USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Shipping Costs

[badbriar]

This note is to inform / educate many here that believe shipping to the 49th and 50th states is higher in cost than the lower 48. That thinking is not correct - it's the same flat rate to all states, Hawaii and Alaska included. This is, if the shipper uses USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes or Envelopes.

I just shipped a pipe in a trade from Florida to Alaska at the same cost as if I has sent the same box across town here.

Hope this helps, as I see often times when someone has items to sell that state 'Lower 48 Only".
No need to fear, it's all the good 'ole USA!
(BTW - good trade there, Boomer!)

Best,
Rob R.

 

[mso489]

Good point. Using those flat rate boxes requires some attention. In some cases, if you send something heavy that will fit in a flat-rate box, you can save real money. However, the boxes come in several (three?) sizes that will work with some packages and not others, so it is not always possible to use them. Likewise, if time is not a concern, you can often send a package first class, not priority, and it will arrive maybe only one day later. It's always worth checking out, but not suitable for every package or situation. When it works, it's a good savings.

 

[jndyer]

That is good to know, especially for our friends in Alaska and Hawaii.

 

[RonB]

I'm not sure why, but I seemed to pay more for Priority Mail when I was sending it across the country instead of half way across the country. Possibly because I typically use my own boxes instead of USPS boxes - even when mailing priority mail? It's always cheaper if I reuse an old Amazon box, for example.

"For certain classes of mail the price is determined by how far the mailpiece travels to get to its destination: the farther it travels the more you pay in postage. The actual distance is measured by "zones." Zones range from Zone 1 (local, close to you) to Zone 9 (very far away from you). The farther the mail goes, the more zones it crosses, and the more postage you pay.

First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail, Library Mail, and Media Mail are not zoned. That means you pay the same price no matter where your mail is going. What a great deal!

Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Retail Ground, and Bound Printed Matter are all zoned.

The Postal Service offers various domestic Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail Flat Rate mailing options for items sent in USPS-produced Flat Rate packaging, regardless of weight (up to 70 lbs.) or destination.

Priority Mail Express has two Flat Rate Boxes and three Flat Rate Envelopes, and Priority Mail has various Flat Rate Boxes and Flat Rate Envelopes that can be mailed at their respected Flat Rate prices. Additionally, the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box sent to APO/FPO and DPO destination addresses is available for an even lower price. All other (non-Flat Rated) Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail prices are based on the item's weight and zone."

 

[Sjmiller CPG]

USPS will also deliver Priority Mail flat rate boxes to you for free.

 

[pantsBoots]

This note is to inform / educate many here that believe shipping to the 49th and 50th states is higher in cost than the lower 48. That thinking is not correct - it's the same flat rate to all states, Hawaii and Alaska included. This is, if the shipper uses USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes or Envelopes.

I just shipped a pipe in a trade from Florida to Alaska at the same cost as if I has sent the same box across town here.

Hope this helps, as I see often times when someone has items to sell that state 'Lower 48 Only".
No need to fear, it's all the good 'ole USA!
(BTW - good trade there, Boomer!)

Best,
Rob R.

Good to know. Was a time maybe 15 years ago that wasn't the case.

 

[scloyd]

If I'm shipping one pipe or one tin of tobacco to the lower 48 it's cheaper to send it 1st class parcel, you still get tracking and it usually arrives in 3-4 days, sometimes sooner.

If shipping a heavier object, it's definitely better to ship priority.

 

[BarrelProof]

If I'm shipping one pipe or one tin of tobacco to the lower 48 it's cheaper to send it 1st class parcel, you still get tracking and it usually arrives in 3-4 days, sometimes sooner.

If shipping a heavier object, it's definitely better to ship priority.

And sometimes first class is the better option from up here, too. It always pays to pay attention to the options. I have seen it where the first class option is half the cost of flat rate priority and only a day later, with tracking.

But for the most part, at least as Alaska is concerned, that USPS flat rate priority is a godsend.