Who doesn’t like sweets? Whether you’re a chocolate lover or more of a bitter kid, there’s something for everyone. With Halloween right around the corner, all of our favorite treats are about to make their annual comeback. Sweets are also an essential part of any care package, at least the good ones, and since most sweets are non-perishable, it’s an incredibly popular food item to send. This guide is about how to save the most money when sending candy, so your sweet tooth doesn’t go sour when it’s time to buy postage. let’s dig deeper!
usps first class package is the cheapest service for shipping candy
by far, usps is the best choice of all the major carriers for shipping candy. That’s because USPS specializes in handling and delivering smaller, lighter packages. The postal service offers the best combination of fast delivery and affordable rates for this type of shipment. Frankly speaking, USPS beats both FedEx and UPS when it comes to shipping prices for packages of comparable sizes.
of all the shipping options offered by the postal service, usps first class package service is the most economical way to ship candy. This is USPS’s primary service for shipping smaller packages under 1 pound, and it will only cost you $3-$6. Depending on how far your shipment must travel, First Class Parcel features a delivery time of 1-4 business days and comes with full tracking updates so you can follow your package every step of the way.
Pro Tip: USPS does not provide any free packaging for First Class package shipments, so you will need to use your own box. If you’re looking for a place to find boxes or envelopes, the uline website has many options.
to ship candy over 1 pound, use cubic priority mail
If the total weight of your package exceeds 1 pound (1 lb), USPS is still the best option for you. In this case, the next best service is the specially discounted USPS Priority Mail Cubic service. Cubic Priority Mail, or “Cubic” for short, is a unique service because its shipping rates are based on the outside dimensions of your package, not its weight. that means, as long as your box and envelopes are less than 0.5 total cubic feet of volume, you can load them up to 20 pounds of candy, and the shipping cost won’t change at all! This makes Cubic the USPS primary service for shipping packages such as subscription boxes, which tend to be smaller and heavier.
“qualify” for cubic rates
Priority Mail cube rates offer some of the biggest savings in the entire shipping industry, but keep in mind that your package must “qualify” to secure these discounts. In order to qualify for these special cubic rates, the following requirements must be met:
- the total weight of the package must not exceed 20 pounds (20 lb)
- no dimension can exceed 18 inches
- the total volume of your package cannot exceed 0.5 cubic feet
Here’s one more thing to keep in mind: You’ll never find a priority mail bucket advertised at your local post office. In fact, many USPS workers have never even heard of this service! The fact is that it is a bit of a “secret” in the shipping industry. You can only access Cubic Priority Mail and its special discounts when you purchase postage online through certain shipping websites…but don’t worry. we’re about to get into that in a moment.
consider the type of candy, the time of year and the weather
Here’s something to ask yourself before it’s time to ship your package: Does any of the candy you’re shipping contain chocolate? if so, you may need to add certain types of packaging materials to help prevent the chocolate from melting…if you’re shipping during the warmer seasons of the year, that is. If you’re worried about your chocolate melting during transit, then throwing some cooling materials in your box, like gel packs and insulated Styrofoam, will do the trick.
Even if you think your chocolate has little chance of melting, you should probably consider using these types of cooling packaging materials. At the end of the day, we believe that prevention is always better than cure. trust us…no one likes opening a candy package just to grab a handful of melted chocolate!
learn more about how to send chocolate correctly.
save money on usps labels with online shipping software
When you have your package ready to ship, don’t take it to the post office! In case you think you have not read correctly, we tell you once again: don’t go to the post office. you’ll end up spending too much time waiting in line and paying full retail price for shipping. instead, bypass the system and use shipping software to purchase discounted usps postage online.
When you use shipping software, you not only have the ability to skip the lines and print your own shipping labels at home. You also get access to the deepest level of discounts USPS offers, known as business pricing. USPS normally reserves commercial price discounts for large commercial carriers that ship more than 50,000 packages per year. however, when you use the shipping software, you can access those same discounts simply by registering. since we’re talking about shipping candy… those huge savings can turn out to be pretty sweet.
There are a lot of different shipping software options and some are much better than others. At the end of the day, it’s about what you need. If you want to see which shipping software solutions carriers like you have recommended, visit our reviews page.
Looking for the right shipping software for you?
To save the most money on USPS labels, check out our guide:
choosing the best shipping software