On January 22, 2012, US Postal Service will raise rates on First Class and most package service classes. First-class mail rates are rising from 44 cents to 45 cents, so this might be a good time to stock up on Forever stamps. Buy them now and use them later, no matter what the rates are at the time you use them.
Review all the new rates on the USPS site and download a full description of the increases.
If your site has a shopping cart associated with it, you’ll want to be sure that it’s ready for the change as well.
Check Your Shopping Cart
If you sell physical products, you should know that all package rates are changing and there will be a new regional Priority Mail class added to fill the gap between Flat Rate and Zoned destination charges. Because of these new service classes, every shopping cart using real-time postage calculators will need to be revised and updated.
If you use a hosted shopping cart service (example: Infusionsoft, Ecwid, Shopify, Cafe Press), you will not be responsible for updating software. It might be a good idea, however, to check with your service and be sure they’ll be ready for the increases.
If you use PayPal’s shopping cart: PayPal does not use real-time postage calculation for orders. You set either a flat fee for shipping or a table of fees based on the order total. Check your current shipping amounts to see whether they will be adequate under the new rates and adjust accordingly.
If you have shopping cart software installed on your site: Check with your webmaster or your cart software support desk to find out when a new shipping module will be released for your software. If you are currently using real-time postage calculation in your software, consider temporarily changing to a flat rate or table ship method until the updated modules are released. This will keep your software running, allow orders to be processed, and keep your cart from experiencing downtime.
If you use table or flat-rate shipping on your own shopping cart, you won’t need to update your software. Do check the rates you are charging, however, and make adjustments for the increases if necessary.
Remember the date: January 22, 2012
Need help figuring out your situation? We’re here! Get in touch and we’ll be happy to review your setup and make recommendations to make the transition smooth for you and your customers. Don’t get caught!
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