A 40% jump overnight is the kind of thing that can kill a low-margin seller. If USPS really keeps moving rates like this, expect more eBay sellers to raise prices, stop selling cheap stuff, or just walk away.
- Seller says postage on 1 ounce Oklahoma to Montana or Florida went from $5.62 to $7.86. That is +$2.24. About 40 percent.
- That $7.86 is the published commercial Ground Advantage price for Zone 6 on every weight from 1 ounce through 15.999 ounces after July 12.
- USPS killed the cheap ounce steps on published commercial Ground Advantage. 4 oz, 8 oz, 12 oz and 15.999 oz now share one price inside each zone.
- Official filing said that flatten move alone averages +11.8 percent on commercial Ground Advantage. Lightest boxes got smashed much harder than the average.
- Retail counter prices did not flatten the same way. Platforms with negotiated rates can still keep ounce tiers on many city to city labels. Rural, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and military ZIPs often do not.
- This sits on top of the January 18 hike. Ground Advantage already went up about 7.8 percent then. Sub 1 pound parcels were already up about 12.2 percent in that round.
- Then April 26 slapped an 8 percent temporary surcharge on Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and Parcel Select. That surcharge runs through mid January 2027.
- Stack those and a typical light Ground Advantage parcel is already around 16 to 21 percent more than late 2025 before you even count the July flatten.
- July 12 also dropped the DIM divisor from 166 to 139 and started rounding every inch up. Fat light boxes get billed heavier.
- Seller shut the eBay store. That is one person. eBay Labels told sellers they would keep the four ounce tiers on many labels. Rural and far ZIPs still eat the flat commercial price.
- Next hit is already filed. Peak season add on starts Oct 4 through Jan 17. Ground Advantage zones 5 to 9 get +$0.75 on 0 to 3 lb retail. Commercial adds start around 40 to 55 cents on the light stuff.
- USPS is doing this while bleeding cash. Q3 package volume fell 3.4 percent even as package revenue rose. Postmaster General David Steiner keeps telling Congress the agency is short of cash.
Holiday peak price filing for Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Express and Parcel Select from Oct 4.
https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0825-usps-announces-temporary-price-change-for-2026-holiday-shipping-season.htm
Zone 6 commercial under 1 lb prints $7.86 across 4, 8, 12 and 15.999 oz.
https://dimmath.com/blog/usps-ground-advantage-rates-zone-chart-weight-breaks/
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