UPDATE 1-Philip Morris USA ups Marlboro, other brand prices

(Adds company spokesman comment, background, changes dateline from NEW YORK)

CHICAGO, May 2 (Reuters) - Philip Morris USA on Friday effectively raised the price on Marlboro, Basic, L&M and most of its other cigarette brands by 9 cents a pack.

The company raised the price on Marlboro, Basic and L&M by reducing the off-invoice promotional discount given to wholesalers on those brands by 9 cents a pack. The company increased the list price on the other brands. Reductions in promotional discounts are typically passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

The average convenience-store price for a pack of Marlboros, the top-selling U.S. brand, had been $4.27 in the first quarter, according to Philip Morris spokesman David Sylvia.

The unit of Altria Group Inc (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) also reduced the off-invoice promotional allowance on Parliament cigarettes by 20 cents a pack, effectively raising prices on those cigarettes as well.

Philip Morris has made several price increases on various brands in the past year, as have other cigarette makers.

The last price increase on Marlboro came in September, when Philip Morris cut the off-invoice promotional discount on that brand and three others by 5 cents, Sylvia said.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman in Chicago; writing by Martinne Geller, editing by Richard Chang)