USPS flat rate shipping

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cowchaser

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Joined
Sep 14, 2007
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927
Location
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA.
Seems every package I receive is either in the flat rate box or envelope at a charge of 4.60. Now I have shipped a few things to people on here and go to my post office to do it. They have the boxes and envelopes, but always charge me for them. My cost has never come to 4.60. I have to pay for the box or envelope then they weigh it and I pay for weight.

So how is everyone else shipping at 4.60? I can go to their website and it shows all the flat rates and it says I can order something like 500 and they are FREE. Can someone help me out here. Or is my post office just ripping me off.
 
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Priority items are free to order off the USPS website. There is 2 flat rate boxes, one at $8.95 and one at $12.95 and a flat rate envelope at $4.60. If you choose any other of the boxes that are not flat rate, they will charge you according to weight. If you are over 1 pound then yes they will charge you more. Some of the products at the post office is for sale, but the priority items are free. You need to look closer at the items you are picking.
 
I got tired of running to the post office so I ordered the flat rate boxes and envelopes from the USPS website.It is free shipped right to your door.Then I have the wife drop them off at the post office as I buy postage and print it online.Never had any trouble.
 
If your accounts are accurate, report your local Post Office to the Post Master. They are ripping you off. All the Post Office supplies (except stamps) are supposed to be FREE as far as I know.

The boxes and mailing supplies that are being sold in the PO are NOT marked USPS.
 
But, the post office does have other mailing containers that are for sale. Priority mail does not have to be placed in priority mailers. But, if you are being charged for the priority mailing boxes and envelopes then you have a complaint.
Go online and order priority mail boxes, flat rate boxes and envelopes and they will be delivered to your home...no charge.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Originally posted by Dario

If your accounts are accurate, report your local Post Office to the Post Master. They are ripping you off. All the Post Office supplies (except stamps) are supposed to be FREE as far as I know.

The boxes and mailing supplies that are being sold in the PO are NOT marked USPS.
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I agree with what everyone said above. However, when ordering boxes and envelopes, you can order as little as 5 or 10 items depending on what it is. It's a great deal.
 
Check the USPS web site, there is a large variety of boxes and envelopes that are free. To answer the original question, most ship Priority because we want things to arrive or get there as fast as possible. You can still ship parcel post for less money. Buy a good postal scale and calculate cost and savings yourself. My scale paid for itself the first week I had it.
 
FYI - I have found that parcel post is sometimes more expensive than priority. But, I feel that Priority will get there more often than not. Parcel generally is room allowed and sometimes gets left of the shipping dock to wait for the next truck and is more apt to get lost.
 
Originally posted by toolcrazy

FYI - I have found that parcel post is sometimes more expensive than priority. But, I feel that Priority will get there more often than not. Parcel generally is room allowed and sometimes gets left of the shipping dock to wait for the next truck and is more apt to get lost.
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You are right, heavy parcel can be more than flat rate. That's why a postal scale is so valuable.
 
Why is a scale so important? You can stuff a Priority mail FLAT RATE box up to 70 lbs for $8.95. Nothing compares, absolutely nothing!

Cowchaser, just make sure the boxes or envelopes you use are marked "FLAT RATE" and you can mail them all day long for either $4.60 or $8.95 and the envelopes and boxes are FREE at every</u> post office.
 
Originally posted by Texatdurango

Why is a scale so important? You can stuff a Priority mail FLAT RATE box up to 70 lbs for $8.95. Nothing compares, absolutely nothing!
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I've had a number of instances where the box I'm shipping is 2 or 3lbs. Depending on where it's going, I might be able to ship it for $4.60-$7.50 or less if it weighs less than 13 oz. (It'll go First Class). There are a lot of variables to consider when shipping and having good mailing software and scale is invaluable. That's why I keep a supply of all the Priority Mail boxes, not just the Flat Rate. I weigh everything. If I can save the customer, or myself, a dollar or 2, I'll do it.
 
Originally posted by toolcrazy

.....There is 2 flat rate boxes, one at $8.95 and one at $12.95.....
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Actually, there are at least three flat rate box sizes and maybe even four. The $8.95 box comes in two sizes. One is relatively long and thin and the other is shorter but thicker. Additionally, it appears they may have a special FR box for mailing to APOs; but I don't know the details of that.


Originally posted by toolcrazy

.....but the priority items are free. You need to look closer at the items you are picking.
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I believe the above to be correct. All Priority mailing materials are supposed to be free; but you can buy other sizes of boxes at the PO that are "NOT" Priority boxes for which there is a charge. Although these boxes are "NOT" priority boxes, they "CAN" be sent using the priority service. Maybe that is where the confusion lies??
 
Originally posted by Texatdurango

Why is a scale so important? You can stuff a Priority mail FLAT RATE box up to 70 lbs for $8.95. Nothing compares, absolutely nothing!
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George: What you fail to consider is that weight is not the only consideration. Sometimes things are just too big to fit in a flat rate box (regardless of their weight) so one must use either priority mail or parcel post and depending on the weight and the distance, one may be cheaper or more expensive than the other as Frank correctly pointed out. For instance, if Frank wants to mail a gun stock, it surely doesn't weigh more than a few pounds; but will be way too long to fit in a flat rate box.
 
I used to weigh everything I mailed for bulk buys and select the best postage method. being the number cruncher I am I quickly realized that the difference between the $4.60 flat rate or first class mail is nearly always the same. for priority it is simply $4.60 plus the cost of printing the label, maybe 5 cents. for first class the same item may mail for $2.60 but you have to add a dollar or more for something to mail it in. Pay Pal charges you to print first class postage around 30 cents in this case. and I also have to supply the label as well as cost of printing. the difference is maybe 25 cents. Now I simply charge the $4.60 priority charge but mail items in the best package for them. plus for those that ship lots of things there are costs that can really add up. like burning up a printer printing shipping labels. I've done it.
 
I have not been doing this long,but for one pen to be mailed any where in country and Canada,is about $1.49 to $1.64 using reg. air mail,post man says a few days at most. Thats $3.00 more per each time used,thats a lot. doing that 10 times is 30 bucks,you can buy a lot of envelopes for 30 bucks.They arn`t trucking mail they are trucking freight. Carl
 
Originally posted by fernhills

I have not been doing this long,but for one pen to be mailed any where in country and Canada,is about $1.49 to $1.64 using reg. air mail,post man says a few days at most. Thats $3.00 more per each time used,thats a lot. doing that 10 times is 30 bucks,you can buy a lot of envelopes for 30 bucks.They arn`t trucking mail they are trucking freight. Carl
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Personally, I won't mail a pen in an envelope. Two reasons: 1) looks chintzy. 2) high possibility of breakage. I use the #4 Priority box quite a bit. Very handy and when light same as Flat Rate envelope.
 
Frank, not if you ship them "postal proof" like I do. I buy and sell a few vintage pens now and what I do is use PVC pipe. I wrap the pen in a paper towel, and slide it inside the pipe. I then tape seal the ends. This fits into a bubble envelope and I will be danged if they can break that pen! ;) It cost's me about a buck fifty to mail it like that. When I "flip" a pen that I bought and refurbed I always include shipping free and they always come in safe.

Sample ink vials get the same treatment, but the electrical tape around the cap fits sung inside the pipe. ;)
 
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