USPS raised shipping costs ahead of the holidays heres what shoppers need to know

This year, sending your Christmas list to Santa will be more expensive.Starting Oct.4 through Jan.

17, 2027, the US Postal Service (USPS) will be hiking prices for the most wonderful time of the year.The “temporary price change” will be for some package products for the 2026 peak holiday season. USPS told The Post, “This change is in response to the anticipated, heightened demand in mail and package volume during the 2026 fall and peak holiday season, resulting in extra handling costs.”For consumers, it means if you’re planning on mailing gifts or any other packages between October and mid-January, be prepared to pay a bit extra. The increases will hit certain domestic package services, including Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select.

No other USPS products or services are affected by the change. How much you pay will depend on three factors: what you’re sending, the weight and how far it’s traveling.The USPS breaks it down by retail and commercial.Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 1-4Priority Mail: Zones 5-9Priority Mail Flat Rate:USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 5-9Priority Mail Express: Zones 1-9Priority Mail Express Flat Rate:Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 1-4Priority Mail: Zones 5-9Priority Mail Flat Rate:USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 5-9Priority Mail Express: Zones 1-9Priority Mail Express Flat Rate:Parcel Select: (all entries)...