how much does the usps flat rate shipping cost?

USPS pledges to have all Priority Flat Rate mail delivered within the 1 – 3 day time frame, regardless of what zone the mail’s destination is in. These range from a ‘zone 1’ (local) to a ‘zone 9’ (far away). The majority of mail pieces sent through Priority Flat Rate shipping will arrive at their destination within this time frame, but some may not.įrom the starting point and ending point – where the mail is sent and where its destination is – are shipping zones. All flat rate shipping will be processed as USPS Priority Mail.ġ – 3 days is the estimated delivery date. If you don't charge enough, you will have to eat the difference.Flat Rate shipping typically takes one to three days to arrive at the destination – excluding Sundays or certain holidays. If you overcharged, you can either refund the customer the difference or keep it. You collect the postage price you offered the customer, then you can purchase the postage wherever you want to with the money you collected for the postage. Etsy will pick the cheapest option the item fits in, but the customer can change it to whichever option they want if they are in a hurry. You set the prices for each of these options in your postage profile. Some customers will use this option when they are in a big hurry.

Both take the same amount of time to arrive, 1-4 days in the US, depending on where the customer is located from you.Įxpress Mail is very expensive, but gets the package there in 1-2 days. If it is only a couple pounds, regular Priority Mail will usually be cheaper, and can be mailed in any sized box. Flat Rate is a cheaper option if the package is heavy and/or going across the country from where you are. The post office provides special boxes for Flat Rate in several sized boxes. Priority Mail can be Flat Rate or regular priority. The package must weigh 15.99oz or less if you use Pirateship, Etsy or another online mail service to purchase your postage. The cheapest tracked option is First Class. You can offer any shipping options you like.

If you buy your postage labels from Pirateship or Etsy or another online postage seller, you will save about 25-30% over the prices at your local post office, and the weight limits are higher online.

How much does the usps flat rate shipping cost?