One thing we know for sure about the United States Postal Service is, the prices increase all of the time. And that’s just as frustrating to business owners and casual shippers.
When you’re preparing to ship a package with the USPS, it’s always helpful to be aware of the shipping options available. In this blog post, I’ll cover the different types of shipping methods, as well as some tips for saving money when shipping with the USPS.
Cheapest USPS Shipping Method In 2022
In terms of pricing, USPS First-Class Package Service is the cheapest option for packages weighing up to 13 ounces as of 2022. For letters and large envelopes, First-Class Mail Service offers the best rates. Media Mail provides some of USPS’ cheapest rates and is the most affordable option for mailing books. When it comes to Priority Mail, cubic pricing is the cheapest option.
The remainder of this article will reveal the cost advantages of using the USPS services.
1. USPS First-Class Package Service
When it comes to sending lightweight items, USPS’ First-Class Package Service is the cheapest option.
If your business receives large amounts of mail, you can upgrade your USPS account to an account that allows you to send large packages.
With that, Shipping rate is determined by the shipping zone and the weight of the package.
As a result,
price ranges
are
$4.50 for a one-ounce package traveling to zone one or two
and
$7.65 for a thirteen-ounce package traveling to zone nine.
When something can ship for free, the shipping is generally free. Usually you have a flat rate of $15 for shipping to most countries, and a flat rate of $25+ for countries outside the US.
For example, a 20-gigabit wireless router is generally $49.99+, but can often be had for $39.99.
2. First-Class Mail Service
First-Class Mail is a completely different service than First-Class Package Delivery.
We are all familiar with the concept of First-Class Package Service and First-Class Mail Service. But there are several types of mail service in the U.S.
The first thing these services offer is free standard shipping, and you can get to choose the carrier, which is good news for you.
When you send a letter, you can choose from a wide array of formats and weights to create the perfect looking postcard.
The mail system is a major part of U.S. diplomacy, so don’t let you
mail be caught in the crossfire.
You can expect the smallest envelopes to be the most expensive, as the postmaster often gives preference to those customers.
After placing your order, it could be taken anywhere from one to five business days to be delivered.
3. Media Mail
As its name implies, the Media Mail service allows you to ship educational and media materials, like music, books, and CDs.
Because you’re providing an educational service, you may qualify for the cheapest postage rates.
Because of this, the postal service will charge you extra if your package weighs more than that.
If you choose to ship using FedEx or UPS, you can expect to pay anywhere from $7-$18. For these services, you should be looking to ship the same or next business day if you plan on making an emergency purchase. If you leave it up to the day of shipping, you may be better off leaving the item at the post office.
It is possible that your package takes longer to arrive because Media Mail is not a regular postal service. If your mail is lost or damaged, or if you are experiencing other problems, please contact us immediately.
4. Priority Mail
The United States Post Office has the most affordable shipping service that’s also the first-class service. It has a limit of 70 pounds on packages.
– Flat rate: You can choose between one of the two, then pay for your order.
– Weight and distance: You can choose your preferred method of shipping.
Usually, Flat Rate pricing works best for smaller packages. If you have a lot of stuff, it’s better to pay based on weight.
I recommend going with a more compact package like [this on eBay].
It’s important to keep in mind that packages sent via Flat Rate boxes are sent via a specific carrier so that they can be handled and delivered at a specific price, whereas Standard Post, which is the carrier used for our regular Priority Mail, may cost more or less. Also, Flat Rate is a box, so its size may add or subtract some weight and cost from the package.
To qualify for a Flat Rate Box, your envelope(s) must weigh less than 2 pounds, and it must be mailed first class or Priority Mail. We’re not all that sure what the official postage costs are for these Flat Rate mailings, as the U.S. Postal Service does not track the cost per piece.
Here’s what you can expect when you select a package that has a Non-Flat Rate.
It can only be seen on the product page, where the price might differ.
To see why the post office can actually save your money, check out what they are offering. Knowing what’s the best rate can be a challenge so head to the post office and have a clerk crunch the numbers for you.
Typically, the shipping time on Priority Mail is approximately between one to three business days, however, delivery may take longer than this.
5. Priority Mail Cubic
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When packages are sent using this service, they are priced based on their outer dimensions rather than their weight.
If you order less than 20 pounds, you can have packages shipped by USPS for free or for a small fee.
Priority Mail Cubic has multiple tiers, from 0.1 to 0.5, and your shipping fee depends on the cubic tier your package fits into.
Thankfully, you can calculate your cubic tier using this formula: (Length x Width x Height) / 1728.
You can expect your Priority Mail items to arrive between one to three business days.
If you are shipping internationally, you might need a third-party shipping software like The Pitney Bowes, stamps.com, or DHL Shipping Software.
What Is The Least Expensive Way To Ship With USPS?
While you are thinking about it, you can choose the shipping method that will cover your current package and will give you the most affordable price or the cheapest shipping option.
This is always true as long as it the same package/size. If you are sending a single DVD or a single USB drive with the same weight and size, it will always be cheaper.
Mailing books or other educational materials is cheaper and faster thanks to Media Mail.
Your package is small and your package is heavy, your package is small and heavy, but this particular one is a small and heavy one.
How Can I Ship With USPS For Free?
Well, we’ve established that it’s not possible. But what we can do is pay to have it shipped via the US Postal Service. With their express service and other amenities, it’s still much cheaper than Amazon.
In general, we could say that the USPS is like any other business though…
USPS offers several free services that you can use to streamline your mailbox and save your postal money.
A package supply center for your school or company is a great way to save money and make sure your packages get to their destination on time.
As for USPS, they offer the option for free shipping in the US, and they offer free access to their Click-N-Ship portal for those in the US.
Is It Cheaper To Ship USPS With Your Own Box?
As a business owner, it’s always better to use your own packaging to save money. That said, if you have friends who work for the USPS or the military and/or have a high volume of custom, this might be worth using their packaging.
When using a mailing service, make sure you use their packaging–it may be more than enough for your needs.
So it depends, as in you can decide how much it will cost you, but we did find some free shipping options.
USPS Flat Rate envelopes are usually the cheapest option – but you should use your own envelope if your parcel weighs exactly one pound and travels locally.
You do not need to use a mailing envelope from Kinko’s. You can simply put the package on top of your letter.
Packages under 20 pounds, ship within the United States via Flat Rate Boxes, and a box for the rest of the world.
If you want to know more, we have published a couple of posts on the fastest USPS shipping method, does USPS ship to Singapore, and USPS shipping restrictions.
Conclusion
If you’re in the market to save money on shipping, you can definitely do it without spending a lot of money.
To make things easier, you should remember that First-Class Package Service is the most affordable for lightweight packages.
In comparison, U.S. Postage is the cheapest for shipping books, whereas “certified mail” is the best for everything else.
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