The shipping rates on this blog are the 2021 usps shipping rates. For the current 2022 shipping rates, see our 2022 usps shipping rate changes : flat rate, priority, first class, w/blog boards.
usps shipping rate changes for 2021 have been announced and will take effect on january 24, 2021. you can find a full and detailed breakdown in our ecommerce seller guide to shipping rate changes for 2021, but here we will summarize what you need to know. In general, rates increased for most products, weights and zones. We’ll go over changes to the most popular USPS shipping services, including Priority Mail, First Class Parcel, Flat Rate, and Regional Rate. It looks like the 2021 fee changes are pretty straightforward, so merchants can feel good about it.
highlights of usps 2021 shipping rate changes:
- Priority mail rates increased for most packages by an average of 3.5 percent, which is fairly comparable to the January 2020 increase.
- priority mail express increased by an average of 1.2 percent. That’s one percent less than last year’s increase.
- First Class Parcel Service, the USPS method for packages under 15,999 oz, saw the largest increase this year, much different to last year’s rate change. this service will see a rate increase of 6.5 percent. New for 2021, a $100 fee will apply to packages found in the mail stream that exceed the maximum size limit that can be mailed (combined length and girth greater than 130 inches).
- First-class international parcel service rates are increasing by an average of 2.79 percent. however, the structure has changed slightly. Heading into 2021, USPS is expanding from 9 price groups to 20.
- Parcel return service will increase 4.9 percent. New for 2021, however, a $100 fee will apply to packages found in the mail stream that exceed the maximum size limit that can be mailed (combined length and girth greater than 130 inches).
- There don’t appear to be any structural changes or any changes in dimensional weight (get a full dimensional weight breakdown here). New for 2021, however, a $100 fee will apply to packages found in the mail stream that exceed the maximum size limit that can be mailed (combined length and girth greater than 130 inches).
Please note: Rates below are based on USPS Commercial Rates, which are deeply discounted rates from retail rates. you can get these rates by using shippingeasy for your ecommerce shipping. In addition, the rates in the tables below reflect non-holiday USPS rates and will not match the USPS rates implemented earlier this season. find more information about those changes here.
Get a full breakdown of rate changes at USPS, FedEx, and UPS, with charts, case studies, and more. Download our free guide and learn how you can save!
usps flat rate rate changes 2021
usps priority mail flat rate boxes and envelopes are very popular shipping services for many online sellers due to their simplicity, availability of free packaging, and competitive rates, regardless of package weight or destination. this year, large flat-rate boxes saw a total increase of $1.
usps priority mail rate changes 2021
priority mail is the primary package delivery service for usps. is a versatile shipping service used to ship millions of packages every day.
Below, we’ve put together an example of the cost of a £4 package, comparing 2020 rates to the new 2021 rates for various areas:
start saving on shipping
For a quick look at the 2021 Priority Mail rates, take a look at the following rate table for 2021 Business Priority Mail shipments up to £10:
2021 usps first class package rate changes
first class parcel service has been the most popular and cheapest usps service for shipping packages under 1 pound. Many small and medium-sized businesses rely on this cost-effective shipping method for small, lightweight packages.
An important item to note is that First Class Parcel Service commercial rates allow you to ship packages up to 15,999 oz. retail rates only allow you to ship packages up to 13 oz with the service.
Interestingly, it appears that the lower weights in First Class Parcel Service are seeing some of the biggest increases in this shipping method. for example, packages up to 4 oz going to zone 4 are seeing a 10.07% increase in shipping rates, while those from 13 to 15,999 oz are only increasing by 2.85%.
usps media mail rate changes 2021 (August 2021)
usps media mail is a low-cost option for shipping physical media such as books, dvd/blu-ray, vinyl records, cd’s, and magazines and other bound materials that have at least 8 bound pages. They take longer to reach their final destination and the USPS may examine the packaging to verify approved content. media mail is seeing an increase of approximately 10% in prices since January 2020. the service allows packages up to 70 pounds at a cost of $46.66.
Learn more about multimedia mail on our blog!
2020 regional rate shipping rate changes
The regional rate service is a less used but useful shipping service. this method allows you to ship using pre-arranged boxes that you can order online, and the rate is cheaper when shipping short distances. both regional box a rates and b rates increased in all zones. regional rate shipments are primarily designed to ship to zones 1-4, and that’s certainly reflected in the zone 9 increases below.
changes in the selection of plots 2021
Package Pick is also a less frequently used USPS shipping method. It’s slower and doesn’t offer the included tracking and insurance that comes with USPS Priority Mail. there are cases where it is cheaper, but many small and medium-sized businesses are willing to spend the extra pennies to have those options available. That said, selecting ground packages can be a way to lower shipping costs and improve margins. rates for select land parcels will see an average increase of 1.2%, while select light parcel prices will increase 20.0%.
Here we have used an example of a 5lb package to illustrate the increases for 2021. As you can see, parcel selection is the only method where we are seeing a real decrease in some cases.
Are you overspending? Find out with our shipping cost savings calculator!
conclusion
While the 2021 usps shipping rate changes will affect nearly all e-commerce shippers, higher rates still often hit ups and fedex services for most package sizes and destinations . commercial rates, as seen above, will be available on shipping platforms like shippingeasy to offer sellers substantial discounts on retail rates for packages.
Now that you know how much it costs to send, learn how to send better. Check out some shipping best practices by clicking below!
smarter delivery