On the Road to Postal Reform

But there’s a cost/benefit balance that needs to be met. If postal rates continue to rise, the mathematics of that formula changes.

“It makes fundraisers more willing to try other media to see if they work and, right now, they certainly are looking at the Internet,” Benjamin says.

According to Benjamin, if the postal-reform bill passes, rates will not increase greater than inflation in any one year. So, aside from exigency clauses — for example, if the price of oil goes up, postal rates may fluctuate because of the increase in energy costs to the USPS — that allow leeway there, there would be a cap on rates. This keeps rate raises predictable so mailers can plan and budget for them.