Tuesday January 14, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
Economic analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Canada Post stamp prices are higher as of January 13, 2025.
Mailing letters with a stamp affixed now costs more. Parcel delivery prices are also higher.
As of January 13, the price of letter-mail stamps has gone up by 29 cents to $1.44 per stamp (or $1.24 per stamp if purchased in a booklet).
Stamps purchased in a booklet, coil or pane will cost 25 cents more at $1.24 per stamp. The price of a single domestic stamp is now $1.44, up from $1.15.
“For the last decade, Canada Post has kept regulated letter mail rate increases to a minimum,” said Canada Post in their January 13, 2025 news release.
Cost perspective:
It’s still a bargain to mail a letter that could travel hundreds or thousands of miles for a price that is less than a cup of coffee. In that context, Canada Post should not be shy about future increases as they continue to struggle with revenue shortfalls.
Permanent stamps:
PERMANENT stamps are identified with the letter P instead of a value are always accepted at the current domestic postage rate.
If you have a PERMANENT stamp, you can use it at any time now or in the future, even if the rates have increased.
Old stamps:
Older domestic stamps that display values instead of the letter P that PERMANENT stamps display can still be used.
If the added value of your stamps is equal to or greater than the current stamp rate, you can use them to send your mail.
Needed for revenue:
Canada Post proposed the hike in September, estimating it would generate about $80 million in additional gross revenue in 2025.
Canada Post is a crown corporation but does not receive direct government funding or support.
Revenues for the corporation have been steadily decreasing since 2018, as the impact of digitization in communications (i.e. use of the Internet, online banking, etc) digs deeper.
“Every year, there are fewer letters to deliver to more addresses, which adds significant cost pressures to the Corporation on top of continued inflationary pressures,” reads the Canada Post news release.
This behooves a deeper look at ways to restructure the service obligations of Canada Post to align with what Canadian households and businesses need in the way of postal service.
The postal workers strike that lasted a month (November 15 to December 16, 2024) impacted revenues and eroded small business relationships given the reliance of many small businesses on parcel delivery services by Canada Post.
===== RELATED:
- Canada Post domestic parcel service now fully restored (January 7, 2025)
- Canada Post delivery service restoration still underway (January 4, 2025)
- Canada Post: all backlogged parcels now in the system (December 21, 2024)
- Canada Post worker strike highlights corporate slack (November 30, 2024)
- NEWS SECTIONS: BUSINESS & ECONOMY