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Washington, DC—Retailers and consumers alike are going to find both the time and cost of getting holiday packages to their destination going up.

Starting Friday, October 1, the U.S. Postal Service will implement “new service standards for first class mail and periodicals,” according to a USA Today article, and like 2020, will be implementing a holiday surcharge for packages.

Presently, the delivery times for first class mail and first class packages are the same—up to three days—but that’s about to change. The Postal Service defines first class mail as standard-size letters and “flats,” which is different from first-class packages. Those are typically small and light; for instance, a size that could include jewelry. 

Beginning October 3 through December 26, the cost for mailing packages domestically is going up as well. Packages sent by Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select, USPS Retail Ground and Parcel Return Service will be impacted by the holiday surcharge, with increases starting at 25 cents per package (Zones 1-4, up to 10 lbs.) and going up to $5 per package (Zones 5-9, 21-70 lbs.) International packages are excluded. 

A complete chart detailing the price increases and expected delivery times is available here.