Major USPS Rate Cuts for EasyPost Customers Effective Immediately
by Travis Edwards
Overview of the USPS Price Updates
Big news! As of May 1st, EasyPost merchants began receiving lower rates for select USPS Priority Mail® and USPS Parcel Select Ground® shipments. We are beyond excited to deliver much-needed cost savings for our USPS shippers in a time of economic uncertainty and inflationary shipping costs. The updated rates shaved prices by up to 18%, bringing on one of the largest USPS price cuts for quite some time.
Below we’ll explain the benefits of USPS Priority Mail and Parcel Select Ground and give a summary of the price adjustments.
USPS Priority Mail Overview
If you're looking for a reliable and cost-effective way to send mail within the U.S., USPS Priority Mail might be the best option for you. Priority Mail also guarantees fast delivery to every address, typically within 1-3 days. The service is flexible, allowing you to choose between weight and dimension-based shipping or Flat Rate envelopes and boxes to fit your needs and budget. USPS Priority Mail supports packages that weigh up to 70 pounds and measure up to 108 inches in combined length and girth.
In general, Priority Mail rates tend to be most attractive for lighter shipments with shorter destinations, and that's exactly where the rate cuts were applied.
Updates to USPS Priority Mail Weight-Based Rates and Cubic Rates
As of May 1st, major updates were applied to EasyPost’s USPS Priority Mail weight-based rates and cubic rates. The weight-based rates' prices decreased across all shipments that weigh up to 6 lbs in Zones 1-4. In some cases, price cuts were as large as 18%, providing a major opportunity for shippers to save. With these price changes, EasyPost customers can now save up to 48% off retail rates for weight-based Priority Mail shipments.
Table: May 2023 USPS Priority Mail Weight-Based Rate Updates (% change)
Weight Not Over (Lbs) | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1/2 | -1.3% | -1.3% | -4.7% | -5.7% |
1 | -1.3% | -1.3% | -4.7% | -5.7% |
2 | -7.0% | -4.4% | -7.7% | -10.6% |
3 | -8.4% | -5.8% | -9.7% | -13.4% |
4 | -9.0% | -6.4% | -12.0% | -17.4% |
5 | -10.6% | -8.0% | -14.1% | -18.4% |
6 | -14.0% | -4.6% | -10.0% | -18.0% |
Note: Price updates in the table compare previous merchant rates set in January to current.
USPS Priority Mail cubic rates also had major price cuts for shipments in cubic tier 0.1-0.5 in Zones 1-4 with cuts reaching almost 18% for select shipments. Packages must be less than 20 lbs and fit specific measurements to qualify for USPS cubic rates, take a look at our USPS Guide to learn more.
Table: May 2023 USPS Priority Cubic Rate Updates (% change)
Cubic Tier | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tier 1 (0.00 - 0.10) | -3.4% | -3.3% | -6.6% | -8.1% |
Tier 2 (0.10 - 0.20) | -8.4% | -6.7% | -9.1% | -11.9% |
Tier 3 (0.20 - 0.30) | -9.9% | -7.3% | -10.7% | -14.1% |
Tier 4 (0.30 - 0.40) | -10.6% | -8.0% | -12.9% | -17.9% |
Tier 5 (0.40 - 0.50) | -11.7% | -9.2% | -14.9% | -17.4% |
Note: Price updates in the table compare previous merchant rates set in January to current.
USPS Parcel Select Ground Overview
USPS Parcel Select Ground is a ground delivery service, designed for large and medium-sized shippers who are seeking an economic shipping option. Packages typically arrive within 2-5 days. Parcel Select Ground supports packages that weigh up to 70 pounds and measure up to 130 inches in combined length and girth.
Usually, this service level is best suited for medium to large packages, however, these rate cuts are focused on lighter packages traveling shorter distances. This makes the service level a highly competitive option for shippers regardless of their package size.
Updates to USPS Parcel Select Ground Weight-Based Rates and Cubic Rates
On May 1st, price cuts were also applied to EasyPost’s USPS Parcel Select Ground weight-based rates and cubic rates.
The weight-based rates prices came down for almost every shipment weighing up to 10 lbs in Zones 1-4. Shippers can now benefit from more than 16% price cuts on select shipments.
Table: May 2023 USPS Parcel Select Ground Weight-Based Rate Updates (% discount off commercial prices)
Weight Not Over (Lbs) | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | -7.4% | -9.3% | -12.0% | -12.8% |
2 | -7.6% | -10.7% | -11.4% | -13.0% |
3 | -6.7% | -9.4% | -10.7% | -13.0% |
4 | -6.3% | -8.6% | -11.7% | -16.2% |
5 | -6.1% | -8.1% | -11.8% | -16.2% |
6 | -7.3% | -7.4% | -10.7% | -16.2% |
7 | -0.4% | -3.4% | -1.9% | -0.6% |
8 | 0.0% | -1.3% | -3.2% | -8.0% |
9 | -1.1% | -4.3% | -2.6% | -7.7% |
10 | 0.0% | -2.9% | -2.7% | -4.3% |
Note: Price updates in the table compare commercial rates set in January to current merchant rates. Parcel Select Ground did not have merchant rates before the May pricing updates.
Parcel Select cubic rates saw similar price decreases across shipments in cubic tiers 0.1-1.0 in Zones 1-4. Shippers taking advantage of Parcel Select Ground cubic pricing can now benefit from up to 16% rate cuts on select shipments.
Table: May 2023 USPS Parcel Select Ground Cubic Rate Updates (% discount off commercial prices)
Cubic Tier | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cubic Tier 1 (0.00 - 0.10) | -6.1% | -7.6% | -9.8% | -10.5% |
Cubic Tier 2 (0.10 - 0.20) | -7.5% | -10.1% | -11.7% | -12.8% |
Cubic Tier 3 (0.20 - 0.30) | -7.0% | -10.0% | -11.0% | -13.0% |
Cubic Tier 4 (0.30 - 0.40) | -6.5% | -9.1% | -11.2% | -14.7% |
Cubic Tier 5 (0.40 - 0.50) | -6.3% | -8.3% | -11.8% | -16.2% |
Cubic Tier 6 (0.50 - 0.60) | -6.9% | -7.5% | -11.0% | -16.1% |
Cubic Tier 7 (0.60 - 0.70) | -1.8% | -4.3% | -3.9% | -4.0% |
Cubic Tier 8 (0.70 - 0.80) | 0.0% | -1.7% | -2.9% | -6.7% |
Cubic Tier 9 (0.80 - 0.90) | -0.9% | -3.8% | -2.6% | -7.8% |
Cubic Tier 10 (0.90 - 1.00) | -0.1% | -2.9% | -2.7% | -4.6% |
Note: Price updates in the table compare commercial rates set in January to current merchant rates. Parcel Select Ground did not have merchant rates before the May pricing updates.
How can I access EasyPost’s USPS rates?
EasyPost’s USPS rates are available to all of our customers. Customers can sign up for EasyPost in minutes and it is completely free to start shipping with us. Larger volume shippers can get in touch with our experienced sales reps to learn more about EasyPost powering their shipping. Don’t wait any longer to start saving!