Australia Post welcomes the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) final decision to not object to a proposed price increase for reserved ordinary letter services, including a change in the Basic Postage Rate (BPR) from $1.70 to $1.85.
The proposed increase will take effect on 1 September 2026, subject to finalisation of regulatory processes.
To support customers, concession and seasonal greeting stamps will remain unchanged at 60 cents and 65 cents respectively, the same prices they have been for more than a decade. Australia Post has also increased the number of concession stamps eligible customers can purchase each year, from 50 to 75.
The ongoing decline in letter volumes has now reached levels not seen in Australia since the late 1930s. Today, fewer than 3% of letters are sent by consumers, with the majority mailed by businesses and government agencies. As customers and businesses increasingly shift to digital alternatives, letter volumes continue to fall. Australia Post is not alone in facing this challenge, with this letter decline being experienced by international postal operators worldwide.
On average, Australian households purchase five full rate stamps each year and the cost impact of this increase is expected to be an extra 75 cents annually. Australians will continue to have some of the lowest stamp prices in the OECD.
Charities will continue to be able to access a heavily discounted Charity Mail service.
Australia Post remains committed to maintaining a sustainable, accessible letters service for all Australians, while adapting to the ongoing structural decline in letter volumes and increasing number of delivery points.
