With the post office still struggling financially, the cost to mail a letter, bill, postcard or package will go up this weekend with the latest rate increase. Roger Humphries, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service in Omaha/Council Bluffs, says it’s the first price hike in two-and-a-half years and the new prices are effective on Sunday.

“Letters will go up a penny to 45 (cents),” Humphries says. “Postcards are going up to 32-cents and if you’re mailing to Canada or Mexico, it’s going up five cents to 85 (cents).” International mailings will go up seven-cents to a $1.05.

Prices are also going up on Priority Mail, Express Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return, International Mail, Premium Forwarding and Post Office Box services. Humphries says the Postal Service is introducing several new services, including what’s called a package intercept service.

“Oops, if you sent a package you don’t want to send, you can get it back before it’s delivered,” he says. “There is a slight fee for that and plus you’d pay priority mail pricing.” Among the other changes, the Postal Service will offer a new Express Mail Flat Rate Box where customers can ship a box overnight, anywhere in the country for $39.95, regardless of weight, up to 70 pounds.

Priority Mail will offer a discount for customers using online payment methods. New customers will also be able to rent P-O boxes for a shorter period of time, for three months instead of six.