The United States Postal Service is making changes for 2026, including the postmark process â which could mean late fees and penalties for anyone mailing time-sensitive documents such as tax returns or bill payments.
That's not all; rising shipping rates and post office modernization also are on the way for the new year.
While the cost of a First-Class Mail stamp, currently $0.78, is not set to rise at this time, shipping costs for Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select rates are all expected to go up, effective Jan. 18, 2026.
A branch of U.S. Post Office is seen in St. Charles, Ill.
USPS also announced redesigned, technology-forward lobbies are coming to retail locations nationwide in a modernization push that officials say will make post office visits faster, easier and more convenient for customers to ship and pick up mail.
âModernizing our retail spaces is about meeting customers where they are today,â Tracy Raymond, director of retail operations, said in a news release. âPeople expect speed, clarity and technology-driven convenience â and thatâs what our new lobbies deliver, while still offering the trusted, in-person attention that defines the Postal Service.â
The upgraded post office lobbies will feature 24/7 smart lockers, enhanced self-service kiosks, Rapid Drop mobile app, digital information displays, streamlined layouts, and provide more government service hub options such as passports, fingerprinting and identity proofing.
Here's what to know.
What is a postmark?
A USPS postmark is an official mark that shows where and when mail was accepted by the Postal Service. It used to include the date when it was dropped it in a mailbox or at the post office counter.
The USPS said it added a new section to its Domestic Mail Manual to define what postmarks are and describe "the circumstances under which those markings are applied."
Postmarks shows letters were processed in Sacramento, Calif.
In the new "rule" posted to the Federal Register, USPS said a postmark reflects the date an envelope is first processed by an automated USPS sorting machine, which potentially could be days after it was dropped off â not the actual drop-off date.
"Postmarks will continue to be applied to Single-Piece First Class Mail pieces, both letter-shaped and flat-shaped, in the same manner and to the same extent as before," the USPS said.
How will it affect you?
The new rule took effect Dec. 24 and affects mail dropped in a mailbox or blue postal box where postmarks will be applied at regional sorting facilities so the date stamped will be when the processing begins, not when you mailed it.
Tax payments, charitable contributions, legal filings, rent payments and other bills or items that rely on postmark dates for deadlines can be affected by later postmarks and risk late fees, penalties or delinquency.
Time-sensitive mail should be mailed several days before deadline, or the USPS says you can go inside a post office and ask for a hand-stamped postmark on the date you mail it.
A tool at usps.com/service-standards allows you to enter the ZIP codes of where you're mailing something and where it's going, along with when you plan to mail it, to estimate delivery time.
A U.S. Postal Service self-service postage and mailing kiosk is seen inside a post office in Port Charlotte, Fla.
What about ballots?
In its "Official Election Mail communication" to election offices, USPS said it plans to include specific information on the new postmarks section in the post office manual as well as "practical advice on mail-in voting consistent with prior advice (i.e., that voters mail their completed ballots before Election Day and at least one week before it must be received by their election office)."
"We have informed our customers who choose to vote by mail that they can 'ensure that a postmark is applied to (their) return ballot by visiting a Postal Service retail (location) and requesting a postmark from a retail associate when dropping off the ballot,'" it said.
When do rates go up?
The increase in USPS shipping rates is set to take effect Jan. 18. Prices are based on the package's weight and the distance it is shipped.
- Priority Mail prices, which start at $10.45 per package and $11.90 for flat-rate Priority Mail envelope, are expected to increase 6.6%.
- Priority Mail Express packages, which start at $32.50 and flat rate envelopes start at $33.40, are expected to increase by 5.1%.
- USPS Ground Advantage, which starts at $7.20, is expected to increase by 7.8%.
- Parcel Select is expected to increase by 6%.
The standard First-Class Mail letter rate for USPS or cost of a postage stamp is $0.78 for the first ounce and goes up $0.29 per additional ounce. This price went in effect in July 2025. The next possible price change is anticipated in mid-2026.
