key points:
- priority mail is an affordable usps service that delivers packages in 1-3 business days
- media mail is an affordable way to ship media and other educational materials and offers delivery in 2-8 days business days
- priority mail and media mail impose a weight limit of 70 pounds for the package
The United States Postal Service (USPS) had a volume of shipments and packages of 7.6 billion last year, making it one of the most popular courier services worldwide.
usps offers a combination of express and affordable courier services for all types of e-commerce merchants. USPS Priority Mail, Multimedia Mail, and Express Priority Mail are some of the most popular domestic courier services offered by this postal service.
This blog will highlight the similarities and differences between USPS Priority Mail and Media Mail to understand the price difference and understand which courier works best for your business.
what is priority mail?
Priority Mail is an affordable and affordable service that allows you to ship packages up to 70 pounds from your home or business.
- expected delivery in 1-3 business days
- flat rate options
- signature confirmation for an additional fee
- real time tracking
- $50 insurance included
This service is ideal for eCommerce businesses looking to reduce shipping costs. but, if you want all usps courier services, priority mail express would be the best choice for fast shipping.
what is multimedia mail?
media mail is an affordable way to send media and other educational materials up to £70, although some restrictions apply. Items you can ship with this USPS service include the following:
- books or print media
- film 16 millimeters or less in width
- printed music and test materials
- videos and sound recordings </li
- scripts and manuscripts
- print or graphic educational reference materials
- loose medical pages and binders
- computer-readable media
It is important to note that video games, computers, or digital drives do not qualify for this shipping service.
media mail also includes the following features, such as:
- expected delivery in 2-8 business days
- real-time tracking
This service is ideal for e-commerce companies that send multimedia or educational material. USPS services such as priority mail or express express mail are the best option for any other items outside of the items listed for your use.
what is the difference between priority mail and multimedia mail?
usps is known for its fast and affordable postal service, but which usps service is right for your e-commerce business?
First, we’ll highlight the similarities between Priority Mail and Multimedia Mail so you can get an idea of the shared characteristics.
- Weight Restrictions: Both USPS services impose a weight limit of 70 pounds for Priority Mail and Multimedia Mail packages
- tracking: both services offer free usps tracking services for your packages and envelopes
- free usps packaging: usps offers free packing supplies (ie shipping labels, etc.) for your packages that can be purchased through the usps website or your local post office
now let’s break down the differences between usps multimedia mail and priority mail
- Price: Priority Mail costs more and prices start at $8.70, while Multimedia Mail starts at $3.19. prices vary depending on destination, weight, dimensions, etc.
- delivery time: express mail takes 1-3 business days to deliver the packages. on the other hand, media mail shipping time takes 2-8 business days.
- Insurance: Priority Mail offers $50 insurance shipping included. however, media mail does not provide shipping insurance included. you may choose to purchase insurance for an additional fee
- package pickup: priority mail offers free package pickup from your home or business. however, media mail packages are not eligible for free pickup.
- Restricted Items: Priority Mail allows you to ship most items as long as it is not a part of your restricted items list. media mail will only allow merchants to send media or educational materials
Usually, USPS Media Mail is the right choice if you’re shipping media or educational materials for less than £70. choose priority mail service if you are sending something other than multimedia or educational material.
Related blog: what can be sent with multimedia mail?
how much does priority mail cost versus multimedia mail?
courier service, delivery speed, package weight, package dimensions, and shipping distance are factors that come into play when calculating shipping cost.
We’ll calculate the cost of shipping with USPS Media Mail vs. Priority to various locations within the United States so that you can understand the price difference between the courier services.
shipping from new york to los angeles
Suppose you ship a 5 pound package from New York to Los Angeles. We’ll calculate shipping rates with Priority and Medium Mail so you can get an idea of how much it costs to ship to this location.
shipping from new york to chicago
now let’s say you’re shipping a 5 pound package from new york to chicago. again, we’ll calculate shipping rates with priority mail and media so you can get an idea of how much it costs to ship to chicago.
shipping from new york to miami
again, let’s say you send a 5 pound package from new york to miami. We’ll calculate shipping rates with priority mail and media so you can get an idea of how much it costs to ship to miami.
shipping with easyship
easyship offers competitive prices for usps courier services with discounts of up to 89% off retail shipping rates. we will calculate how much it costs to ship with easyship from the above destination locations.
as we can see, easyship offers cheaper usps rates for domestic shipments. while media mail rates are similar to retail cost, easyship makes up for it with a full suite of premium tools designed to create a frictionless shipping experience.
for example, usps does not offer shipping insurance included for its multimedia mail service. however, easyship offers up to $10,000 in shipping insurance on all shipments.
plus easyship has a quick and easy shipping policy generator so you can create a perfect shipping strategy with a couple of clicks.
usps media vs priority mail with easyship
Priority Mail is a great economical solution for e-commerce merchants looking for affordable mail service. Media Mail, on the other hand, is a perfect option for merchants shipping print media or educational materials within the United States.
By connecting to a shipping platform, USPS users can continue to use the shipping services they enjoy from USPS at a fraction of the cost.
Here are some of the features easyship users get instant access to when creating or linking their usps account to easyship:
- easyship shipping rate calculator: access high-volume discounts from major messengers. plus, get instant access to premium shipping couriers delivery times for faster shipping
- shipping dashboard: manage orders and create shipments instantly in the shipping panel. plus, keep track of all delivery times in one place
- high value shipping insurance: easyship offers shipping insurance for up to $10,000 for all shipments. this way customers can rest easy when it comes to high value items
easyship users can manage their usps shipping activity through the easyship dashboard and gain access to discounts of up to 89% off retail rates. all you have to do is connect your usps account or sign up for a free easyship account.
ready to send? sign up for a free easy shipping account and get instant access to bulk discounts on usps shipping and save money
usps priority mail vs. multimedia mail faq
is usps priority mail more reliable than media mail?
yes and no. USPS Priority Mail offers $50 insurance included, while Media Mail does not. however, usps media mail service does come with package tracking.
Can I use a priority mail envelope for media mail?
no, priority mail envelopes are for priority class mail and priority class packages only.
If you found this article informative, you might enjoy the following:
- ups priority mail vs. priority mail express international
- new surcharges from usps starting april 3rd
- usps priority mail vs. usps flat rates: which is best for ecommerce shipping?