subject: Postal Service Rates And How Weight Affects Rates [print this page] Postal service rates are calculated based on the weight of one mail piece. As it is obvious, the more one mail piece weights, the more potage you will have to pay for it. This is of course when we are talking about regular mail pieces.
From the other side, there are express mails, where the distance of where the parcel will be sent as well as its weight will determine the actual postal service rate. When you can expect lower postal service rates? This is usually when the postage for mail pieces is paid through Click-N-Ship, authorized PC Postage products, or for example when you are using federal agency accounts or in you are using express mail corporate accounts.
Except for the mentioned express EDDM mails and regular mails, you can send first class mail as well where the postal service rate will be calculated based on the shape and the weight of the parcel.
When calculating the postal service rate for priority mail, what will affect the price of the service is the weight of the parcel, its size and to where you are sending the mail piece. There are many delivery zones to where one mail piece can travel. If you are sending a parcel to zones 1 t 4, your postal service rates will refer to the so called balloon price which means that the actual mail piece weights less than 20 pounds, but measures more between 84 and 108 inches. In this case, what will affect on the price is only the weight of the package. From the other side, when sending mail pieces to zones 5 to 8, and if mail piece exceeds one cubic foot, it is the dimensional weight of the parcel that will affect the postal service rates. In other words, for large mail pieces that are at the same time light will be charged for their dimensional weight.
There is as well standard mail for which the weight doesnt play a big role until it passes 3.3 oz. for example, if your mail piece weights 1 oz, the postal service rates will be the same as if you are sending a mail piece that weights 3 oz. Once the standard mail parcel reaches 3.3 oz, you will have to pay the piece price plus a pound price. This means that the heavier your mail piece is, the bigger the postal service rates will be.
When talking about standard mail, it is as well important to mention that the newest USPS program called EDDM is also using the standard mail shipping. One of the main requirements is also that the mail piece shouldnt be heavier than 3.3 oz. if you didnt know, EDDM printing is a program developed by USPS with the goal to help small and medium businesses to promote their services.
