The Postal Rate Commission(PRC) on March 22 formally accepted the terms of the negotiated settlement between the U.S. Postal Service and different mailing concerns for an overall 7.7% postage increase on average that’s expected to take effect June 30. Standard Mail, the mail classification used for most bulk catalog mailings, will increase 6%-10%, with some catalog rates rising as little as 6.2%. The groundwork of the unprecedented rate settlement was laid out by the USPS mailing groups earlier this year after PRC chairman George Omas initially proposed it last fall.