The Blog>The Cheapest Ways to Send a Package: 6 USPS Tips

The Cheapest Ways to Send a Package: 6 USPS Tips

Posted by Anastasia Prokofieva

Ifyou find yourself constantly wondering, “what isthecheapest way tosend apackage,” that’s not surprising. Shipping costs are anexpense foranybusiness that ishard toget around. And even worse: asyour store grows, you’ll probably find yourself spending more andmore onit!

Eventually, you come totwo options: keep spending anarm andaleg onshipping, orfigure out astrategy forkeeping shipping costs low.

Luckily, you don’t have tobeatthemercy ofyour carrier— ifyou know how toship smart! Inthis blog post, we’ll walk you through some strategies forreducing shipping costs with one ofour most popular carriers, USPS.

Read ontofind thecheapest ways toship apackage that work, nomatter what you sell.

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What IstheCheapest Way toSend aPackage?

When itcomes toshipping items, thecheapest way tosend apackage will depend onavariety offactors, such aspackage weight, size, delivery speed, anddestination.

The USPS offers several cost-effective options forshipping packages. These services are affordable andcan save you money compared toother carriers.

Plus, toreduce shipping costs, consider switching tolighter packaging materials, looking into flat-rate options, using free shipping supplies, andopting forunconventional choices like selecting envelopes instead ofboxes. Let’s explore each option indetail tofind thecheapest way tosend apackage that works foryou.

Use Lighter Packaging When Sending With First-Class Mail

The cost ofshipping varies depending not only onthedestination ofthepackage but also onits weight. You might already know that. But did you know that insome cases, carriers round-up onapackage’s weight?

When looking forthecheapest shipping method, sellers often choose First-Class Mail via USPS forlight-weight shipments. This option has different price ranges forparcels ofover 4oz, 8oz, or12oz. The weight isrounded uptothenext biggest rank. So, ifyour parcel is5oz., it’ll beshipped fortheprice of8oz. parcel.

Tosave onshipping with First-Class Mail via USPS, use light packaging. For example, poly mailers instead ofboxes:

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Using theoption forlightweight shipments might bethecheapest way tosend asmall package. Yet, ifyou’re concerned about protecting fragile items, consider using cushioned shipping rolls instead oflight packaging like poly mailers. This ensures both protection foryour products andkeeps thepackaging weight minimal.

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This tip will help you save some hard earned cents oneach shipment. The difference may seem not significant, but ifyou’re selling atadecent clip, itall adds upreally quick. Don’t believe us? Calculate your monthly shipping costs. Now take 25cents off each shipment andtry itagain.

Use Free Shipping Supplies

When you ship with USPS, you can stock upon tosave money onpackaging.

Apart from boxes, envelopes, andpouches, you can order other handy things such as“Fragile” labels. Stick one toyour parcel toincrease thechances ofgetting ittoacustomer intact, thereby preventing refunds forbroken items.

Ifyou use your own packaging materials, you can order free labels tomark your packages. For example, ifyou ship with Priority Mail, use aspecial tohelp postal workers identify your package asurgent.

Use Regional Rate Boxes AandBforHeavy Items

This tip might behelpful ifyou’re looking forthecheapest way tosend aheavy package.

Ifyou need tosend adense package ashort distance, you can save with theUSPS Priority Mail Regional Rate. That way, thepackage’s rates are based onthedistance traveled. Note: this method requires theuse ofUSPS-branded packaging (boxes AandB).

Box Aallows you toship amaximum of15pounds fordomestic orders andamaximum of10pounds forinternational orders.

With Box B,you can ship amaximum of20pounds forboth domestic andinternational orders. Both boxes come indifferent sizes, soyou have several options tochoose from.
This option can bethecheapest way tosend apackage that isheavy but small. Think ofdumbbells, forexample. The heavier your package, themore you save.

Check out this video formore tips onshipping with Regional Rate Boxes AandB:

Ship Boxes with Flat Rate Envelopes

Aflat rate isafixed rate ofpayment (as in, one that stays thesame nomatter what you’re shipping). It’s good forsaving oncosts asitis, andsometimes itcan bethepoint-blank cheapest way toship apackage, but we’ve got more tricks upour sleeves than just that.

What ifyou need anextra protection layer foryour package but want tosave onshipping? Here’s ahack foryou: pack your product into abox andput thebox inside aflat rate envelope (try apadded one foreven more protection!)

You can use your own box ororder afree one from USPS. Stumped? Try out a. Itsnugly fits most USPS flat rate envelopes:

Image: video by

Obviously, this tip won’t work forevery product, but ifyour item fits into abox andanenvelope, you can send itataflat rate andsave some money. Asthesaying goes: ifitfits, itships!

Use Padded Flat Rate Envelopes

USPS offers alot offlat rate 貹첹dz small envelopes tolarge boxes. But the has really caught our attention. It’s lined with bubble padding andthick enough toprotect your product, nomatter what itis(well, reasonably speaking).

That means you can ship relatively large items with padded envelopes, aslong asthey fit. This could beagreat option forthings like clothes, books, orwooden art pieces.

This shows off how padded envelopes are flexible enough tofit bigger products:

Learn more: 6Things You Can Ship with USPS Padded Envelopes toSave Money

Buy Discounted Shipping Labels via

Tips andtricks forsaving onsupplies andoptimizing packaging are great. But what ifyou could actually pay less overall toship than you dobystopping atyour local post office?

Ifyou run an store, you can buy discounted shipping labels right inyour admin. These offer thecheapest shipping rates— lower than retail rates atthepost office!

Not only will printing your own labels save you onshipping costs, but they’ll also save you time. Buy alabel, print it, stick itonyour package, anddrop itoff atyour local post office; noneed towait inline. You can even skip going toapost office (and add saving ongas toyour )—jܲ request ahome pickup, andapostal worker will grab your package ontheir regular route.

Bytheway, ifyou’re looking forthecheapest way tosend apackage internationally, discounted rates could bethesolution you need. International shipping costs are usually thehighest, but with , international shipping becomes affordable shipping, asyou can buy discounted labels forinternational shipments too.

Here’s how to with .

Learn more: Print Discounted Shipping Labels atHome with

Start Saving onShipping

Wehope these tips forcheap shipping have been helpful sofar— just remember: they may not work forevery situation orlocation. We’re presenting you with anumber ofoptions soyou can figure out which ones work best foryou.

Ifyou’re looking formore resources tooptimize your shipping, the Blog has plenty ofarticles, videos, andpodcasts onthetopic. For example:

Check them out andfind thecheapest way tosend apackage that works best foryour business.

About The Author
Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at . She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs’ daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.

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