MailPro
News for Mailing Professionals

Complete domestic and international pricing information is available at usps.com/prices.

ARE YOU READY FOR HOLIDAY MAILING?

It’s here: The holiday mailing season — especially for international mail and mail to overseas military destinations. To assist you in preparing your holiday shipments, here are some tips and suggestions as you prepare to mail your holiday cards and packages. Careful preparation of holiday mailings will ensure safe and timely delivery.

Tips For Packaging Gifts

First, choose a box that’s suitable for the contents and weight of the items you’re shipping. Also, when selecting boxes, don’t ship small, lightweight items in large boxes — practice “right-size” shipping. For example, if you send a pair of shoes in a shoebox, you’ll pay a lot less than if you send them in a copy paper box, even though the contents weigh the same. This helps you avoid possible surcharges for oversized packaging. Sturdy paperboard or corrugated fiberboard boxes are best for weights up to 10 pounds.

Remember, an individual item that is not fragile requires less cushioning material around the contents and sometimes a “snug-fitting” box is all that’s needed. If you’re reusing an ordinary box, don’t forget to cover all previous labels and markings with adhesive labels or remove them prior to mailing. Boxes, padded mailing bags and tubes of various sizes are available for purchase at most Post Offices.

For added convenience, use our Priority Mail and Express Mail complimentary packaging available in a variety of sizes at your local Post Office, online at usps.com or place an order by phone at 800-222-1811. Priority Mail packaging is sized so that it’s never subject to minimum balloon price or dimensional-weight pricing. For outstanding value and convenience, use our Priority Mail Regular Flat Rate Boxes, available in two shapes, and the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box. For one price, ship to any domestic destination, so there’s no weighing or calculating postage.

Next, place the appropriate amount of cushioning, based on the contents, around your items. Use newspaper, Styrofoam “peanuts,” bubble wrap or shredded paper. If there are multiple items in the box, close and shake the box to determine if there’s enough cushioning for the contents. If you hear items shifting, add more cushioning. Remember, when packaging more than one item, wrap each item separately. Fragile articles need suitable separations from each other as well as sufficient clearance from the corners and sides of the box.

Don’t forget to remove batteries from toys and electronic devices. Wrap them separately and place next to the item in the mailing container. Be sure to place an address label with the return and delivery addresses inside the box to ensure that the item can be delivered in case the outside address label becomes damaged or detached from the box.

Note: Customs forms are required on Priority Mail articles weighing 16 ounces or more sent to and from ZIP Codes with prefix 969 and ZIP Code 96799 (Guam and American Samoa, respectively) as well as to all APO/FPO destinations.

Proper Sealing

Always tape the opening of your box and reinforce all seams with tape that's designed for shipping. Use clear or brown packaging tape at least 2 inches wide, reinforced packing tape or paper tape. Do not use masking or cellophane tape, cord, string or twine. Various retail outlets, in addition to Post Offices, now carry USPS-approved packaging materials. Remember: Priority Mail tape is for identification purposes only and is not intended to seal packages.

Delivery Address

Type or print the delivery address once, parallel to the longest side of the package, using a pen or permanent marker so the address is legible from an arm’s length away. Always include complete street address information, such as AVE, BLVD or ST, as well as directionals such as N, W or SW. Also, always include apartment or suite number, when appropriate. Place a strip of clear packaging tape over your address label to prevent the address from smearing.

City, State and ZIP Code

To find the correct spelling of a city name and correct state abbreviation, and to locate ZIP Code information, go to usps.com and click Find a ZIP Code. On the results page, you’ll also see convenient links to our price calculator and Click-N-Ship.