Usps standard and express mail services allow you to choose delivery options that fit your needs. The mail class is also known as book rate among book sellers. However, many people dont know that you can ship packages off in another class besides first. Even though books are heavy and bulky, sending them long distance to friends as a gift, or to yourself when moving, does not have to be expensive. But many people abuse it, sometimes intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally. Remember that, unlike other usps services, your parcel wont be delivered in one or two days. If its not imperative that your books arrive quickly, the cheapest way to mail books is by sending them media mail through the u.
This system of book packaging is the safest and cheapest way to send books in the mail. The good thing is that the media mail postage rate is not high, but your shipping time is 2 to 8 days. Generally, media mail will be the cheapest option to ship books, but there might be a few instances where other options cost less. Mailing a book to canada cost question general selling. The benefit of using this service is costeffectiveness.
Postal service for any packages containing books, recordings, printed music and other types of media. For every additional pound in weight, the media mail cost goes up 51 cents. Media mail includes usps tracking, so that you can know when the estimated delivery date and time will be. It is a cost effective way for those who sell these items online to ship them to buyers. The shipping container must weigh less than 70 lbs 32 kg to qualify for media mail. Media mail usps retail rate table shippingeasy support.
The lowest rate i was able to find, is available only for media mail originally called book rate, if the package contains books, magazines, or any of several similar typ. When weighing a package, round up to the nearest whole pound to find the postage cost. The cost of sending media mail is determined by your packages weight. Due to the strengthening effect of the pinched cardboard the corners of the book package are very strong. Media mail rate is determined only by package weight.
Books at least 8 pages 16millimeter or narrower width films. Usps parcel post is another affordable option for shipping. Media mail is a shipping alternative offered by the u. The customer can be charged the difference if the post office opens and inspects the contents of the package. The minimum postage per piece is for a piece weighing 1 pound. The items sent using special media mail rates cannot exceed 70. Media mail shipping is a costeffective way to send educational materials. So how do you get media mail rates, and more importantly, what qualifies as media mail. Mar 04, 2010 i worked for the post office during a desperate time in my life. Media mail is intended for libraries to ship books and sound recordings to one another. However, there are few restrictions on the type of mail items that can.
Anything over 70 pounds can not be shipped at the media mail rate. The usps has become more aware of people shipping non media items like dishes, clothing, etc. You can send books, videotapes, dvds, cds, printed music and other. Items that contain advertising do not qualify for media mail. If you want to ship books, movies, music or other types of media, the usps offers a discounted rate on the shipping costs. Understanding the media mail classification newsletter. Computerreadable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media. Contents are limited to books, manuscripts, sound recordings, and certain other educational materials. Your package will take anywhere from two to eight business days to arrive to its destination. If you come in with a foot square box that weighs only 8 ounces, the clerk is going to be a little suspicious about the contents. Software, magazines with ads, games and the like are generally not eligible for media mail although under certain circumstances may be eligible for library mail but that in itself is a category of mail that no one at the usps can fully agree with what is allowed and what isnt. But, in order to avoid being charged with mail fraud, be sure you understand exactly what media mail is, and when you can and cannot use it.
At this point, media mail is cheaper, but it also has a slower delivery time. How does the post office confirm that media mail is actually media mail. The first class was cheaper by far, and i was also told what was listed in earlier post media mail has to be books or cds etc. Media mail is for books, dvds, cds, etc and can be opened by the post office to verify the merchandise is eligible for the media mail class.
This service does come with certain restrictions on the type of media mail that can be sent. Media mail does not depend on distanceit will cost the same to send a package to any address served by usps including ak, hi, pr, gu, us virgin islands and. Firstclass package service usps marketing mail parcel select. But for the ability to ship it anywhere in the country, you can. However, there are few restrictions on the type of mail items that can be shipped restrictions will be discussed later. Usps medi mail is one such cost effective service which is used to send educational materials. Hi, to calculate the cost, you need to offer the size and weight of your book. Media mail is a cost effective or affordable way to send medial and educational related materials. If you are sending multiple books, compare your media mail price with that of a flat rate box. Enclosures in books mailed at media mail prices are subject to these additional standards. Shipping books to canada general selling questions. Even then, media mail provides highly competitive postage rates for shipping educational materials.
The united states postal services media mail service formerly known as book rate is a costefficient method of shipping educational materials, and is calculated purely on weight and size. Formerly called book rate, media mail cannot contain advertising, except eligible books may contain incidental announcements of books. Media mail packages may not contain advertising except that books may contain incidental announcements of other books and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings. Media mail is a usps mail class restricted to the delivery of books, film, audio and other recorded media. For each additional pound, add 52 cents to your total. This question cant be answered without a lot of additional information.
See forever postage stamp prices and other postage rates. The types of media allowed are limited, though, and by following this guide you will know what you can and cannot send through. The only comparable service to media mail for international shipping is an m bag. Media mail postage is priced per pound, per package. Media mail is a service provided by the united states postal service usps that allows customers to send a variety of mixed media through the mail at a cheaper rate than ordinary packages. Examples of media mail items include dvds, cds, disks, videotapes, manuscripts, books, film and sound recordings. Nov 02, 2016 hi, to calculate the cost, you need to offer the size and weight of your book.
Save money mailing books through the post office clever. Can comics be shipped through the usps as media ra. Media mail rates are based on parcel weights and rate class. Media printed music, sound recordings, periodicals, cds, dvds, and books. This is a lot cheaper than media mail and provided exclusively for libraries. Usps media mail service rules, rates, tracking, calculator. That isnt a huge difference in price, but it will be much easier to pack, much easier to handle for you and the usps employees, and greatly reduce the risk of damaging your books. Media mail is a usps mail class restricted to the delivery of books, film, audio and. The box can only measure at 108 inches combined width and length. Media mail can not contain advertising except for incidental announcements of books.
Only these items may be mailed at the media mail prices. The method is known as bflute packaging system for books. Either one envelope or one addressed postcard may be bound into the pages of a book. The united states postal service usps has a media mail rate. Media mail is simply for the purpose of shipping media products. Using media mail in this situation will save you around 53 percent in postage costs. Cheapest way to mail books, cds and more clark howard. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be shipped. Sep 15, 2016 ebay shipping media mail books, cds, dvds, media, and prohibited items suzanne a. To keep everything from getting jumbled up, ive included either a bunchedup towel or canvas bags as filler material. So, you may refer to the recent price list of the usps media mail rates. Sound recordings and video recordings, such as cds and dvds. The cost of media mail depends on the weight of the package.
Media mail is a costeffective way to send media and educational materials. Having a maximum shipping cost helps buyers find items with reasonable shipping and can help you sell more items. Unlike many usps services, media mail is only available at retail pricing. Then, sandwich pieces of cardboard between each book to help them keep their shape. Priority mail express priority mail firstclass mail firstclass package serviceretail usps retail ground commercial prices. If the clerks have just been lectured by management about the evils of media mail. Media mail and library mail pieces are charged per pound or fraction thereof. What is difference between book rate and media mail. Books shipping as media mail may contain incidental book announcements. Whats the best way to ship a vinyl record through the mail. There has been a revision in the price list of the usps media mail. The cheapest postal rate is the media mail rate which may be used only for books, including graphic novels, trade paperbacks and hardbacks. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be sent.
If youre sending only one book, that is not a good idea because the minimum charge for m bag is for 11 pounds. Each box contains a hodgepodge of hardback and paperback books. From the start i want to mention one situation where you should not be using this method. Media mail is for shipping media items containing books, sound. Media mail usps retail rate table shippingeasy support center. The 2020 commercial rates for media mail vary and cost more if you do a basic presort than if you presort your packages by fivedigit zip code. In usps website it says that you can also use media mail to send educational material, anyone use media mail to send educational material that is not a book or something similar. It is a cost effective method to ship books, video tapes, sound recordings, recorded computerreadable media dvdcd and printed music. Cremated remains learn about mailing cremated remains. Media mail is a cost effective service for shipping books and education material. According to the usps website, the price to ship your packages via media mail to a destination anywhere in the united states is based solely on the package weight. Post office rates of this service were increased by 1. Media mail service has special eligibility requirements for permissible contents. In april of 2016 the usps actually lowered some prices shock.
Using a digital scale will give you the most accurate rates since a difference of one or two ounces can mean the difference between one rate level and the next. However, in order to obtain media mail rates, the shipper must abide by several packaging rules. Usps media mail service restrictions, cost, pros vs cons. The issue with media mail is that it is supposed to be just that. You can also read the article on usps delivery time to know about the delivery time of each usps service. Media mail is a special reduced mailing rate solely for the purpose of sending printed or recorded material through the u. We have tested this by tossing the package around a fair bit and have never seen corners get bumped. The book rate was mainly for books when it was first created, but if your intention is to send books to or from a library, then you should use the cheaper alternative known as library rate. Yes, there is no media mail class in canada, your cost will be much higher. How nitpicky is the post office with regards to media mail. Looseleaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for.
Surcharges may apply to certain items including packages that weigh over 25 pounds. Check this out before offering items internationally. This makes media mail a great option for ecommerce sellers who deal in books and other heavy media items. Media mail is a cost effective option for those who send books, recorded music and other media materials in bulk through the u. Shipping 30 lbs of textbooks via usps media mail how to. Postal service allows you to send books, dvds, cds, printed music, and sound recordings through media mail at a discounted rate. The official list of what can be shipped media mail. How to package a book through media mail bizfluent. If also serving as an order form, the envelope or card may be in addition to the order form permitted by 4.
The benefit of using this service is cost effectiveness. May 10, 2019 media mail is just about the least expensive shipping method the us postal service offers. Media mail rates books flat rate, no zones so it does not get cheaper locally, but even locally it is still cheapest per pound if you qualify. Find the fastest shipping rate or most affordable shipping cost depending on what items youre sending and when you want them delivered. Other than only being able to mail a book and an invoice or. New rates were implemented from january 26th, 2020. Available for sending small and large packages containing books, film, manuscripts, sound recordings, video tapes, and computer media such as cds, dvds, and diskettes only. The arrowhead library systems mail a book program is designed to supply library services to rural and homebound residents of carlton, cook, itasca, koochiching, lake, lake of the woods, and st. Media mail media mail is a cost effective service for shipping books and education material. What is the estimated delivery time for media mail.
I went to the post office and had them give me the price of a 6x6 layout page. As mentioned earlier, materials like books, films, dvds, videotapes, recorded media, cds, music tracks, and other sound recording things are considered as media mail. Generally, media mail is the cheapest usps mail class for shipping heavy items up to 70 lbs. Before you put books in your box, wrap them in plastic or put them in a ziplock bag to keep them dry. You can send books, videotapes, dvds, cds, printed music and other sound recordings through media mail as long as they weigh less than 70 pounds. Patrons that qualify for this program may order materials which will then be mailed to them at no cost. Media mail and library mail prices are based on the weight of the piece without regard to zone.
How much does it cost to ship a 20 pound box with the usps. Books, cds, dvds, cassettes,vinyl records and the like can be shipped media mail. I want to mail a scrapbook photo album as media mail. Media mail shipping is a cost effective way to send educational materials. There are many restrictions on exactly which items qualify for media mail shipping.
Please refer to the return policy and refund policy or contact media mail to get information about any additional policies that may apply contact this seller. How much does it cost to ship a book through the post office. Media mail is a cost effective way to send media materials through the u. I just want to know because if that is the case, there is a bunch of more products that could fit in the educational material category. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and. You can not ship magazines, trading cards, or video games with media mail. Looseleaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students. You are certainly not violating the spirit of the law by shipping comic books via media mail. Almost all comics contain advertising and therefore cannot be shipped media mail. First class mail international can weigh up to 4 pounds. This provides an economical way to ship books, cds, dvds, and lps. What are library mail service and media mail service.
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