# Is it \[still\] true U.S. postage rates are among the lowest in the developed world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910 "2010-07-16T13:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/1 "2010-07-16T13:46:40Z")
I know, it’s an article, but I’m trying to find an update. Can anyone find an easy to read chart or comparison list of domestic letter postage rates like Cecil found when he wrote the original article in 1993? [Here is the original article](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/729/is-it-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/2 "2010-07-16T13:50:32Z")
All I know is that books I order from overseas have far cheaper postal charges from the UK than the US. And they get here much, much faster. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/3 "2010-07-16T14:55:00Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I know, it’s an article, but I’m trying to find an update. > > Can anyone find an easy to read chart or comparison list of domestic letter postage rates like Cecil found when he wrote the original article in 1993? > > [Here is the original article](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/729/is-it-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world) Are we talking domestic rates? That’s going to (or at least costs probably do) vary a lot by the size of the country. Back in '98 I’m pretty sure the rate to mail a letter in the Cayman Islands was 25 C.I. cents making it about 31 cents U.S. As I recall there was no home delivery everyone came to a post office to pick up their mail, and there weren’t too many of those since the country is small. Their rates to the U.S. were also very cheap, but then all they did was take all the U.S. bound mail and put it on a plane to Miami. After that it was the USPS’s problem. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/4 "2010-07-16T15:30:55Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > Are we talking domestic rates? That’s going to (or at least costs probably do) vary a lot by the size of the country. Back in '98 I’m pretty sure the rate to mail a letter in the Cayman Islands was 25 C.I. cents making it about 31 cents U.S. As I recall there was no home delivery everyone came to a post office to pick up their mail, and there weren’t too many of those since the country is small. Their rates to the U.S. were also very cheap, but then all they did was take all the U.S. bound mail and put it on a plane to Miami. After that it was the USPS’s problem. Domestic letter stamps, yes. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/5 "2010-07-16T19:21:17Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > All I know is that books I order from overseas have far cheaper postal charges from the UK than the US. And they get here much, much faster. The UK still has a classification for “Book Post”; I know there used to be a Printed Matter rate, but I don’t think it exists anymore, or if it does, it doesn’t exist in the same context as it once did. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/6 "2010-07-16T19:59:18Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > The UK still has a classification for “Book Post”; I know there used to be a Printed Matter rate, but I don’t think it exists anymore, or if it does, it doesn’t exist in the same context as it once did. The USPS has a book rate (technically, it’s now called “media mail”, and can now be used for electronic media, such as CDs and tapes) as well, though I don’t know if it’s available for international shipping. [http://www.usps.com/prices/media-mail-prices.htm](http://www.usps.com/prices/media-mail-prices.htm) ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/7 "2010-07-17T04:16:40Z")
FWIW, postage has very closely tracked inflation in the US over the last 10-20 years. (This according to a Newsweek article a few years ago that asked whether stocking up on Forever stamps was a good long-term “investment”). That doesn’t directly address whether we’re still cheaper than other countries, but if prices are merely keeping up with inflation, it suggests that we are still relatively low. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/8 "2010-07-17T04:57:36Z")
Well, [here](http://auspost.com.au/personal/standard-delivery.html) is the cost of mailing a letter in Australia. A basic stamp for a letter is 60c Australian which, at current exchange rates, is about 52c US. This means that the US is cheaper. But… In Australia the basic rate applies for letters up to 250g (or just over 8 ounces), whereas in the US the rate goes up as soon as you hit 1 ounce. So, a 3 ounce letter in Australia, provided in fit within the regulation dimensions, would still cost you 52c US, but in America that same letter would be 78c. While i don’t think i’ve ever tried to cram four or five ounces of material inside a regular envelope, i have managed to go over 1 ounce on quite a few occasions, and the 61c cost for that in the US is more expensive that the same letter would be in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/9 "2010-07-17T06:49:41Z")
I’ve always found it bizarre that I can mail a letter to Perth (some 4,000kms away on the other side of the country) for 60c, but sending the same letter to New Zealand (2,500kms away across a fairly modest body of water) is $1.50. And it takes a week for the letter to get to NZ and it’s in Perth within a day or two. I realise there are _reasons_ behind all of this, but it’s still illogical on the face of it… ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/10 "2010-07-17T09:37:30Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > The UK still has a classification for “Book Post”; I know there used to be a Printed Matter rate, but I don’t think it exists anymore, or if it does, it doesn’t exist in the same context as it once did. There is still a “printed paper” rate in the UK. For instance sending a 350g package by “ordinary” airmail to Canada would be £8.91. Sending it by printed paper rate is £5.91. There are similar reductions on surface mail. Try this [price finder](http://sg.royalmail.com/portal/rm/PriceFinder?catId=23500532&gear=pricingcalc) to check up on the various postal rates. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/11 "2010-07-17T10:31:07Z")
> [@Rayne\_Man](#): > > There is still a “printed paper” rate in the UK. For instance sending a 350g package by “ordinary” airmail to Canada would be £8.91. Sending it by printed paper rate is £5.91. There are similar reductions on surface mail. Try this [price finder](http://sg.royalmail.com/portal/rm/PriceFinder?catId=23500532&gear=pricingcalc) to check up on the various postal rates. I don’t get that. How can The Book Depository, who sell world wide without postal charges, ship me _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ for $12.63 Australian (£6.84) and have it arrive in 5 days? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/12 "2010-07-17T10:40:14Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I don’t get that. How can The Book Depository, who sell world wide without postal charges, ship me _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ for $12.63 Australian (£6.84) and have it arrive in 5 days? I’ve wondered the same thing, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/13 "2010-07-17T10:44:12Z")
The only thing I can think of is that they are buying in the books at a deeply discounted rate, and somehow still making a small profit on each one. It might be a case of “pile them high and sell them cheap” with the sheer bulk of their sales ensuring that they do make a profit. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/14 "2010-07-17T10:56:13Z")
I forgot to add that companies and organizations can set up an account with the Royal Mail which will give a discount on the postage rates compared to those quoted in that “price finder”. So another saving there. I work in an Oxfam Bookshop which sends books all over the world, and we have one of these accounts with RM. We process and stamp the parcels ourselves, and RM come to the shop in the afternoon to collect the bag of parcels. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/15 "2010-07-17T11:07:47Z")
Must be something like that because, checking the rates, at _Airmail Printed Papers_ to Australia they would get 45p to pay for the book. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/16 "2010-07-17T13:29:12Z")
I sent a postcard from the U.S. to the U.K. not long ago on the second day of my entering the U.S… The postage cost more then the postcard and reached the addressses a week after I’d arrived back in the U.K. I had spent just over a month in America. I want my money back. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/17 "2010-07-17T20:36:53Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I don’t get that. How can The Book Depository, who sell world wide without postal charges, ship me _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ for $12.63 Australian (£6.84) and have it arrive in 5 days? Do they ship the case or just the DVD in a paper sleeve? With a paper sleeve the weight would be under an ounce and 1st class international letter would be $1.18. That would up to a Max. length 11 1/2", height 6 1/8" or thickness 1/4". I’ve mailed a lot of CDs to Switzerland and 5 days sounds about right. [http://ircalc.usps.gov/MailServices.aspx?country=10013&m=1&p=0&o=1&c=2](http://ircalc.usps.gov/MailServices.aspx?country=10013&m=1&p=0&o=1&c=2) ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/18 "2010-07-18T00:31:36Z")
Off the top of my head, domestic letters cost 41p in the UK (62 cents) and 80 yen in Japan (93 cents). ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/19 "2010-07-18T01:10:20Z")
That 41p is good for mail up to 100g, though, which is about 4 “ounces”, as they are quaintly called in the US. According to the USPS website, that would cost either 95 cents or $1.39. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910/20 "2010-07-18T06:35:31Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > Do they ship the case or just the DVD in a paper sleeve? With a paper sleeve the weight would be under an ounce and 1st class international letter would be $1.18. That would up to a Max. length 11 1/2", height 6 1/8" or thickness 1/4". I’ve mailed a lot of CDs to Switzerland and 5 days sounds about right. > > [http://ircalc.usps.gov/MailServices.aspx?country=10013&m=1&p=0&o=1&c=2](http://ircalc.usps.gov/MailServices.aspx?country=10013&m=1&p=0&o=1&c=2) He’s talking about the book, not the movie. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-still-true-u-s-postage-rates-are-among-the-lowest-in-the-developed-world/546910.md?page=2)