When you sell online, your shipping times are crucial. Priority Mail is a great option, but not always the most economical. Until now the Flat Rate boxes and envelopes have been limited in size and variety.
The USPS has issued four new flat rate box sizes (free from the USPS site) that are charged by distance (within limits, see rate chart below). There's no longer one rate for the entire country. You can pack as heavy a package as you wish, and still have it arrive quickly at your customer's door. There are also new free bubble padded 12 1/2" x 9 1/2" Flat Rate envelopes, as well as legal size.
You can only use these items if you are registered with the USPS as a Commercial Base Customer. This isn't as difficult as it sounds, not does it require you to ship many boxes every day. By using a service like Endicia (who has options for all the new boxes) you are automatically eleigible for these rates. (Here's a link to 60 days free Endicia service).
- Regional Flat Rate Box A has a 15 pound weight limit
- Regional Rate Box B has a 20 pound weight limit.
If the box exceeds the maximum weight for the box (either 15 lbs. or 20 lbs.), you will be charged the Priority Mail price, based on weight and zone.
There are two different shaped boxes, side loading and top loading for each of the two weighted categories. A total of four new boxes will be available.
Dimensions for Regional Rate Box A are as follows:
Side Loading – 13 1/16" x 11 1/16" x 2 ½"
Top Loading – 10 1/8" x 7 1/8" x 5"
Dimensions for Regional Rate Box B are as follows:
Side Loading – 16 1/4" x 14 1/2" x 3"
Top Loading – 12 1/4" x 10 1/2" x 5 1/2"
| Box Size | Zone 1 & 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $4.97 | $5.08 | $5.58 | $7.15 | $7.83 | $8.36 | $9.37 |
| B | $5.81 | $6.88 | $8.06 | $10.51 | $12.29 | $13.12 | $14.62 |
Thank you for this info Marsha. I ordered boxes yesterday. I can't wait to use them.
ReplyDeleteMarsha, here is the problem. When a seller lists an item on eBay they have no idea who may purchase that item. The question is - how does a seller decide which rate to charge?
ReplyDeleteI recommend posting a flat rate for your shipping (or free). If you sell from all over the US, it will generally average out.
ReplyDeleteBut where is there a list of what the different regions and zones are? I can't find it anywhere.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to check your zones, here's a USPS tool http://postcalc.usps.gov/Zonecharts/ - just type in your zip code
ReplyDeleteHi Marsha, Love your books by the way, my question is, is there a map that I can print that will give me a general idea of were these zones are located?
ReplyDeleteHi Confused,
ReplyDeleteThe problem with a map is that the map must be based on your own zip code. zones are determined by how far away the destination is from the starting point.
Local Zone: The local zone applies to mail deposited at any post office for delivery to any address within the delivery area of that post office.
Non-local zones are defined numerically by distance.
1 Non-local zones within a 50 mile radius of the point of origination
2 50 to 150 mile radius
3 150 to 300 mile radius
4 300 to 600 mile radius
5 600 to 1000 mile radius
6 1000 to 1400 mile radius
7 1400 to 1800 mile radius
8 1800 miles and over
If you go to http://postcalc.usps.gov/Zonecharts/ and input your own zip code, you will get a chart showing you which zip codes anre in which zones. Print that out and you should be good!
So if it fits, it ships, regardless of the Region box I use?
ReplyDeleteAndrew, pretty much. But if you check the zones you will see that by using the appropriate box, you can save lot of cash. I just sent a package that I thought should go in a medium flat rate box - approx $10, then I realized the buyer was close to me - So I fit it into a Regional A box - shipping was only approx $5. The magic is all in the choice of box!
DeleteThank you Marsha! My name is Stephen and we run a small college textbook business. I just noticed that the priority flat rate boxes and envelopes are increasing in price in January 2013. It looks like the Regional Priority Rates will be more useful now unless they decide to raise the regional rates, which they probably will. But until then, our small business will be using the Box A regional priority rate for over sized textbooks that won't fit in the flat rate envelope. Sometimes the regional priority rate is cheaper than the standard media mail option if the merchandise is 6 lbs or more, depending on which zone you're shipping to of course.
ReplyDeleteI'll be doing a new post on the new rates. Thanks Stephen!
ReplyDeleteHi Marsha, I just spent the last couple of hours searching on the internet for a WEB site that would generate a map of the USA showing shipping zones as in relation to my shipping FROM location South Eastern Wisconsin 53225.. I did find a couple of sites that had a map of what I am looking for but I can find no way to generate my own..
ReplyDeleteDO YOU KNOW OF ANY WEB SITES THAT CAN GENERATE ZONE MAPS????
BELOW ARE WEB ADDRESSES OF THE MAPS I FOUND FOR MOUNTAIN VIEW CA, AND OKLAHOMA... THE SECOND WEB ADDRESS IS LONG BUT DOES WORK.. COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR WEB BROWSER TO SEE MAPS..
http://mtmailing.com/blog/2008/03/01/save-postage-bound-printed-matter/
https://www.google.com/search?q=USPS+ZONE+MAPS+USA&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Za03UYz0CaKGyAHeuoDgCA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=648#imgrc=OPKuljqqUHT9uM%3A%3BffCqIptmMYJ8NM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcustom.crazedlemming.com%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252Fphotos%252Fusps-zone-map.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fpicsbox.biz%252Fkey%252Fusps%252520zone%252520chart%3B800%3B353
Yes, you can generate a zone map here: http://postcalc.usps.gov/Zonecharts/
DeleteI will also have one as part of the new www.coolebaytools.com website that will launch in a couple of week!
THANKS for your reply.. But your link is for a chart not a map of the USA.. I want to place the image of the map in my Ebay ads.. The chart takes up a little more room than I would like.. Also as you can see by the maps I found, it is much easier and faster for someone to see what zone they are located in...
DeleteI have not had time to investigate this but do you know if UPS or FEDEX have the same zone system as the USPS?? I can produce a zone map of the USA at there WEB site...