USPS Priority Mail Regional Rate Service, a subset of the USPS Priority Mail service level, is a cost-effective shipping option that can be used for domestic packages. Simply put, this service level option can help you keep your shipping costs to a minimum, while ensuring your shipments reach customers quickly and efficiently. But beyond the basics, there’s much more to regional rate service that growing e-commerce merchants need to know to make the most strategic shipping decisions for their business.
what is the regional rate for usps priority mail?
With the USPS Priority Mail Regional Rate, rates are simply based on distance traveled. Another defining factor of the regional rate is that it requires the use of USPS-branded packaging. there are two types of boxes available and each one comes in two sizes:
- the regional rate chart allows you to ship a maximum of 15 pounds for domestic orders. regional rate box a comes in two sizes: 10” x 7” x 4-¾” for top load boxes and 10-15/16” x 2-⅜” x 12-13/16” for side load boxes .
- .the regional rate box b allows you to send a maximum of 20 pounds. there are also two options for the regional rate b box: the 12″ x 10-¼” x 5″ top load box and the 14-⅜” x 2-⅞” x 15 side load box -⅞” .
There are two key benefits to using the regional rate service: a. speed and b. savings. this level of service may be a good option if you are sending small, dense packages over short distances.
directly from the usps itself, “[regional rate] boxes combine the speed and convenience of priority mail shipping with zoned pricing (depending on destination) for reduce costs. ” the extensive logistics framework usps has in place makes it more likely that your packages will reach customers quickly, and deliveries at regional rates are typically completed within 1 to 3 business days. .
Regional Rate Boxes can be picked up at any Post Office branch, or ordered online through the Post Shop.
who can use the usps priority mail regional rate?
Any e-commerce seller who needs to ship light packages nationwide can do so via the USPS Priority Mail regional rate.
the next natural question: who should use it?
In the past, industry experts typically didn’t recommend the Priority Mail regional rate, because USPS Cubic Priority Mail was always cheaper (more on this later). however, the regional rate has become more competitive in 2021.
Specifically, you should consider shipping via a regional rate if:
- your item(s) fits perfectly in the regional rate box a and weighs between 2 and 15 pounds.
- your item(s) fits perfectly into regional rate box b, travels a short distance, and weighs between 5 and 20 pounds.
how much is the usps priority mail regional rate?
To give you a clear view of what you can expect to pay with the regional rate package, we have the 2021 pricing table for the USPS Regional A and B rate charts below:
how do the benefits of usps regional rate service compare to other levels of usps priority mail service?
You should compare the USPS Priority Mail regional shipping rate to other priority mail service level options to find the most cost-effective solution for you, but don’t worry, we’re here to help with that!
Here’s how the other USPS Priority Mail service levels compare:
- usps priority mail weight-based (or regular usps priority mail) can be a good option for packages up to 70 pounds, especially if do not qualify for the other usps priority mail options.
- usps priority mail flat rate is the only usps priority mail service that is not priced based on weight and zone , and tends to be the best choice when shipping small, heavy packages traveling long distances.
- usps priority mail cubic is usually best for packages the size of a shoebox weighing 1-20 pounds.
It’s worth noting that all of the shipping options above include 1-3 business day delivery, as well as tracking and insurance.
cubic has historically been the most cost-effective option for most packages from 1 to 20 pounds across the board, but these days, depending on how far your package travels, you could end up spending less with usps priority mail regional rate service. With this in mind, it’s important to calculate whether it’s more affordable to ship with a regional rate box, which you get for free through usps (the flat rate mail includes packaging too) — or to use priority mail based on weight or cubic prices — which requires you to purchase your own packaging.
how much does usps priority mail regional rate service cost compared to other usps service levels?
To help you better understand how the cost of the Regional Rates Package compares to using your own package, we’ve added some distinctive color coding to our USPS Regional Rate Table A and USPS Regional Rate Table B tables. next.
When boxes are blue, it makes financial sense to use your own packaging and ship via cube or weight-based pricing services via priority mail. when the rate boxes are green, Priority Mail regional rate service is likely to be a more cost-effective option.
usps priority mail regional rate box a
in this analysis, the clear cutoff for selecting usps regional rate shipping over weight-based or cubic pricing services is a package that weighs more than 2 pounds, in all shipping zones :
usps priority mail regional rate box b
For USPS Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B, packages weighing between 6 and 20 pounds being shipped in Zones 0-5 must be shipped via Regional Rate service. all others must be shipped using Priority Mail cube or weight-based pricing services:
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- convenient scheduled USPS pickups at work or home
- detailed tracking history so you and your customers know where your packages are at all times
- up- Updated Estimated Times of Arrival (ETAs)
- a streamlined package return process that creates a more seamless customer experience and includes scan-based return labels that only charge you the amount of the return tag if and when your customer actually makes a return
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