A Breakdown of USPS’s 2021 Shipping Rates (and How Easyship Compares)

Affordable USPS shipping rates are something that will go a long way in ensuring the long-term sustainability of your business. Customers expect to get cheap or free shipping when they shop online. In fact, it can be the deciding factor in whether they purchase from your store. You simply have to find shipping solutions that will give you good rates and quality service. The United States Postal Service offers a good balance between price and service. USPS shipping prices have increased in 2020, but are still a good solution.

To understand why you need great shipping, you first have to understand a few pertinent facts. 28% of online shoppers will abandon their cart if they feel shipping costs are too high, or if they can’t see them clearly. Similarly, 95% of customers admit that shipping prices influence the purchases they make online; customer satisfaction was 10% higher when they were offered free shipping. By using USPS international shipping costs - which are usually more affordable than other couriers - you'll be able to cater to these customers.

New USPS shipping rates came into effect on January 25, 2020, and using these could help increase conversions on your online store. Last year, USPS went through some structural changes which allowed them to release new, easy-to-understand prices. If you take a look at them, you’ll see that there has been an overall increase in costs across the board. However, if you look carefully, you’ll find that certain services and shipments can be had at reduced rates.

Understanding these USPS shipping rates for 2021 can help you make better decisions for your eCommerce business. To help you with that, this article will break down exactly what the 2021 USPS shipping cost, USPS postage rates, and international postage rates are.

Don’t forget that you can book USPS shipments through the Easyship platform to access competitive rates and use our suite of shipping tools to make fulfillment a breeze.

How Are the 2021 USPS Shipping Rates Different from the 2020 Prices?

The USPS shipping rates for 2020 did not affect First Class Mail or Flat Rate prices too extensively. However, the prices for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express services have increased by 4.1% and 3.5% respectively, based on the zone and weight of the shipment. For First Class mail, the only increase is in First Class Mail Flat Rates from $0.15 to $0.20. Additionally, the Priority Mail commercial base rate will only increase by 2.8%.

USPS shipping rates for Priority Mail have also increased by weight and zone. Similarly, the commercial Priority Mail Express rate has been raised by 2.2%. For Priority Mail Express Flat-Rate, the costs have seen an overall increase; envelopes now cost approximately double what they did in 2019.

In the next sections, we’ll discuss the structural changes in USPS shipping rates for 2020.

USPS Priority Mail Express 2020

USPS Priority Mail Express offers delivery within two business days. The service also includes free pick up, along with overnight and Sunday delivery. The overnight service has competitive pricing if you require fast delivery. Plus, this full-featured service includes USPS tracking and up to $100 insurance for most shipments. Overall, Priority Mail Express Retail rates have increased by 3.8% in 2020; commercial rates were raised, on average, by 2.2%.

• Priority Mail Express comes with insurance of up to $100 with certain exceptions
• You can buy extra insurance for your shipment for up to $5000 in indemnity to cover for loss and damage
• To get maximum coverage and security for your shipment, you can send registered mail that can be insured for up to $ 50,000 at the post office. The price for this begins at $12.60
• Handling of fragile and special items costs $11.15 extra

{{ ship-for-less-with-any-courier-guaranteed }}

USPS Shipping Rates Priority Mail 2021

USPS Priority Mail is a fast service that delivers within one to three days. This service includes free pickup, as well as insurance of up to $50 (with conditions). Pricing of shipments under this service is based on size and weight - you can use the USPS shipping rates calculator (or the Easyship rate calculator!) to get an estimated cost for your shipment. Below are a few USPS shipping rates estimates for this service that you should be aware of.

• USPS shipping costs for Priority Mail domestic services start from $7.50
• The shipping cost for the commercial base and commercial plus starts from $7.02
• You can purchase up to $5000 insurance as indemnity coverage based on the declared value of the shipment starting from $2.25
• You can get a signature confirmation service from $2.65
• If you require an adult recipient’s signature on delivery, you can request this for an additional $6.90
• You can request delivery receipts for $4.30
• For special handling of fragile packages, you’ll have to pay an extra $11.15

What About Shipping Rates for USPS First Class Mail?

USPS shipping rates have also changed for USPS First Class Mail. This is an affordable way to send envelopes and lightweight parcels within one to three business days. The First Class Mail Forever stamps cost $0.55. This rate is valid for shipments up to 1oz and doesn’t expire, even if USPS postage rates increase. First Class Mail is the most affordable service for shipments up to 13oz. The USPS domestic shipment costs and international postage rates are dependent on the size, shape, and weight of the package.

• The First Class Mail International large envelope starts from $11.26; this increases according to destination
• International postage rates for First-Class Package International services start from $27.75. The maximum value won't exceed $ 400 and the rate is dependent on the destination
• You can purchase insurance for up to $5000 in indemnity but some items can’t be insured. The price is based on the value of the shipment and starts from $2.25
• You can send registered mail for extra security from an extra $12.60

USPS Shipping Rate Changes for Retail Ground

This is an affordable, reliable service that is ideal for shipments that are not urgent or oversized. This service takes around two to eight days to deliver. Packages that are deemed too large for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express can be sent through USPS Retail Ground; this service can handle packages up to 70lbs and 130 inches in length and girth combined. Military mail is also handled through this service. The USPS shipping rates for this service are:

• Starts from $7.50
• The rates are different for different zones and weights
• You can get insurance for over $500 in shipment value.
• Add signature confirmation from $2.65
• Get delivery receipts by paying an extra $1.70 (email) or $2.85 (hard copy)

USPS Flat Rate Prices for 2021

A flat rate means a single rate is charged for shipping a package, regardless of its weight or size. This means there's no guessing when it comes to USPS shipping rates for this service. There are several sizes of flat rate boxes and envelopes available, and you need to pick the one which best fits your shipment. You can get flat rate boxes and envelopes for free at USPS post office branches. Flat rate shipping is considered a Priority Mail service, so packages will be delivered within two to three business days. For eCommerce businesses, the commercial base for USPS flat rate shipping costs is lower than retail rates; if you have a large volume of shipments, you can get the cheapest rates with commercial plus. Here are a few of the costs for flat rate shipping with USPS.

USPS Shipping Rates for Domestic Shipments

• Priority Mail 1-Day Flat Rate Large Box: $21.10
• Priority Mail 1-Day Flat Rate Medium Box: $15.05
• Priority Mail 1-Day Small Flat Rate Box $8.30
• Priority Mail 1-Day Flat Rate Envelope $26.35
• Priority Mail 2-Day Flat Rate Envelope $7.75
• Priority Mail 2-Day Regional Rate Box A: $12.10
• Priority Mail 2-Day Regional Rate Box B: $21.89

USPS Shipping Rates for International Shipments

• Priority Mail Express International Flat Rate Envelope: $66.50
• Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelope: $ 35.35
• Priority Mail International Large Flat Rate Box: $101.20
• Priority Mail International Medium Flat Rate Box: $77.50
• Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Box: $36.45

How Does Easyship Stack Up?

Easyship offers competitive USPS shipping rates. We partner with major courier companies to get you the best possible deals. This includes finding the best USPS shipping rates for international or domestic shipments.

To give you an idea of how competitive Easyship’s USPS shipping rates are, we’re going to compare USPS retail rates against Easyship rates for domestic and international shipments.

USPS domestic shipping rates from Brooklyn, New York, to Beverly Hills, California, for a 5lb parcel measuring 10in x 5in x 2in

USPS international shipping rates from Brooklyn, New York, to Hong Kong for a 5lb parcel measuring 10in x 5in x 2in

Get The Best Shipping Rates For USPS in 2021

USPS shipping rates have been updated for 2020; the full breakdown is available on the USPS postage rates 2020 chart. In general, USPS shipping rates and USPS postage rates have increased. Easyship offers extended services with USPS shipping rates and services. As a business owner, you’ll save time and money - and access a wealth of added benefits - by booking your USPS shipments through Easyship. Sign up today to see how we can help!

{{ discover-the-cheapest-shipping-from-usps-ups-and-fedex }}