Usps Book Shipping In 2022 (Price, Delivery Times + More)
USPS has services available to ship virtually anything, it seems. USPS Media Mail, a service that allows you to send books by USPS is an outstanding option.
As of 2022, USPS customers can ship books via several methods. Additionally to Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail Express shipping options, USPS also offers Media Mail which has extremely reduced shipping rates. Media Mail is usually faster than all other shipping methods and costs up to 50% more.
%20(1).png)
Which is the cheapest way to ship a book with USPS?
Media Mail offers the best option to ship books via USPS. Media Mail only costs $3.19 for shipping books under 1 lb.
As a comparison, Priority Mail pricing starts at $7.95 and goes up depending on the size and weight of the package.
Media Mail is more affordable than Priority Mail, as you can see.
What is the shipping cost for a book shipped with USPS?
Media Mail pricing starts at $3.19, and increases based upon weight per pound.
For packages weighing less than 2.6 pounds, you’ll need to round it up to 3 pounds.
Also, the following table shows Media Mail shipping rates calculated based off weight
Additionally, Media Mail packages can weigh up to 70 pounds, but I’ve only included shipping prices up to ten pounds in the interest of space.
Why is USPS Media Mail so cheap?
Media Mail’s cost is low for a number of reasons. Namely, it’s a heavily-subsidized USPS service.
Also, it’s slower than other shipping methods, includes only the most basic options, and is subject to compliance checks. We’ll now look more closely at each one.
USPS has been subsidizing Media Mail for over 80 years.
President Roosevelt started the program in 1938. The goal of this program has always been to encourage students to use the mail to get educational materials.
USPS has books and other education materials on loan, meaning that they are not profitable. This is the main reason Media Mail costs so little.
Media Mail’s speed is what makes it so cost-effective. That said, Media Mail arrives in two to eight business days but can take longer.
In reality, Priority Mail will ship four times faster on cross-country travel than Media Mail.
A third reason why Media Mail is inexpensive is that it’s a bare-bones service.
For instance, whereas Priority Mail includes up to $50 of insurance and is forwarded or returned for free, Media Mail only gets a one-way ticket.
The recipient of Media Mail packages that must be forwarded to or returned will pay an additional fee to receive the package.
In addition, Media Mail insurance costs extra.
Media Mail is legally closed and verified by the Postal Service, so it comes at a low cost.
This means that if you attempt to add a few more items to your book shipment, USPS may open it, find out you’re not only sending books and punish you.
The USPS can technically charge you for mail fraud. However, the chances are that the mail will be returned or kept for payment by the recipient.
If this is the case, the recipient or you will be responsible for the difference in the Media Mail rate and First-Class or Priority Mail rates.
How long does USPS Media Mail take?
According to USPS, Media Mail takes between two to eight business days to arrive.
Still, it’s essential to keep in mind that it could take longer depending on how far it has to travel and how busy USPS is.
Do USPS Really Check Media Mail
Although the USPS checks Media Mail for accuracy, it is not always as thorough as you might expect. The USPS methodology, in essence, is more spot-checking than systematic reviewing.
USPS cannot keep up with the volume of Media Mail mail packages it receives every day. USPS processes more than 173,000,000 First-Class mail items every single day.
USPS is unable to confirm the contents of Media Mail packages.
This in mind, USPS most likely inspects several hundred Media Mail packages daily.
Although it may appear like a lot, this is only a fraction of the mail that Media Mail has sent.
Therefore, as long as your package conforms to USPS standards, the chances are good that it won’t get flagged.
How Do I Package Books For Shipping With USPS?
Here are the steps you can take to make sure your books get safely to their destination.
Place the book into a clear bag (or bubble wrap) and seal the zipper if you’re using one. The zip lock on a plastic bag does not have to be used. Instead, you can fold one end over and seal it with tape so that it doesn’t come open.
Next, wrap books using a corrugated cardboard roll, which will help protect them from any wear and tear in the shipping process.
For extra protection, wrap the books in bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
You can read more about USPS shipping laptops, USPS shipping guitars, and USPS media mail speed.
USPS Media Mail offers great shipping options for books. Your package will arrive promptly and costs less than half of other services.
.Usps Book Shipping In 2022 (Price, Delivery Times + More)
