In the past several articles, we have been covering quite a range of topics concerning the USPS and some of the most popular mailing options that you can select from. If you are familiar at all with the shipping industry, you will have heard of “ground” & “air” shipping as the 2 main categories. Traditionally, UPS has been on the frontline of ground shipping and FedEx is normally responsible for most of your air deliveries.
When it comes to the USPS, for the most part, the go-to option for mailing & shipping is first class mail. However, USPS Retail Ground is a shipping option for shipping packages, thick envelopes and even tubes. These packages can only have a maximum weight of 70 pounds. With USPS Retail Ground, also comes USPS Tracking at no additional cost. However, there may be some add on changes for certain items such as packages that:
- Measure over 108 inches in combined length and girth
- Have a length of over 84 inches and weigh less than 20 pounds
- Are in specific shapes such as tubes and rolls.
Important Features That Come With USPS Retail Ground
When you select to ship with USPS Retail Ground, you are getting the best value for your dollar. Especially if you are sending gifts and general merchandise to US addresses. Keep in mind that you will be able to ship to all addresses, PO Boxes and even military addresses when using this shipping option. This will also come with USPS Tracking that will not cost you anything additionally. Finally, packages can weigh up to 70 pounds and measure up to 130 inches in combined length and distance.
How Much Does USPS Retail Ground Shipping Cost?
This shipping option from the USPS is only available for mailable items sent to Zones 5-9 except for certain circumstances. If you ship mailable hazardous materials, live animals or items required by standard to be shipped through ground transportation, these would be cases where there can be an exception. In cases like that, USPS Retail Ground prices are available for items that are sent to Zone 1 through Zone 9.
Typically, oversized price will apply in the cases for mailable items that are sent to Zones 5-9. In other cases, Dimensional-weight pricing can apply to USPS Retail Ground parcels that are larger than 1 cubic foot in the case where the calculated dimensional weight is greater than the actual weight of the parcel.
How To Determine Dimensional Weight For Rectangular Parcels.
Make sure to follow the steps below in order to determine the exact dimensional weight of your parcel.
- Measure the length, width and height in inches and round off each measurement to the nearest whole inch.
- Multiply the length by the width and by the height
- If the results will exceed 1728 cubic inches, then you will want to divide that result by 166 and round it up to the next whole number. This will help determine the dimensional weight in pounds.
- If the dimensional weight exceeds 70 pounds then the mailer will pay the 70 pound price.
How To Determine Dimensional Weight For Non Rectangular Parcels
- Measure the length, width and height in inches at their extreme dimensions. Make sure to round off each measurement to the nearest whole inch.
- Multiply the length by the width by the height
- Multiply that result by an adjustment factor of 0.785
- If the final result exceeds 1,728 cubic inches, divide that result by 166 and round it up to the next whole number in order to determine the dimensional weight in pounds
- If the dimensional weight exceeds 70 pounds then the mailer pays the 70 pound price.
What Is The Limited Overland Route Price Category
This price category is for USPS Retail Ground pieces that are delivered to or from specific zip codes that are within Alaska and that are not connected by overland routes.
This price category will apply in the following cases:
- The 20-pound parcel applies. The parcel weighs less than 20 pounds but measures more than 84 inches but less than 108 inches in combined length and girth.
- This pricing category is not limited to hazardous materials, live animals or other items that require shipping by ground transportation.
- USPS Retail Ground LOR retail pricing will not be found available through online or commercial postage payment. Make sure you use the postage calculator in order to find the price of shipping your USPS Retail Ground piece. You can also visit this Price List for a chart of prices that is based on the zone and weight as well as a list of eligible Zip Codes.
For a full pricing sheet of USPS Retail Ground Rates, you can check out the pricing list below:
USPS RETAIL GROUND |
||||||||
| Weight
Not Over (Lbs) |
Prices by Zone | |||||||
| 1 & 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| 1 | 7.50 | 7.85 | 8.00 | 8.20 | 8.40 | 8.75 | 9.35 | 9.35 |
| 2 | 8.25 | 8.70 | 9.90 | 10.75 | 11.60 | 12.60 | 13.60 | 13.60 |
| 3 | 8.70 | 9.70 | 10.90 | 12.35 | 13.05 | 15.30 | 17.35 | 17.35 |
| 4 | 9.20 | 10.55 | 11.55 | 12.90 | 15.55 | 18.20 | 20.85 | 20.85 |
| 5 | 10.20 | 11.30 | 12.25 | 13.65 | 17.05 | 20.50 | 23.90 | 23.90 |
| 6 | 10.95 | 11.55 | 12.80 | 15.50 | 19.40 | 23.30 | 27.15 | 27.15 |
| 7 | 11.95 | 13.10 | 15.40 | 17.40 | 21.70 | 26.00 | 30.30 | 30.30 |
| 8 | 12.30 | 14.50 | 17.10 | 20.15 | 24.75 | 29.30 | 33.90 | 33.90 |
| 9 | 12.80 | 15.65 | 18.95 | 22.95 | 27.90 | 32.85 | 37.80 | 37.80 |
| 10 | 13.60 | 16.80 | 20.40 | 24.50 | 29.70 | 34.90 | 40.05 | 40.05 |
| 11 | 14.95 | 18.50 | 22.50 | 26.20 | 31.95 | 37.75 | 43.55 | 43.55 |
| 12 | 16.25 | 19.85 | 24.20 | 28.10 | 34.30 | 40.55 | 46.75 | 46.75 |
| 13 | 17.25 | 20.95 | 25.55 | 29.75 | 35.70 | 41.65 | 47.55 | 47.55 |
| 14 | 18.30 | 22.35 | 27.20 | 31.55 | 37.70 | 43.85 | 49.95 | 49.95 |
| 15 | 18.95 | 23.60 | 28.75 | 33.45 | 39.40 | 45.40 | 51.35 | 51.35 |
| 16 | 19.60 | 24.90 | 30.30 | 35.25 | 41.55 | 47.85 | 54.20 | 54.20 |
| 17 | 20.50 | 26.20 | 31.90 | 37.10 | 43.75 | 50.35 | 57.00 | 57.00 |
| 18 | 20.85 | 27.10 | 33.20 | 38.95 | 45.95 | 52.95 | 59.95 | 59.95 |
| 19 | 21.45 | 27.75 | 33.95 | 39.95 | 47.00 | 54.05 | 61.10 | 61.10 |
| 20 | 22.35 | 28.10 | 34.50 | 40.75 | 48.50 | 56.30 | 64.10 | 64.10 |
| 21 | 23.10 | 28.45 | 35.00 | 41.30 | 49.35 | 57.40 | 65.50 | 65.50 |
| 22 | 23.65 | 29.10 | 35.85 | 42.25 | 50.50 | 58.80 | 67.05 | 67.05 |
| 23 | 24.20 | 29.70 | 36.45 | 43.00 | 51.45 | 59.85 | 68.30 | 68.30 |
| 24 | 24.75 | 30.30 | 37.30 | 43.90 | 52.60 | 61.30 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
| 25 | 25.00 | 30.80 | 38.80 | 45.15 | 53.80 | 62.50 | 71.20 | 71.20 |
| 26 | 26.00 | 31.40 | 40.25 | 46.05 | 55.15 | 64.25 | 73.40 | 73.40 |
| 27 | 26.80 | 31.85 | 41.45 | 48.40 | 57.60 | 66.80 | 76.05 | 76.05 |
| 28 | 27.60 | 32.25 | 42.70 | 49.65 | 59.45 | 69.20 | 79.00 | 79.00 |
| 29 | 28.45 | 32.65 | 43.75 | 50.40 | 60.65 | 70.90 | 81.15 | 81.15 |
| 30 | 29.30 | 33.05 | 44.80 | 51.05 | 61.65 | 72.25 | 82.80 | 82.80 |
| 31 | 30.15 | 33.40 | 45.55 | 51.80 | 62.75 | 73.70 | 84.65 | 84.65 |
| 32 | 30.50 | 34.15 | 46.30 | 52.35 | 63.65 | 74.95 | 86.20 | 86.20 |
| 33 | 31.05 | 35.05 | 47.45 | 53.05 | 64.70 | 76.30 | 87.90 | 87.90 |
| 34 | 31.30 | 36.00 | 48.65 | 54.15 | 65.95 | 77.80 | 89.60 | 89.60 |
| 35 | 31.60 | 36.85 | 49.25 | 55.30 | 67.20 | 79.15 | 91.05 | 91.05 |
| 36 | 31.95 | 37.90 | 49.95 | 56.60 | 68.60 | 80.60 | 92.60 | 92.60 |
| 37 | 32.25 | 38.55 | 50.65 | 57.55 | 69.75 | 81.90 | 94.10 | 94.10 |
| 38 | 32.65 | 39.55 | 51.30 | 58.65 | 71.00 | 83.30 | 95.65 | 95.65 |
| 39 | 32.95 | 40.45 | 51.95 | 59.90 | 72.25 | 84.65 | 97.05 | 97.05 |
| 40 | 33.35 | 41.30 | 52.65 | 61.20 | 73.60 | 86.00 | 98.40 | 98.40 |
| 41 | 33.65 | 42.10 | 53.25 | 61.75 | 74.50 | 87.20 | 99.95 | 99.95 |
| 42 | 33.90 | 42.85 | 53.80 | 63.05 | 75.75 | 88.45 | 101.20 | 101.20 |
| 43 | 34.35 | 43.55 | 54.30 | 64.40 | 77.05 | 89.70 | 102.35 | 102.35 |
| 44 | 34.55 | 44.25 | 55.00 | 65.75 | 78.40 | 91.05 | 103.70 | 103.70 |
| 45 | 34.80 | 44.75 | 55.35 | 67.30 | 79.85 | 92.40 | 104.95 | 104.95 |
| 46 | 35.05 | 45.05 | 55.95 | 68.45 | 81.00 | 93.60 | 106.15 | 106.15 |
| 47 | 35.35 | 45.50 | 56.50 | 70.10 | 82.55 | 95.00 | 107.40 | 107.40 |
| 48 | 35.70 | 45.85 | 57.05 | 71.45 | 83.80 | 96.15 | 108.55 | 108.55 |
| 49 | 35.90 | 46.15 | 57.45 | 72.70 | 85.00 | 97.30 | 109.55 | 109.55 |
| 50 | 36.05 | 46.45 | 57.90 | 74.20 | 86.35 | 98.55 | 110.75 | 110.75 |
| 51 | 36.20 | 46.90 | 58.40 | 75.40 | 87.55 | 99.65 | 111.75 | 111.75 |
| 52 | 36.65 | 47.20 | 58.80 | 76.00 | 88.35 | 100.70 | 113.05 | 113.05 |
| 53 | 37.30 | 47.50 | 59.15 | 76.60 | 89.20 | 101.85 | 114.50 | 114.50 |
| 54 | 37.75 | 47.70 | 59.60 | 77.20 | 90.20 | 103.15 | 116.15 | 116.15 |
| 55 | 38.40 | 48.05 | 59.90 | 77.75 | 91.05 | 104.30 | 117.60 | 117.60 |
| 56 | 38.95 | 48.35 | 60.25 | 78.30 | 91.80 | 105.30 | 118.80 | 118.80 |
| 57 | 39.50 | 48.50 | 60.60 | 78.70 | 92.35 | 106.00 | 119.65 | 119.65 |
| 58 | 40.15 | 48.75 | 61.00 | 79.30 | 93.10 | 106.85 | 120.60 | 120.60 |
| 59 | 40.75 | 48.95 | 61.30 | 79.75 | 93.65 | 107.55 | 121.50 | 121.50 |
| 60 | 41.30 | 49.15 | 61.90 | 80.15 | 94.20 | 108.25 | 122.30 | 122.30 |
| 61 | 41.90 | 49.40 | 63.00 | 80.55 | 95.05 | 109.55 | 124.00 | 124.00 |
| 62 | 42.35 | 49.50 | 63.75 | 81.00 | 96.00 | 111.00 | 125.95 | 125.95 |
| 63 | 43.15 | 49.75 | 64.85 | 81.40 | 96.90 | 112.45 | 127.95 | 127.95 |
| 64 | 43.60 | 51.30 | 65.80 | 81.85 | 97.90 | 113.95 | 130.05 | 130.05 |
| 65 | 44.20 | 51.45 | 66.65 | 82.00 | 98.65 | 115.30 | 131.95 | 131.95 |
| 66 | 44.75 | 51.65 | 67.75 | 82.45 | 99.65 | 116.80 | 134.00 | 134.00 |
| 67 | 45.50 | 51.75 | 68.90 | 82.75 | 100.40 | 118.05 | 135.70 | 135.70 |
| 68 | 46.00 | 51.85 | 69.75 | 82.95 | 101.05 | 119.10 | 137.20 | 137.20 |
| 69 | 46.60 | 51.90 | 70.60 | 83.15 | 101.65 | 120.10 | 138.60 | 138.60 |
| 70 | 47.15 | 52.05 | 71.75 | 83.40 | 102.30 | 121.20 | 140.15 | 140.15 |
A Virtual Mailbox Solution To Receive Mail & Packages
Being able to receive mail at your PO Box or mailbox at your home, is something that we have all come to get used to. However, the fast paced life that most of us live in the 21st century, with busy work schedules and occasional travel, can make it tough to keep up with incoming mail.
Virtual mailboxes have been designed with the busy professional in mind; it works similar to how your e-mail works but for snail mail & packages. You essentially log into your digital mailbox, using your e-mail and password and from there, you can digitally view all your mail and even the letters that are in your envelopes. Requesting a mail scan can happen within the click of a button, and within a few hours. No more waiting in line at the Post Office or needing to keep making time during your week to check your PO Box.
With a virtual mailbox, you can access all your mail & packages from any mobile or desktop device. And if you need something shipped to you, you can request that through your virtual mailbox as well and have it shipped at up to 80% discounted shipping rates. US Global Mail has been the leader in virtual mailboxes since 1999. For more information, pricing and to get your free month, click here.
