New Policy Expected on Periodical Rates

The Postal Rate Commission has approved a plan that allows charities to choose what rates they will pay on their postage for periodicals: commercial or non-profit.

The move came after the Postal Service acknowledged that it had made a mistake on periodical rates when it overhauled rates in January. That acknowledgment came after charities complained, saying that they were paying significantly more to mail magazines and periodicals at the non-profit rate than they would have paid under commercial postage rates (The Chronicle, April 8).

The Postal Service asked the commission to approve its proposal to let non-profit groups determine which rates would provide the lowest charges for their mailings and then use those.

The solution has one more hurdle before it can take effect: It must be passed when the Postal Service’s Board of Governors meets this week.

The Board of Governors is also expected to decide on another issue that some charities are anxious about: whether they will be able to claim a full refund for the extra postage they have paid since January.