Sent any business-related mailings lately? Notice anything different? Like a lighter wallet, perhaps?

The U.S. Postal Service has raised its rates by about 1.7 percent overall, with most of the higher rates impacting businesses. The increases are meant to boost the bottom line for the financially struggling USPS, but the Associated Press says the impact will be minimal.

"The post office has been struggling financially as the Internet siphons off a lot of letters, bills and payments that it used to handle. And that has been complicated by the nation's economic slump, which reduced advertising mail," the AP reports. "The agency lost $8.5 billion last year and the rate increases — estimated to bring in an added $340 million this fiscal year — won't make much of a dent in that. The Postal Service is limited to increases at or below the rate of inflation. A request to exceed that was rejected by the independent Postal Regulatory Commission. The post office, which is not subsidized by taxes, is appealing that ruling, but in the meantime is instituting this increase."

Here are the new rates, sent to MACPA Multimedia Manager Julia Delligatti by the folks at HBP Inc. Thanks, everyone!

• First-class postcard (up to 1 ounce): $0.29 each, up from $0.28
• First-class letter (up to 1 ounce): $0.44 each, unchanged
• First-class letter (more than 1 ounce, up to 2 ounces): $0.64 each, up from $0.61
• First-class flat (up to 1 ounce): $0.88 each, unchanged
• First-class flat (more than 1 ounce, up to 2 ounces): $1.08 each, up from $1.05
• Presorted first-class postcard (up to 1 ounce): $0.235 each, up from $0.230
• Presorted first-class letter (up to 1 ounce): $0.390 each, up from $0.382
• Presorted first-class letter (more than 1 ounce, up to 2 ounces): $0.515 each, up from $0.507
• Presorted first-class flat (up to 1 ounce): $0.725 each, unchanged
• Presorted first-class flat (more than 1 ounces, up to 2 ounces): $0.895 each, unchanged
• Presorted standard letter (up to 3.3 ounces): $0.273 each, up from $0.270
• Presorted standard flat (up to 3.3 ounces): $0.492 each, down from $0.496                     
• Non-profit standard letter (up to 3.3 ounces): $0.168 each, down from $0.169
• Non-profit standard flat (up to 3.3 ounces): $0.355 each, down from $0.362
• Bound, printed matter parcel, Zone 8 (up to 1 pound): $2.89 each, up from $2.88