The Postal Service offers no-fee post office (PO) box service to customers who do not receive any form of carrier delivery. Customers apply for the no-fee PO box service by completing an application and providing identification to a Postal Service employee.
While Medium and Large Flat Rate boxes may be free, using your own packaging is often CHEAPER than shipping Priority Mail Flat rate, thanks to a “secret” USPS mail class called Priority Mail Cubic.
USPS gives its customers free shipping supplies to send packages through certain classes of mail. The USPS will keep you well-stocked with boxes, stickers, forms and more for free. The post office will allow you to order up to 500 of its shipping boxes or labels free of charge.
8 places to get Free Cardboard Moving Boxes
- Embrace the power of social media.
- Head to Freecycle.
- Ask your local supermarket for free cardboard boxes.
- Check local discount shops.
- Ask your local print shop.
- Ask your local school.
- Check out fast food restaurants.
- Try your local recycling centre.
Here are legit ways to score free stamps for your collection:
- Craigslist. Free stuff and Craigslist are just made for each other!
- St. Vincent Stamps.
- Freecycle.
- International Society of Worldwide Stamp Collectors.
- Check the mail.
- Vista Stamps.
- Ask family members.
- Arpin Philately.
Once you have your UPS.com ID, you will need to call UPS to get your free UPS thermal printer. You can call the UPS customer service center on 1–800–742–5877 or use 1–800–833–0056 if you are hearing impaired and need TTY/TDD access.
Small size boxes from UPS run between $10 and $30 a month, Medium size boxes run between $20 and $40 a month, and Large size boxes run between $30 and $50 a month.
USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Options
| Type | Size | Price |
|---|
| Small Box | 8 11/16" x 5 7/16" x 1 3/4" | $7.90 |
| Medium Boxes | 11 1/4" x 8 3/4" x 6" or 14" x 12" x 3 1/2" | $13.75 |
| Large Box | 12-1/4" x 12-1/4" x 6" or 24-1/16" x 11-7/8" x 3-1/8" | $19.30 |
| APO/FPO Box | 12-1/4" x 12-1/4" x 6" | $17.80 |
The packaging experts at The UPS Store® can pack almost anything and help ensure your items arrive intact. Looking for greener packaging? Look no further than the experts at the UPS Package Design and Test lab.
| 2021 USPS First Class Pkg (weight not over) | Zones 1 & 2 | Zone 8 |
|---|
| 2 oz | $3.01 | $3.49 |
| 3 oz | $3.01 | $3.49 |
| 4 oz | $3.01 | $3.49 |
| 5 oz | $3.46 | $3.85 |
You can pick up flat rate boxes in-person from any post office. Authorized USPS shippers may also have the boxes available. You can also order the boxes from the USPS website. So long as you create an account and have a physical address that can receive packages, USPS will deliver boxes to you for free.
Compare Mail Services
| Service | Starting Price |
|---|
| Priority Mail® | $7.70 (at Post Office & Online) $7.16 (Commercial)6 |
| First-Class Mail® | $0.55 (at Post Office & Online) $0.398 (Commercial)6 |
| First-Class Package Service® | $4.00 (at Post Office) $3.01 (Commercial6) |
| USPS Retail Ground® | $7.70 (at Post Office) |
For shipping packages less than two lbs., USPS is usually cheaper than FedEx. When it comes to shipping parcels greater than two lbs., FedEx can be more cost-effective than USPS, offering cheaper rates. However, if you can fit your item into a small, medium or large flat rate shipping box, USPS is cheaper than FedEx.
To properly estimate the cost of your shipment, UPS requires detailed information such as package size and weight. To speed the time it takes to calculate the cost of your shipment, please gather this information before getting started.
Both companies offer similar, time-sensitive services at very similar rates. However, FedEx's rates are cheaper than UPS for domestic city-to-city shipping.
Using an online shipping platform like ShipStation is the most immediate way you can save money on ecommerce shipping. The difference between retail prices you pay at a post office can be wildly more expensive than the Commercial Base rates you pay through a shipping software.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship a 5lb Package? A five-pound package costs $7.81 to $14.32 to ship, depending on the destination and your carrier of choice. Depending on the nature of your business, if you're able to keep most shipments at five pounds or less, it can save a lot of money in the long run.
Shipping Small Items: Available Shipping Solutions
| Service | Cost |
|---|
| USPS Priority Mail | $11.85 |
| USPS Parcel Select | $19.50 |
| USPS Small Flat Rate Box | $8.30 |
| UPS Surepost | $10.52 |
How much does it cost to ship a 25 pound box? A 25 pound box will cost anywhere from $3.00 - $15.00 depending on how many you are sending and where you are sending them to.
Packages weighing less than one pound start at $2.74 via USPS First Class Package Service. If your package weighs one pound, you'll want to use USPS Priority Mail which starts at $7.02 with Shippo's special Cubic pricing. USPS accepts packages weighing up to 70 pounds.
Estimated FedEx One Rate prices by package type and delivery time
| Delivery commitment5 | 3rd day by 4:30 p.m.6 | Next day by 8 or 8:30 a.m. |
|---|
| FedEx® Small Box | $9.95 | $85.15 |
| FedEx® Medium Box | $12.95 | $91.45 |
| FedEx® Large Box | $20.00 | $96.90 |
| FedEx® Extra Large Box | $32.35 | $106.90 |
General Packaging GuidelinesUse FedEx Express packaging for FedEx Express package shipments only; any other use is prohibited. You may use your own packaging if boxes are sturdy and undamaged with all flaps intact.
Pack & Ship at FedEx OfficeOur experienced staff will pack your shipment for you — virtually all shapes and sizes, from fragile items like glassware to laptops and other electronics that require custom packing solutions.
