Postage Rates Rising, But Not For Most Letters

WASHINGTON (AP) - The post office is raising its rates starting Sunday but don't worry, mailing that recipe to Aunt Mary or the birthday card to Uncle Joe won't cost any more.

That's because the 44-cent price for sending a basic first-class letter will stay the same.

What's going up are other postal charges, such as the cost to send that advertising that floods your mailbox, magazines and heavier items such as letters that weigh more than one ounce.

The 44-cent first-class rate is for the first ounce of a letter. If it weighs more than that, the second and third ounces will now cost 20-cents each - up from 17 cents currently.

And the cost of a post card goes up a penny, to 29 cents.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)