USPS Media Mail – Its Rates, Delivery Time, Rules & Restrictions

US Postal Service is a famous shipping company that is dedicated to serving people. You may be aware of the various service offered by the USPS, one among them is USPS Media Mail. This is one of the most liked services provided by USPS which is dedicated to shipping media items. The media item can be anything like books, films, DVDs, videotapes, recorded media, CDs, music tracks, and other sound recording things. People who need to send media items can make use of this service.

Read this article to know more about this service, like what is Media Mail shipping and how Media Mail works.

Contents

USPS Media Mail:

media mailAs mentioned earlier, materials like books, films, DVDs, videotapes, recorded media, CDs, music tracks, and other sound recording things are considered as Media Mail. The benefit of using this service is cost-effectiveness. Remember that, unlike other USPS services, your parcel won’t be delivered in one or two days. The average delivery time taken to provide a package sent via this service will take around 2-8 days. So, be ready to receive delayed delivery.

Points to Remember:

  • The weight of your package should not be more than 70 pounds
  • Examiners have all right to open and cross-check the packages
  • Non-Media Mail can’t be shipped through this service

The above points don’t mean that the company doesn’t trust you; it is done to make sure the service is used promptly. Always make sure to abide by the rules while sending the package. If any of the points mentioned above are violated, it will result in rejection of the mail piece.

SEE ALSO:  USPS Registered Mail, Cost, Delivery Time, Receipt, etc.

How to Ship Media Mail?

USPS Media Mail Shipping LabelIf you wonder what is Media Mail shipping? Read this passage for more information. There are certain things that you should do for Media Mail shipping. The recipient’s address should be mentioned correctly, along with that, the packages should be appropriately covered and weigh them. The permissible weight is 8 oz, so if the weight of your package is less than 8 oz. then there is no need to pay any extra amount. In case the weight of the package is more than 8 oz. then you should buy the postage and attach the Media Mail shipping label. The USPS services like Priority Mail, Retail Ground, and Priority Mail Express depend on the weight and size of the package. Some people believe that the shipping cost depends upon the zone and distance of the destination.

Some of the useful and popular add-on services that can be availed by this service are:

  1. USPS Tracking
  2. Signature Confirmation
  3. Insurance
  4. COD

However, USPS Tracking is added with the service by default. If you like to purchase other add-on services, then you may include them in your Media Mail packaging.

USPS Media Mail Rates:

The Media Mail cost is not always the same. Recently, USPS had revised the cost of shipping. So, you may refer to the recent price list of the USPS Media Mail rates. New rates were implemented from January 26th, 2020. As compared to the prices in 2019, the rates have increased. You can calculate the shipping cost using the price calculator which is accessible from the USPS official site.

SEE ALSO:  USPS Return Receipt - Domestic and International Return Receipt

For instance: If the package that weighs 1 lb will travel zone 8 will cost around $2.80, but the same would have cost approximately $2.75.

If you need to know more about the Media Mail retail price based on the size, refer to the table below.

Weight of the Package Price in 2019 Price in 2020 Increase in Price
1 lbs. $2.75 $2.80 $0.05
2 lbs. $3.27 $3.33 $0.06
3 lbs. $3.79 $3.86 $0.07
4 lbs. $4.31 $4.39 $0.08
5 lbs. $4.83 $4.92 $0.09
6 lbs. $5.35 $5.45 $0.10
7 lbs. $5.87 $5.98 $0.11
8 lbs. $6.39 $6.52 $0.13
9 lbs. $6.91 $7.06 $0.15
10 lbs. $7.43 $7.60 $0.17

Media Mail Shipping Time:

How long does media mail take? This is one of the common questions which people ask. The delivery time of the package sent via post office media mail may take around 2 – 8 days. However, still, people prefer this service for sending study materials as the media mail postage is pretty cheap. If you need to ship some things which are not time-critical, then you can very well send it via this service as the Media Mail delivery time is not fast. You will be able to save a lot by doing this.

Media Mail Rules:

There are certain restrictions and requirements for sending the mail and packages through this service. The Media Mail restrictions are as follows:

  • The books which you are about to ship should be related to academics. However, some occasional announcements about other books can be there.
  • Books should not contain any advertisements.
  • Sound recordings should be related to academics.
  • The mailing standard of USPS enforces to include the delivery address and sender’s return address.
  • The overall dimension should not be more than 108.
  • The permitted level weight limit is 70 pounds.
  • The item that needs to be shipped should be one of the below list.
SEE ALSO:  USPS First-Class Mail International Service | Its Rate & Delivery Time

What is Considered Media Mail?

what qualifies as media mailTo know the answer to “what qualifies as Media Mail or what can be sent as Media Mail?” Read the list below. As per the Media Mail requirements, only the following items qualify to be sent through it:

  1. Drives such as CDs and DVDs.
  2. Manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
  3. Play scripts
  4. Books (must have at least 8 pages).
  5. Sound recordings
  6. Video recordings
  7. Sound recordings
  8. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared only for use with such media.
  9. Printed music in bound or sheet form
  10. Printed objective test materials and their accessories.
  11. Sixteen millimeters or narrower width films.
  12. Printed educational reference charts.

Conclusion:

The conclusion is that you can send only the limited items through Media Mail service. If you want to send the items which are listed above, then you should definitely go with the service as it one of the cheapest services available. It takes around 2-8 days for the delivery.

One Comment on “USPS Media Mail – Its Rates, Delivery Time, Rules & Restrictions”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.