Calculating shipping costs and choosing the cheapest shipping method can be confusing. Our guides to the cheapest way to ship anything make it easy to compare shipping costs and choose the right method for your cargo, whether you’re shipping common items like boxes or hard-to-transport items like antiques or art.
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1. How much does it cost to ship small items?
We have calculated shipping costs for three common shipping methods: USPS, Parcel Shipping, and Consolidated Freight.
i. usps shipping costs
ii. package shipping costs (for example, ups or fedex)
iii. consolidated freight
2. frequently asked questions
Get answers to frequently asked questions about shipping small items.
mailing or shipping small items is often easy; most of the time, you can simply drop them off at your local post office or courier service and have them shipped to your destination.
“small items” can refer to almost any type of shipment, including tubes, envelopes, padded envelopes, and small packages. small items can be shipped for almost any reason, including:
- people who ship small items or documents to loved ones, friends, or businesses across the country.
- homeowners who move long distances and ship small items to their new home; in this case, they may have several small items packed into several larger boxes.
- business owners ship customers purchases or items to other locations in their network
small items can generally be packed in three types of packages:
- tubes: Ideal for safely mailing rolled papers such as blueprints, posters or artwork. tubes are not usually subject to special pricing as long as they are below the weight limit of the chosen shipping service.
- envelopes and padded envelopes: are lighter and less expensive than buy and ship, but they are less durable and more susceptible to damage. envelopes and padded envelopes are ideal for single items or small, durable cargo that can be safely transported without risk of damage, provided proper precautions are taken.
- boxes: boxes are more expensive to buy and ship, but are more durable than envelopes or padded envelopes. they are ideal for fragile items that require more protection than an envelope can provide, or for shipments of multiple small items.
There are some special considerations to keep in mind when shipping small items:
- Package Size: Some envelopes are thin enough to send via regular postal service, while others are thicker and will be considered “non-machinable”. This means they will incur oversized envelope charges when shipping with USPS. some items are also better packed in boxes, which will increase shipping costs.
- Package Weight: Small items can still be heavy, which can make your shipment be expensive, even if you have a small footprint. for some carriers and shipping services, a small but heavy package can cost more than a large but light package.
- how many items are you shipping: if you are shipping multiple small items to the same destination, boxes will offer more convenience and protection than envelopes and padded envelopes.
- Fragility: The more fragile the small item you’re shipping, the more padding you’ll need. you may need to pack a small but fragile item in a larger box to ensure you can use the proper amount of padding to keep it safe during transit.
- destination: if you are shipping multiple small items to the same destination, it may be more economical to ship all items together packed in a larger box than to ship them separately in smaller packages.
- unpacking experience: sometimes it’s worth the extra expense of shipping items to customers in a box over a padded envelope, especially if you’re a retailer.
how much does it cost to ship small items & packages?
The cheapest way to ship small items depends on the size and weight of the item, the carrier chosen, and the speed and distance of travel. For most small items, USPS will offer the lowest rates.
Compare rates for shipping large packages using the most common shipping methods:
- usps
- parcel shipping (such as fedex or ups)
- consolidated freight
The estimated shipping costs below will reflect the cost of shipping a variety of small items including:
- a rigid envelope weighing 1 oz and 10 oz.
- a “small” usps box weighing 1 lb and 5 lb.
oops
The United States Postal Service offers three services for shipping small packages:
- First Class Mail: for items under 13 ounces, such as thin, flat items, documents, and letters. first class mail does not include tracking.
- first class package service: for items under 16 ounces. first-class package service includes tracking, with delivery in 2-3 days.
- priority mail: for items weighing more than 1 pound. a fixed rate and a variable price are available. priority mail includes tracking and insurance.
First Class Mail and First Class Parcel Service have variable prices, and shipping costs depend on the size and weight of the package, as well as the speed and distance of travel. Priority Mail service includes flat-rate, variable-price shipping and is available for boxes and padded envelopes.
Priority Mail flat rate pricing depends on the size of the package you’re shipping; the weight of the package, as well as the speed and distance of the trip, are not taken into account in the shipping costs. flat rate packages are delivered within 1-3 business days.
If you opt for the variable price of priority mail, the shipping costs will depend on the size and weight of the package, as well as the speed and distance of the trip. USPS offers three variable price shipping options for small items:
Regardless of your packaging or whether you opt for a flat rate or variable price, packages shipped via USPS cannot exceed 70 pounds.
package delivery (ups or fedex)
ups offers three services for shipping small items: ups simple rate flat rate shipping, variable pricing and ups surepost.
UPS Simple Rate Flat Rate Shipping is the only flat rate shipping service that lets you use your own packaging, with flat rate pricing available for five sizes based on volume and a maximum weight of 50 pounds, regardless of package size. Three speeds are available: UPS Ground, UPS 3 Day Select, and UPS 2nd Day Air. prices range from $9.45 for an extra small box to $12.40 for a small box.
variable pricing is ideal for faster delivery. in this case, the shipping costs depend on the size and weight of the package, as well as the distance of the trip. several fast speeds are available, including next day air, morning next day air, next day air saver, next day air, and early next day air.
ups also offers surepost ups for small packages weighing less than 10 pounds. delivery times will be longer than other services, between 2-7 business days, and you must sign a contract to use this service.
fedex also offers three options for shipping small items: fedex single rate flat rate shipping, variable price, and fedex economy ground shipping.
unlike ups, fedex flat rate flat rate shipping requires you to use fedex packaging. 12 sizes are available, including envelopes, packets, boxes, and tubes. packaging is free and can be ordered online with free delivery. packages can weigh up to 50 pounds regardless of size. Six speeds are available: fedex express saver, fedex 2day, fedex 2day a.m., fedex standard night, fedex priority night, and fedex first night, with prices depending on the size, speed, and distance of the trip. shipping costs range from $8.90 for a fedex® envelope to $9.95 for a small fedex® box.
the fedex variable price depends on the size and weight of the package, as well as the speed and distance of the trip. multiple speeds are available, from fedex express saver (delivery in 3 business days) to fedex first night (next business day at 9am).
fedex economy ground shipping, formerly called smartpost, is for businesses looking to ship small packages weighing less than 10 pounds. Similar to UPS SurePost, FedEx Ground Economic delivers in 2-7 business days and you must sign a contract to qualify. this service is ideal for low-weight, low-value residential deliveries and non-urgent returns.
consolidated cargo (tsi)
LTR shipping is only ideal for shipping large boxes containing multiple small items, such as boxes full of small household items being shipped as part of a larger family move or business relocation.
Carriers will always price your shipment using a minimum billable weight. TSI’s minimum billable weight is 120 pounds, which means that some boxes weighing 40 pounds cumulatively will be priced as if they weighed 120 pounds. That’s why it makes more sense to ship small items as part of a larger family move.
note: the size of the box does not take into account the price of freight.
Note: Shipping cost estimates are calculated using individual carriers’ online cost estimating tools. Details, exact prices and shipping times are not guaranteed.
