WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service price changes will take effect January 27.

The prices, approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, include the increase of a first class Forever stamp from 50 cents to 55 cents.

The approved changes raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 2.5 percent. Shipping Services price increases vary by product. For example, Priority Mail Express will increase 3.9 percent and Priority Mail will increase 5.9 percent. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions.

The single-piece additional ounce price will be reduced to 15 cents, so a 2-ounce stamped letter, such as a typical wedding invitation, will cost less to mail, decreasing from 71 cents to 70 cents.

The Mailing Services price changes include:

Product   Current  New

Letters (1 oz.)   50¢ 55¢

Letters  21¢ 15¢

additional ounces

Letters  47¢ 50¢

(metered 1 oz.)

Outbound Int.

Letters (1 oz.) $1.15 $1.15

Domestic Postcards   35¢  35¢

The domestic Priority Mail Retail Flat Rate price changes are:

Product Current New

Small Flat     $7.20 $7.90

Rate Box

Medium Flat  $13.65  $14.35

Rate Box

Large Flat $18.90 $19.95

Rate Box

APO/FPO Large $17.40 $18.45

Flat Rate Box

Regular Flat $6.70 $7.35

Rate Envelope

Legal Flat $7  $7.65

Rate Envelope

Padded Flat

Rate Envelope  $7.25 $8

First-Class Package Service, a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes, will move to zone-based pricing to better align with the cost of service and improve value based on distance.

The price change tables are available on the Postal Service website at https://pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.