We are excited to offer USPS Priority Mail Cubic Pricing to our customers! USPS Cubic service is a good substitute for UPS and FedEx ground services. We are now able to offer this service to our users through our relationship with Express 1. Please contact Express 1 at (800) 399-3971 to learn more about this service and to see if you qualify.
Cubic rates are ideal for small, heavy packages
Cubic rates are ideal for small, heavy packages since the pricing is based on the volume of the package instead of the weight. Any package that measures 0.50 cubic feet or less and is 20 pounds or less is eligible.
Here is how the cubic measurement is calculated:
Cubic Feet = Length X Width X Height / 1728
Also note that the length, width, and height measurements should be rounded down to the nearest 0.25 inch. Here’s an example for a package that measures 6-1/8″ x 5-7/8″ x 6-3/8″:
6 x 5.75 x 6.25 / 1728 = .125 cubic feet
There are 5 tiers for cubic pricing:
Tier 1 – mailpieces measuring up to .10 cubic foot
Tier 2 – mailpieces measuring more than .10 up to .20 cubic foot
Tier 3 – mailpieces measuring more than .20 up to .30 cubic foot
Tier 4 – mailpieces measuring more than .30 up to .40 cubic foot
Tier 5 – mailpieces measuring more than .40 up to .50 cubic foot
So our example above would fall into Tier 2. Let’s say this package weighs 4 pounds and is a zone 7 shipment. This would typically cost $13.12 via Priority Mail. However, the cubic price for this package is only $6.46. That’s more than a 50% savings!
ShipStation’s Rate Calculator makes it easy to determine the cubic rate. Simply choose the “Cubic” package type, enter the package dimensions, and ShipStation will display the rate.
Please let us know if you have any questions about this new service.
