5 5 1
After over two years of research we chose Simplio. We are so far very satisfied. These people answered the phone on a Sunday and fixed a problem that was not even their fault. It was the host company which I had chosen that had caused our site to go down.

Outstanding in both knowledge and professionalism.

★★★★★
5 5 1
Outstanding in both knowledge and professionalism. Nir and the staff at Simplio are Excellent in branding, web design and overall web presence. Definitely recommended!

I cannot even imagine having another company managing my Presta shopping cart.

★★★★★
5 5 1
They are now part of the Diastasis Rehab business team after working with them almost a year now. I cannot even imagine having another company managing my Presta shopping cart. After a bad experience with a programmer, I needed a new programmer (one that knew prestashop shopping cart) and most important one that I could trust. Finding all three was a difficult process! Lucky for me I found them. I cannot say enough about the diversity of services that this company provides. Every step of the way they make amazing suggestions to increase my sales and they get back to be right away either by email or phone. They have even created a simple and easy check out program for Presta Shop. They are actually a one stop shop! They updated my SSL, are setting up and changing my server to a dedicated one, setting up streaming of my DVD, website design, creating a specific program for address verification on Presta cart and handled the integration of Presta cart with my fulfillment house. I am now working on developing an APP with them

Simplio really helped me out of a jam.

★★★★★
5 5 1
Simplio really helped me out of a jam. They did exactly what I needed on a very tight time frame (with little notice too!!!!) They are my new go-to guys for any Prestashop needs! Thanks Simplio!

Excellent service!

★★★★★
5 5 1
Excellent service! Nir was exceptionally helpful in solving a lot of issues with our website and making the user experience more smooth. He understood the needs of our school and helped improve the website tremendously.

impressed

★★★★★
5 5 1
What impressed me most about working with Simplio was their attention to detail and excellent communication. Not only are they talented developers, but, they are also pleasant to work with and highly professional. Highly recommended!

professional service

★★★★★
5 5 1
What a profissional service Simplio offers.I hired them to rebuild my website for my business and they were creative and professional. Nir was on top of the whole project from day one, until he delivered the project on time. I will defiantly recommend Simplio to anyone who is looking for website services. From creating, designing to maintaining your image online. Good Job Nir and the rest of your group.

Great Logo

★★★★★
5 5 1
Great Logo, Very happy

fantastic to work with

★★★★★
5 5 1
Simplio was fantastic to work with. They were fast, communicative and incredibly helpful to me. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs help with their digital needs!

Awesome experience

★★★★★
5 5 1
All details and requests were met in prompt an friendly manner. Would recommend on any day to anyone who wants to feel their business is in great hands.