Community Chat

[spot555]

I'm going to ship an item that measures 34" L x 27" W x 1" Deep....weighs 5lbs., 9oz. When I enter the info into the USPS calculator, it says Priority Mail shipping is by far the cheapest (shipping from WA to TX).

Is that possible?? Parcel Post used to be the cheaper option- has that changed? I want to print my own label, so I want to make sure.

Thanks so much for your help!

[straykatz]

THe priority mail is priced by the size of their box..if it fits it ships for their priority rate.

[spot555]

That's what I thought, but I didn't think they had official boxes that large. I thought maybe I could still send it that way in my own packaging with Priority labels- no? The price of sending this art print priority is half the amount of sending parcel.

[Kachina624]

I don't know but I have noticed while waiting in their endless line, that the clerks have tape measures and measure many packages, so things have changed.

[evelomaddict]

prices go by weight and zone distance when not using flat rate boxes.

washington to texas is a difference of 2 zones, hence the low price.

also, parcel post has been replaced by parcel select and it's gone up quite a bit.

[evelomaddict]

On 4/28/2014 goldenretriever said:

That's what I thought, but I didn't think they had official boxes that large. I thought maybe I could still send it that way in my own packaging with Priority labels- no? The price of sending this art print priority is half the amount of sending parcel.

the largest priority mail flat rate box is the game board but it wouldn't accommodate your package since it's 24-1/16" x 11-7/8" x 3-1/8"

[JaneMarple]

You don't have to use the Priority boxes from the PO, they usually ask if you want this method at the counter because I have found it to be cheaper or only a few cents difference when I ship packages.

[haddon9]

Have you checked FedEx? I sell on Etsy (used to sell on Ebay a long time ago) and when I ship a larger package I find FedEx is usually (not always) cheaper than USPS.