If you own an eStore, shipping is quite an integral part of the business. If you want to reach out to your customers in a cost-effective manner, you must choose an economical way to ship your products to desired locations. USPS is one of the most affordable ways [ Compare the Shipping Cost & Estimated Delivery Date from Leading Shipping Carriers ] to ship your products. When you are planning to ship a product, it is important to figure out how the shipping rates are calculated. Calculating the shipping rates will help you understand the overall cost incurred and also help to maintain a clear and accurate budget for your business.
How do you estimate the USPS Shipping rate?
The shipping cost is mostly based on the dimensions and the weight of the package. If you are shipping a letter, estimate the weight of it. Or if you are shipping another item, then estimate the length, breadth, and height of it. After measurements are obtained, you can check for the estimated price on the USPS website depending upon the zip code. Depending upon the size, you can choose flat rate boxes or envelopes or any other standard packages, which will give you an estimated price.
USPS Domestic Shipping Rates
Like the other shipping rates, the domestic shipping rates, the USPS cost is estimated based on the dimensions and the weight of the parcel. Here are a variety of plans to help vendors choose an apt one for their shipping.
Priority Mail Express®
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $25.50 | $22.68 | $22.68 |
Features:
- Overnight delivery is guaranteed.
- Available for 365 days throughout the year.
- Delivers to most US addresses.
- Up to 70lbs no weighing or price calculation required
- One rate at any state.
- Free package pickup at your address.
- Proof of delivery upon request is provided.
- Includes insurance up to $100 on most of the shipments.
- With additional charges, overnight delivery by 10:30 PM, Sundays, or any holiday is possible.
A huge variety of Priority mailboxes and envelopes are available to ship your products which have distinguished prices upon the type of box selected.
Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $25.50 | $22.68 | $22.68 |
Features :
- Overnight delivery is guaranteed.
- A money-back guarantee is available.
- Free package pickup from home.
- Insurance up to $100 on all packages.
- Any time delivery on holidays and Sundays with extra charges.
Products:
Flat Rate Envelope:
Pricing : $22.68 commercial base & $25.50 at Post Office (retail & online)
Dimensions:12 1/2″ x 9 1/2″
Best suited for: Documents and Manuscripts
Legal Flat Rate Envelope
Pricing : $22.80 commercial base & $25.70 at the Post Office (retail & online)
Dimensions :15″ x 9 1/2″
Best suited for Legal Documents
Padded Flat Rate Envelope
Pricing : $23.18 commercial base & $26.20 at the Post Office (retail & online)
Dimensions:12 1/2″ x 9 1/2″
Best suited for Clothing, Books and even Boxed Jewelry
Priority Mail Express Open & Distribute® Service
Features:
- Pricing starts at $25.50 and is based on commercial rates.
- Fastest Domestic Service.
- No special weight until 70-lbs for pricing.
- Promote transportation for bulk mailing at a reasonable cost.
- Fast-tracking with special bar codes.
Priority Mail®
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $7.35 | $6.95 | $6.95 |
Features :
- Delivery within 1-3 business days including flat rate shipping.
- It also includes $50 insurance applied (with restrictions).
- No surcharges upon delivering on Sundays, Saturdays or even rural areas.
- A varied range of products is available for shipping your products in Priority Mail to ease your convenience.
Priority Mail Flat Rate®
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $7.35 | $6.95 | $6.95 |
Features :
- Delivery within 1,2or 3 business days.
- Easy estimate calculation on the time of delivery using the Priority Mail Delivery Map.
- No surcharges on delivery of packages on Sunday, Saturday, holidays or to specific rural locations.
- Package sizes can be determined on what kind of items are shipped from the vast list of Priority mail Shipping Products.
Prepaid Forever® Priority Mail Flat Rate
Prices are completely calculated based on package boxes selected which are listed on the USPS prepaid shipping supplies data. With Priority Mail forever Priority Mail flat rate prices, whatever product we choose at any point in time to ship, the prices do not fluctuate concerning infrequent price changes that will increase or decrease the price. The ‘Forever’ will help you ship your products at the fixed price you chose to ship.
Features :
- The maximum weight is 70lbs.
- 1-3 business days for delivery.
Priority Mail Regional Rate® Boxes
Prices start at $7.65 and additional charges incurred if postage is paid at retail.
The USPS Regional rate boxes are :
- USPS Regional Rate Box A can ship up to 15lbs and,
- USPS Regional Rate Box b can ship up to 20lbs
The rate of the shipment completely depends on the location you are sending your package to. For the same zone, regardless of the weight, the pricing is the same. It is important to note that this service is completely online
Priority Mail Open & Distribute® Service
Quicken your services using Priority Mail Open and Distribute. The prices are calculated based on distance-based prices with special barcoded labels to distinguish.
Priority Mail Return® Service
This service aims to facilitate the returns services and to expedite it to quicken the process of returning the shipment.USPS also provides various return shipment services for various shipment products based on weight, distance, products, shipping options, drop-off locations, etc. It is one of the fastest ways to return shipments with prepaid return labels. Also, at an additional fee, insurance of $5000 against the loss and damage of the product is offered.
Price : Commercial Base : $6.95 & Commercial Plus : $6.95
First-Class Mail®
Least expensive, immediate option to mail letters, postcards or even large envelopes and parcels. Delivery is within 1-3 days beginning from the date postmarked. Same day delivery is also possible for zip codes within the same area or even nearby. First-class mail forever stamps are sold for 1oz letter rate. It does not expire even if the stamp prices go up.
Note: Not eligible for refunds.
Price :
Post Office: $0.55 & Commercial Pricing : $0.383
Letters
- Prices start at $0.55 for standard-sized, rectangular envelope stamps.
- Prices start at $0.70 for square, oversized, or unusually shaped envelope stamps.
Postcards
- Prices start at $0.35 for standard-sized, rectangular postcard stamps.
- Prices start at $0.55 for Oversized postcards need letter stamps.
Features :
- Pricing is based on weight, size, and shape.
- It can easily combine other services to ensure guaranteed delivery.
- Delivery within 1-3 business days.
- Insurance on merchandise for up to $5000 for loss and damage.
- Ideal for mail up to 13 oz.
First-Class Package Service®
Ship packages weighing up to 15.99 ounces to anywhere in the US in a cost-effective way.
Features :
- No fuel charges for rural and residential deliveries.
- Delivery within 3 business days or maybe less.
- Additional charges can be availed for special deliveries to ensure delivery is prompt.
- Price : Commercial Pricing:$2.66 & Retail Pricing : $3.66
First-Class Package Return® Service
An ideal and smarter solution to ship return packages especially for high-volume shippers. The service also provides a prepaid return label to its customers.
Price: Commercial Pricing:$2.66
USPS Marketing Mail®
Most suited for bulk mailing with a minimum quantity of 200 pieces or at least 50 pounds. It is most suited to send Newsletters, bulletins, catalogs, advertisements, flyers, printed matters, small parcels, etc. The items sent are not subject to return or forward unless it is requested with a service called ancillary service endorsement.
Pricing: Commercial Pricing: $0.190
Every Door Direct Mail – Retail®
Perfect to promote small scale businesses in the close vicinity. Opening up a store or even offering some seasonal discounts, you can use EDDM to spread the news in your area using postcards, menus, or even flyers which can be sent via EDDM.
Features:
- Pricing flats up to 3.3 oz is $0.187.
- You can send up to 200 to even 5000 pieces per day per zip code.
- Ideal for small businesses, restaurants, local political campaigns, etc.
- No special mailing permits are required.
- You can easily pay online.
Parcel Select®
Get the benefit of delivering heavy or lightweight packages at extremely low rates. Using this particular class, the parcel can weigh up to 70lbs and the delivery range can be 2-8 days. The price is calculated based on weight, distance and the dimensions of the mailpiece. An annual fee for mailing is required for entry prices for destinations.
Pricing Starts: $3.13 (commercial)
Parcel Select Lightweight®
Applicable for malleable items that are not sent in Priority mailboxes. It can also contain 200 or more pieces or even 50 pounds per mailing. The delivery is precisely 3-10 days.
Pricing Starts: $1.73(commercial)
USPS Retail Ground®
Perfectly suited for mailing items that are less urgent to be delivered as well as oversized packages. The boxes are only available at USPS Post offices. Large ones are subjected to overpricing as per USPS pricing rules.
Pricing Starts: $7.35(postal)
Parcel Return Service
Perfect for small and large parcels. Delivery is expected within 2-9 days.
Pricing Starts: $2.90(postal)
Ground Return Service
The price of this service is based on per piece or on the number of labels scanned. No minimum quantity on the return package.
- Delivery Time is 2-9 days.
- Drop-off items at Post office, collection boxes or even allow picking up packages.
- Pricing Starts: $6.95(commercial)
Media Mail®
A cost-effective way to send all your media-related stuff and even educational materials. The things that you can send using Media Mail are: Books, Printed education charts, music, and test materials, Medical loose-leaf pages and binders, video and sound recordings and even computer-related media. The only items that are restricted are Digital and computer drives and video games.
Prices : Commercial : $1.97 & Postal : $2.75
Bound Printed Matter
The items that are to be shipped using bound printed matter are more of catalogs, printed directory sheets, phone books, etc. To qualify in that category, the pages must be bound together using glue, clips or anything that keeps the pages together. Mostly done by printing and publishing companies to ship their materials. Delivery on orders can be expected within 2-8 business days.
Library Mail
Books, recording, museum and educational materials can be shipped using Library Mail. Mostly used by universities, schools, colleges, museums, etc. or even non-profit organizations and individuals who are not interested in any kind of sale or promotion. Minimum 2-8 business days to deliver the items is required.
Pre-requesite : 300 or more addressed pieces.
Prices : Commercial : $1.87 & Postal : $2.61
Periodicals
Any kind of material whose primary purpose is to transmit information through periodicals, newspapers, magazines, etc. are shipped using Periodical class mail.
Features :
- No guaranteed delivery within a specific period.
- Periodicals must be published at a marked frequency minimum of 4 a year.
- Continuity must be ensured and published on every issue.
- Only Original contents posted.
- PS Form 3500 is filled before using Periodicals Class Mail for Periodical Privileges.
USPS International Shipping Rates
Prices for international shipments again vary for USPS. Here are varied USPS international Shipping rates and their details.
Global Express Guaranteed®
It offers the fastest international shipping with a date-certain as well as money-back guaranteed service. Delivery within 1-3 business days. FedEx Express offers international delivery and transportation. Allows shipping to around 190 countries with an efficient tracking system.
Restrictions
Max Weight: 70 lbs
Max length and girth combined: 108 inches
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $25.50 | $22.68 | $22.68 |
Priority Mail Express International®
Ship our products to almost 190 countries hassle-free. The shipment delivery date is within 3-5 business days. You can easily send packages up to 70lbs. It also includes a free pick up from your destination. It is a high speed and reliable service.
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $44.00 | $42.00 | $42.00 |
Priority Mail Express International Flat Rate
Packages are charged based on a destination rather than a weight or dimension. Packages are delivered within 3-5 business days. The minimum price starts at $44.50.
Priority Mail International®
A cost-effective way to send merchandise and documents.
Features :
- Estimated delivery within 6-10 days.
- Packages can be shipped at flat rates.
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $34.30 | $32.59 | $32.59 |
Priority Mail International Flat Rate
Offers reliable and affordable delivery within 6-10 business days. Even free shipping supplies are also possible. The boxes can also be shipped at flat-rate prices. It also includes efficient USPS tracking. a minimum of 70lbs is required. It offers varied options for shipping in various sizes and shapes to help ship small to big items.
Envelopes
- Prices start from $25.85 at the Post Office
- From $24.55 for Commercial Base
- Prices start at $24.55 for Commercial Plus
Small Flat Rate Boxes
- At the Post Office, the price starts at $26.85
- From $25.50 for Commercial Base.
- For the Commercial Plus from $25.50.
Medium Flat Rate Boxes
- Price starts at $49.60 at Post Office
- From $47.10 for Commercial Base
- For Commercial Plus the price is from $ 47.10.
Large Flat Rate Boxes
- From $64.50 at the Post Office
- Pricing begins at $61.30 for Commercial Base
- From $61.30 for the Commercial Plus
First-Class Mail International®
The most affordable way to send postcards, letters, etc. It can be used to ship to almost 190 countries and even Canada. Global Forever Stamps can be used to send mail weighing more than 1oz. Delivery speed depends on the location.No tracking is provided.
First-Class Package International Service®
One of the best options to send packages weighing less than 4 pounds. Generally, the products are delivered within 7-12 days.
| Plan | Post Office | Commercial base | Commercial Plus |
| Prices | $10.50 | $9.98 | $9.98 |
Airmail M-Bags
Send your large amounts of airmails in bulk using this service at an affordable price. The M-bag signifies a sack of printed materials, which can be books, advertisements that are addressed to a single location or address. Upon sending the items must be placed in one-or-more individual bags. Pricing starts from $49.90.
International Priority Airmail®
Like Airmail M-bags, these are packed in bulk and delivered at International Service Centers (ISC). It is subjected to a 5-pound minimum price. The package is not insured or registered.
International Surface Air Lift®
Mail your first class international items at a cost affordable way using the International Surface Air Lift. It includes ISAL M bags that are used for bulk mailing services. Usually, these shipments are shipped at a non-priority mail system to an international location and then distributed from there accordingly.
International Business Reply® Service
An easy way to reply to the sender with prepaid envelopes and cards at no cost.
Conclusion
USPS offers a wide range of services to make shipping affordable for anyone to any location. WordPress WooCommerce eStore vendors can also employ efficient USPS tracking for their eStore to display the shipping and tracking to their customers promptly. For this, they can make use of the popular ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin with USPS shipment and tracking and print label plugin.
Further Reading
