Postal rate change FAQs

It is a rate table software update in your mailing equipment. The rate table in your mailing equipment stores the correct postage and fee for every combination of postal product, Extra Service, weight and ZIP Code/Zone supported by your equipment. Your mailing equipment references the updated rate table in order to calculate the correct postage and fees.

Your update will be accompanied by installation instructions. You may obtain more detailed instructions for updating the rates by visiting the Rate Change Information area of the Knowledgebase.

Each of our rate change telephone agents is specially trained to assist you. You may also contact a Service and Repair team technician for live assistance by selecting the Repair menu prompt offered on 1 800 636 7678. Repair representatives are available Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time. Please note that you will need your customer account number available to expedite contact with our Repair telephone-support team.

The instructions for verifying if your machine has already downloaded the rate change can be found by visiting the Rate Change Information area of the Knowledgebase.

Please contact Customer Service at 1 800 636 7678. Representatives are available Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time.

Simply connect your online-enabled mailing machine and download the rates by going to the ONLINE SERVICES menu on your mailing machine and placing a GENERIC CALL to Quadient USA’s server. The download will take no longer than three minutes if you are downloading the update into a mailing machine that is connecting by modem; only seconds if the machine is LAN-connected. After the download, the mailing machine will automatically switch to the new rates when they become effective.

More information can be found by visiting the Rate Change Information area of the Knowledgebase.

For the January 26, 2020, Rate Change the purchase order for rate change protection must be sent before January 26.  

All IS-, IN- and IM-series mailing machines must connect to Neopost’s online server to electronically download rate updates. Rates may be downloaded into the mailing machine in advance of the effective rate change date because the mailing machine can store both a current and future rate table.

Some IJ- and WJ-series mailing machines are also capable of connecting to Neopost’s online server to electronically download rate updates in addition to accepting smartcard rate updates. Rates may be downloaded into the mailing machine in advance of the effective rate change date because the mailing machine memory can store both a current and future rate table.

Most IJ- and WJ-series mailing machines require a smartcard to be inserted in the mailing machine base before the new rate table software can be loaded. Weighing platforms that connect to mailing machine bases do not require separate rate updates. Smartcard updates to the mailing machine may be performed prior to the effective rate change date because the mailing machine memory can store both a current and future rate table.

Freestanding scales require installation of a Rate-Pak® rate chip in order to rate a mailpiece. A Rate-Pak® should not be installed until the new rates take effect because freestanding scales only support current rates.

An annual Rate Change Protection (RCP) contract covers the cost of purchasing an individual update each time the USPS implements a price increase. The cost of the annual contract is substantially lower than the cost of buying updates for your equipment separately and coverage ensures automatic shipment and on-time delivery of the new rates.

Visit the USPS postal explorer website https://pe.usps.com. Publication 123 – DMM Notice 123 – is the definitive reference guide for USPS rates.