New from USPS: Priority Mail Padded Envelopes, Regional Rate Boxes

Save on Shipping: Priority Mail Padded Envelopes, Regional Rate Boxes
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
February 06, 2011


While postage rates continue to rise (the U.S. Postal Service plans another rate hike in April), the USPS has also introduced some new products that can help online sellers save money. One example is the new Padded Flat Rate Priority Mail envelope. Online booksellers and merchants selling small items that need to arrive quickly are evaluating the new envelopes. The service costs the same as the regular Flat Rate Priority Mail envelope, and depending on what you're shipping, may save you money on bubble wrap or special mailers.

Another innovation is the Priority Mail Regional Rate box, and sellers in the U.S. may be able to save money if they are a commercial customer or online shipper (for example, Click-N-Ship, ShipRush, Endicia.com, Stamps.com, etc.). Priority Mail Regional Rate can be used to ship small, dense packages short distances that need to arrive in 2-3 days, and all extra services that are available for Priority Mail can be used with the Regional Rate boxes as well.

Postage is calculated based on the appropriate zone and depends on which of the two types of boxes are used (each type of Regional Rate box comes in two styles, top loading and side loading).

Box A has a 15-pound maximum weight limit.
Box B has a 20-pound maximum weight limit.
Stamps.com Director of Online Marketing Eric Nash said Stamps.com does not yet have Regional Rates but will be adding the option this month - he said Regional Rate Boxes have been one of the top feature requests since their debut on January 2. Nash said that, overall, Regional Rate boxes are a great deal for shippers. He had two observations that make for good rules of thumb:

Priority Mail Regional Rate versus Priority Mail (Not Flat Rate)
1) Regional Rate Box A is exactly the same price as a 2 pound regular Priority Mail (not Flat Rate) package, Nash said, so anything more than 2 pounds that can fit in the Regional Rate box saves the shipper money.

2) Regional Rate Box B is exactly the same price as a 4 pound Priority Mail (not Flat Rate) package, so anything more than 4 pounds that can fit in the Regional Rate box saves the shipper money.

You can review the Priority Mail Rates here. Of course, it's also important to compare Priority Mail Regional Rate with Flat Rate boxes:

The Regional Rate and Flat Rate boxes are described below. Keep in mind the rules of thumb described above, and you may save on postage costs!

The Four Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes
Remember, Regional Rates are only available to commercial customers or those using online postage - you can't get these rates at the post office window ("retail").

Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A - Side Loading (15-pound maximum weight)
Inside Dimensions: 10 15/16" x 2 3/8" x 12 13/ 16"
Outside Dimensions: 11 1/16" x 2 1/2" x 13 1/16"

Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A - Top Loading (15-pound maximum weight)
Inside Dimensions: 10" x 7" x 4 3/4"
Outside Dimensions: 10 1/8" x 7 1/8" x 5"

Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B - Side Loading (20-pound maximum weight)
Inside Dimensions: 14 3/8" x 2 2/8" x 15 7/8"
Outside Dimensions: 14 1/2" x 3" x 16 1/4"

Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B - Top Loading (20-pound maximum weight)
Inside Dimensions: 12" x 10 1/4" x 5"
Outside Dimensions: 12 1/4" x 10 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes

Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box - $5.20 (8-5/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-5/8")
Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box (FRB1) - $10.95 (11" x 8-1/2" x 5-1/2")
Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box (FRB2) - $10.95 (13-5/8" x 11-7/8" x 3-3/8")
Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box (Domestic Addresses) - $14.95 (12" x 12" x 5-1/2")
Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box (APO/FPO/DPO Destinations) - $12.95 (12" x 12" x 5-1/2")
Priority Mail Regional Rate versus Priority Mail Flat Rate
Rafael Zimberoff, ShipRush Product Manager, said the regional boxes are great if you are within a few zones of the recipient. "In practice, this means those in the middle of the country can use them almost without thinking for shipments in the lower 48. Those of us on the coasts need to turn on our thinking caps, and work out when the Regional box is a better deal than flat rate boxes, and why."


Just FYI .....

Thank you for posting this. A couple days ago I received a package using a regonal rate box and wondered about it, but was too lazy to plow through the USPS site exploring. Now I buckled down and did a sample search using the weight and distance involved with my package. From what I can tell, the shipper saved approximately $2.00 using the regional rate box. By the way, the shipper was in New Jersey and I'm in Texas, approximately 1,500 miles apart, so even at that relatively great distance the regional rate box saved him money. It was slightly under 5#, small and dense.

I'm not sure what a "commercial shipper" is. I HOPE it includes those of us who buy shipping labels online at PPal. A couple days ago I was surprised to see PP charging me 97 cents less than I expected to send a just-under-4-pound Priority Mail package to Austin, TX, 200 miles from me. I wonder if PPal gave me regional rates even though I didn't use a regional rate box.

Thanks for the info., but I'll stick to the PM boxes for fragile jewelry items; I 've had a few too many bad experiences, (from the buyer and seller end), with padded envelopes to chance using them again for anything fragile.

Books would be OK, but I ship them media mail/1st class international. Will keep this in mind if I ship other, non-fragile smalls. :)

Best wishes for many sales to all,

Am I right in thinking that sellers in the USA are no longer allowed to send flat rate envelopes "stuffed"? That's what I have been told from one of my favourite fabric shops where she (as a clever packer) was able to get ten yards of fabric in neatly (thereby reducing the postage costs per yard considerably). She is not a happy bunny about it , as now the maximum is likely to be three yards - when the slogan used to be - "If it fits - it ships!"

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I'm not sure what a "commercial shipper" is. I HOPE it includes those of us who buy shipping labels online at PPal.

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Glad it helped!:) As for a 'commercial shipper'...that I'm unclear on also...if you do a check at the usps site please let me know, K?

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Am I right in thinking that sellers in the USA are no longer allowed to send flat rate envelopes "stuffed"?

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Well, that sort of depends on what you call 'stuffed'!!:0 According to the USPS, flat-rate envelopes can 'bulge' as long as they are anchored properly along the tape line (make sense?) Now when it comes to the poly-bags we all use for books and small clothing, etc., I pack those babies as full as I can get 'em...never had one rejected yet.

What is touted as savings here is not in 99% of cases

They start out by suggesting books in Priority Mail when in fact they can ship much cheaper via Media

Priority is no faster than First Class. Most of what would go in the padded envelope could go First Class for less.

It is rare that an item fits their tiny Flat Rate boxes.

The Post Office is counting on people not shopping services and choosing these higher rates just because it's 'simple'.

I wish the PO would go back to service instead of marketing.

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Originally Posted by lejoueurdepipeau

Am I right in thinking that sellers in the USA are no longer allowed to send flat rate envelopes "stuffed"? That's what I have been told from one of my favourite fabric shops where she (as a clever packer) was able to get ten yards of fabric in neatly (thereby reducing the postage costs per yard considerably). She is not a happy bunny about it , as now the maximum is likely to be three yards - when the slogan used to be - "If it fits - it ships!"

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Not to my knowledge. Some PO might try to give you a hard time by refusing to accept FRE that doesn't appear flat in shape. However 'flat' applies to the rate and not to the shape, according to their DMM (domestic mail manual). The postal clerks are just trying to sell you a more expensive way to ship; they're into marketing & fund-raising LOL. If you address the issue on the USPS site, this will get the matter straightened out. Or talk to the PO supervisor. The slogan is still there, believe me. If it fits, it ships, period.