FYI...
USPS Priority Mail Guide Helps Online Sellers Compare Rates
By Ina Steiner
EcommerceBytes.com
March 21, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes a printed guide in black and white can convey information more clearly than an online calculator or mobile app. And that's the case with a guide just published by Stamps.com to help customers make sense of USPS shipping rates.
Stamps.com released the 2012 Priority Mail Rate Guide to help online sellers compare Priority Mail costs in all eight USPS shipping zones for packages that weigh up to 70 pounds. The rates use "commercial base" pricing - in other words, the pricing that the USPS charges sellers who use online services such as Stamps.com or eBay to print their postage labels. (For instance, a small flat rate Priority Mail box costs $5.35 at the Post Office but costs $5.15 online.)
Many online sellers under-utilize the Regional Rate boxes, Nash said. For example, a 3-pound package going to Zone 5 would cost $7.26 in a Regional Box A (available in two sizes), compared to a regular Priority Mail package, which cost $8.71, as the chart shows. That's a savings of $1.45 on just one package.
According to the Stamps.com guide, a 3-pound package going Priority Mail to Zone 5 would cost:
Small flat rate box: $5.15
Regional Box A: $7.26
Priority: $8.71
Regional Box B: $10.80
Medium flat rate box: $10.85
Large flat rate box: $14.65
Regional Box C: $31.52
The chart is available in PDF form. Note that within each cell of the chart, prices are presented from lowest to highest.
Stamps.com Director of Online Marketing Eric Nash said the company provided the guide for free because it's trying to be a resource for online sellers.
He said Stamps has already updated the chart based on customer feedback. Many sellers asked for a way to tell which zone a buyer was in, which varies depending on the zip codes of the buyer and the seller. The chart now links to the USPS Postal Zone Charts. Customers also inquired about a guide to Priority Mail envelopes, which is under consideration.