New Classification means Significant Savings for Documents and Lower-Weight Parcels

Priority Mail Service has always been a great value for mailers who need delivery of documents and parcels in two to three days. And with a new rate of $3.50 for items weighing one pound or less, the service is even more appealing to mailers who were once (prior to this January's rate implementation) required to pay a minimum two-pound rate regardless of the weight of the mailpiece.

The value, however doesn't end with the new one-pound rate. The Postal Service still offers the priority Mail Flat Rate-allowing mailers to ship a package of any weight (provided the shipment does not expand the Flat Rate cardboard envelope beyond its normal design) for the two-pound rate of just $3.95.

Free Priority Mail shipping supplies, including "documailer" cardboard envelopes, flexible Tyvek ® envelopes, tubes and boxes, add yet another valuable service offering related to Priority Mail. The supplies can be shipped to mailers through requests via a toll-free telephone number or through the Internet (see story "Postal Service Web Site Provides Busy Mailers Convenient Shopping and Shipping Solutions").

The Postal Service saw the new rate as an opportunity to enhance the service and offer competitively priced expedited offering to mailers.

When ordering supplies and mailing items using the Priority Mail service, it's important that mailers who want to take advantage of the new one-pound rate use the proper packaging. Any mail shipped in Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes must have the $3.95 two-pound postage applied.

Weight-rated packaging such as the Tyvek ® Priority Mail envelope and the new weight-rated Priority Mail cardboard "documailer" can be used to receive the one-pound rate.

Other benefits still offered by using Priority Mad include no extra charge for Saturday and residential delivery, options for adding Delivery and Signature Confirmation and a pickup fee of just $10.25 per stop-regardless of the number of pieces being mailed.

Priority Mail Competitive Price Facts

$3.95 Flat Rate for items of any weight using the Flat Rate envelope.

UNZONED RATES STARTING AT:

-$3.50 for up to one pound.

And going up to:

• $3.95 for up to two pounds.
• $5.15 for up to three pounds.
• $6.35 for up to four pounds.
• $7.55 for up to five pounds.

Delivery includes anyplace in the United States including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, other U.S. points offshore and military addresses (APOs/FPOs).

Using the Flat Rate envelope allows mailers to ship a package of any weight for the two-pound rate, provided the shipment does not expand the envelope beyond its normal design. Two-pound postage of $3.95 must be applied when using this envelope.

To take advantage of the new $3.50 one-pound Priority Mail rate, mailers must use the new weight-rated Priority Mail cardboard "documailer" envelope, other Priority Mail weight-rated packaging, or their own packaging that indicates that the package is Priority Mail. The item must weight one pound or less.