NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Snail mail prices are creeping up.

Starting January 27, the price of a first-class stamp will increase one cent to 46 cents, the Postal Service announced Thursday. Postcard postage will rise one cent as well, to 33 cents.

Guess that means media mail will go up again.

The proposal is 2.53 for the first pound Media Mail, and 45 cents for each pound thereafter.

Oh, and be glad we don't do international shipping--those rates are going up 50-60%!

All packages will now get automatic delivery confirmation though, 

I'm not sure Media Mail will get free DC--the article I read said that all "competitive services" would have free DC, and I don't think Media Mail (or Library Rate, or 3rd Class) are comsidered competitive.  Think about it--are they really going to give free DC to what everyone calls "junk mail"?

Not sure I'd consider Library or Media Mail to be junk mail...the majority of the time, items shipped this rate were requested and/or purchased.

Sorry--I didn't mean to mail imply media mail or library mail was junk, just to give another example of a rate class that won't be getting tracking.

soooo, everyone needs to buy some forever stamps before the hike!

From a USPS Newslink posted on 10/11/12 at 4:15pm...

"Free tracking will be offered to all competitive packages, including retail Priority Mail and Parcel Post (recently renamed Standard Post)."

Hopefully that means Media Mail too.

Parcel Post and Media Mail are both subclasses of Package Services so I am not sure where Media Mail fits, but I wouldn't have thought it was a "competitive" service.

Is there a list somewhere of what the new international rates will be? It already costs a small fortune to ship anywhere besides Canada :( 

Here are the proposed rates for international flat rate boxes: 

Canada All Other Countries
Flat Rate Envelopes 19.95 23.95
Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes 19.95 23.95
Medium Flat Rate Boxes 40.95 59.95
Large Flat Rate Boxes 53.95 77.95

Just like everthing else going up..... However for all of thoes people who are complaining about the price

 of postage going up, not that any posts I have seen are complaints..... I  don't think anyone could get

  that card, letter, box of books, or 1 book for the price we pay to mail them.  I guess when I think about it

like that then is doesn't seem so bad.... What makes me mad is what is cost me to drive to the post office.

Tracking numbers are not really a way of ensuring the post office will deliver the item - it's only a way of telling the other person you have mailed\

the book - Personally I have had two books lost by the post office and they really don't do anything about it (both sent with tracking numbers - not counting one sent to me from a member of PBS that  was never delivered (but I got my credit back)