Postal services in the United States are a great way to ship various types of products across the country. however, when it comes to sending media-related items, multimedia mail may be the most cost-effective option for you.
media mail is an inexpensive shipping method offered by usps that is ideal for shipping books, cds, dvds, videotapes, and similar types of educational media items. media mail shipments typically arrive in 2-8 days, with an average of 4 days, depending on the size of the shipment and delivery location.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the media mailing method, its related costs, delivery times, benefits, and everything in between. below you will find the table of contents:
- what is media mail
- how to send media mail
- what items you can send
- insurance and inspections
- frequently asked questions
what is multimedia mail?
The Postal Service Act of 1792 was signed into law by President George Washington and in its early days was used primarily to facilitate the circulation of newspapers. Not long after, postal services covered personal mail and other items throughout the United States.
In order to create a convenient and affordable way to mail books, the United States Postal Service (USPS) began offering multimedia mail in 1938. Its primary goal was to facilitate the dissemination of educational material throughout the world. country.
As the media technology landscape has changed over the years, media mail categories have expanded to include movies, posters, and other educational material.
Today, Media Mail has become an inexpensive shipping method for shipping books and other media-related materials in the United States. This service is offered exclusively by USPS, with restrictions on certain categories of media.
multimedia mail benefits and limitations
In terms of affordability and convenience, multimedia mail is an ideal delivery method, if your articles qualify as educational material. USPS also offers free package tracking with multiple status updates. plus, the entire process of sending a media mail package is straightforward and simple.
The main limitations of media mail are delivery times and lack of insurance. While a delivery time of 2-8 days is acceptable to most people, it is equivalent to standard shipping, where priority shipping only takes 1-3 days on average.
In addition, media mailing only applies to certain types of items and shipments may also be inspected for compliance purposes. Below is a summary of the pros and cons of sending with media mail.
how much does it cost to send multimedia mail?
Media mail rates start at $2.89 for the first pound and increase by $0.56 for each pound sent thereafter. you can refer to the table below or visit the media mail price list.
multimedia mail rates are based on weight. any fraction thereof shall be rounded to the nearest pound. For example, a stack of books weighing 7 pounds shipped through the mail equals a total cost of $6.25.
Example cost breakdown:$2.89 for the first pound + $3.36 ($0.56 per subsequent pound x 6) = $6.25
how to send multimedia mail
When it comes to sending media mail, there are a few things you’ll need to consider before you send your package. you can follow the following shipping guide
At Home:
- check if your items qualify. the link below will take you to the guide on what items can be mailed.
- Pack your item according to the allowable weight and dimensions. You can get packages and media mailing labels at the post office, or you can print them online from places like eBay and PayPal. Unfortunately, multimedia mail packages cannot be purchased from the USPS online store.
- usps requires that all media mail packages indicate a delivery address and the sender’s return address. make sure these are indicated on the envelope or package of your shipment.
at the post office:
- go to the nearest usps post office. Simply enter your ZIP code here to find the nearest USPS Post Office to you. have usps personnel verify your package if it meets the required standards.
- then proceed to weigh your shipment and check the applicable shipping rate. remember you can also print media mail shipping labels at home.
- ship your media mail package and secure your tracking number. You can always use the USPS tracking page to track your packages.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to purchase labels and multimedia mailing packages on the official USPS website; however, ebay and paypal allow you to print them. If you don’t have access to them, simply locate your nearest USPS store and scroll down for more help.
how heavy can a multimedia mail package be?
As long as your items meet media mailing guidelines, their total weight must not exceed 70 pounds. If your package is over 70 pounds, you will need to split your shipment into two separate packages.
how big can a multimedia mail package be?
multimedia mail envelopes have a maximum dimension of 12 x 15 inches and a thickness of 3/4 inches. media mail packages must not exceed 108 inches in length around the thickest part.
how long does it take for multimedia mail to arrive?
media mail may take 2-8 business days to arrive at the delivery address and is subject to possible delays due to limited availability of transportation or inspection. the average delivery time for multimedia mail is about 4 days.
can you send multimedia mail from home?
You can only print mailing labels from online media through certain websites such as paypal and ebay. however, you will need to go to a usps post office to mail it. There are a total of 31,330 USPS post offices to choose from. Simply search for the nearest location on the USPS Post Office Locator.
can you send media mail to canada or internationally?
You cannot send Multimedia Mail packages outside of the United States, to countries such as Canada. international deliveries can only be sent using different types of services. the full service brochure can be viewed here.
can you use a priority mailbox for multimedia mail?
no, as priority mailboxes are strictly for priority mail and cannot be used for multimedia mail or any other non-priority methods.
how to track multimedia mail?
media mail submissions are trackable. Once the package has been shipped, please secure the tracking number and click here to access the USPS tracking website. another alternative is to call the usps customer service line at 1-800-ask-usps (8777).
what articles can be sent by multimedia mail?
mainly, educational articles can only be sent with media mail. while this only covered physical books initially, the list of applicable items expanded over time. Below is the full list of qualifying items.
- Books: If you are submitting books, they must be at least 8 pages long. You can also send material to supplement books related to school or academic studies. books must not contain paid advertising or publisher’s own advertising.
- films– must be no more than 16 millimeters wide. films must be the final version and if they contain catalogues, they must be directly related and must be more than 24 pages. movies and movie catalogs sent to commercial theaters are not allowed.
- Printed Music: Handwritten or digital sheet music, music notations, and other sound recordings can be sent via regular mail.
- Test Materials and Props: Printed objective test materials used by educational institutions to test and measure ability, aptitude, interests, and other quantifiable data. may also include responses that include test scores or written information recorded.
- sound and video recordings: items such as compact discs (cds) and digital video discs (dvds), including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings. Please note that blank CDs, DVDs, cassettes and VHS tapes cannot be mailed.
- Scripts and manuscripts: can also be sent via media mail, if used for books, periodicals, and music.
- educational reference graphics: graphics printed for educational purposes, such as graphs, diagrams, tables, figures, maps, mathematical equations, illustrations, pictures, periodic table of elements, botanical tables, or zoos. , and other topics related to the study of science.
- Binders and Loose Leaf Pages: This includes medical information used by doctors, hospitals, medical students, and medical schools. all of these items are allowed.
- computer-readable media: multimedia files that are readable by computers, which may include data, information, guides, and scripts that are directly related to such media.
Please note that you can send the items listed above with multimedia mail. unsuitable items will be refused and the package may be returned to the sender’s address or you may be charged additional fees.
Below is a list of compiled questions and answers dealing with sending specific items via postal mail.
can you send magazines with multimedia mail?
Magazines may not ship with Media Mail as they typically contain advertisements. Although they may be an appropriate size and within the weight limit, they must be shipped by other means.
can you send cds with media mail?
yes! cds can be sent with multimedia mail, as long as there is content on the cds. therefore, blank cds are not allowed.
can you send dvd with multimedia mail?
yes, you can send dvds with multimedia mail, as long as there is content on them. blank dvds cannot be sent via multimedia mail.
can you send comics with media mail?
not. Unfortunately, comics don’t qualify for media mail, as they typically contain advertising or promotion for other comics.
can you send books with media mail?
yes. multimedia mail was initially conceptualized for sending books and is still in the allowed category. Please note that books must be a minimum of 8 pages.
can you send more than one mailing of books?
yes. you can send a package of books with media mail, as long as the package weighs less than 70 pounds and is within the maximum dimensions allowed. If your book shipment exceeds 70 pounds, simply split the shipment.
can you send vinyl records with media mail?
yes. vinyl recordings fall under the category of sound recordings and can be sent via email.
can you send posters with media mail?
yes. As long as the posters are educational, they will be included in printed educational reference materials. the poster can contain graphs, diagrams, maps and tables. movie posters cannot be sent via media mail.
can you send vhs tapes with media mail?
yes, vhs tapes are acceptable, as long as there is content on the tapes. blank vhs tapes cannot be sent via multimedia mail service.
can you send cassettes with multimedia mail?
yes, you can send cassettes with multimedia mail, as long as there is content on the cassettes. blank cassettes do not qualify for multimedia mail.
can you send cards with multimedia mail?
Sending collectible trading cards (tcg) such as magic: the gathering (mtg), pokémon, baseball and others via media mail is not permitted as they do not qualify as educational material.
media mail inspections and insurance
Shipping insurance is usually an additional service offered by post and courier companies. In this section, we’ll explore insurance coverage for media mail and package inspections.
can you secure media mail?
One disadvantage of media mail is that there is no insurance coverage. The alternative would be to ship your items via USPS First Class or Priority Mail, as both services have optional insurance coverage.
how often multimedia mail is inspected
Because of affordable rates, packages sent via Media Mail are likely to be inspected to ensure people aren’t misusing the service.
Therefore, USPS may open packages and envelopes at any time to ensure compliance. If you are found to be in violation of these requirements, USPS may return the package to the sender or charge additional postage fees.
frequently asked questions about multimedia mail
This guide is intended to share more information about the service, how to submit media mail, which articles qualify and which are not allowed. Since not all information is available online, the following list answers some of the most frequently asked questions.
why is multimedia mail so cheap?
since media mail was intended to facilitate the dissemination of educational materials in the united states, the service fee was intended to be affordable.
because usps is an independent agency of the united states executive branch, making media mail affordable encourages people to use this service to share and promote educational material.
why is multimedia mail so slow?
multimedia mail takes 2-8 business days to arrive, with an average delivery time of approximately 4 days. Although media mail rates are very attractive, delivery times must be taken into account.
Media Mail’s slowness is primarily due to comparing it to more expensive alternatives, such as USPS Priority Mail or First Class Mail, which are typically shipped via air freight. therefore, multimedia mail strikes an ideal balance between delivery time and cost.