Mail delivery is about to get slower and more expensive ahead of the holiday season.
- Starting Friday, the Postal Service will "implement new service standards" for first-class mail and periodicals - slowing its target delivery time by about 30%, according to a USPS spokesperson.
- The changes will result in increased time for some pieces of mail to go cross-country and other long distances.
- Additionally, starting October 3 through December 26, prices will temporarily increase on all commercial and retail domestic packages because of the holidays.
It's all part of the Postal Service's 10-year strategic plan announced in March, which includes using more ground transportation which officials told NPR, is more "reliable and cost-effective" than air transportation.
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