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Shipping Basics
USPS Priority Mail Cubic Shipping Rates Now Available
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 Stamps.com.
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!
Sound complicated? It’s Not!
ShipStation’s Rate Calculator makes it easy to determine the cubic rate. Simply choose a domestic Priority Service, the “Package” package type, enter the package’s weight and dimensions, then ShipStation will display the Cubic rate whenever it’s cheaper than the Priority rate.
Please let us know if you have any questions about this new service.
