6 USPS® mail service types: Understanding what they’re ideal for, the costs, and requirements

The United States Postal Service® (USPS) has six mail service types or mail classes. When you understand each ideal scenario, you’ll be able to match the USPS service that best meets your mailing needs. Implementing this strategy can result in significant savings of up to 30% on mailing costs for your business throughout the year.

To serve the mailing and shipping needs of its customers, USPS offers many options.  We focus on six mailing options below.  They are:

• Priority Mail®
• Priority Mail Express®
• First-Class Mail®
• USPS Ground Advantage™
• USPS Marketing Mail®
• Periodicals

To further assist you in determining which USPS mail service type is right for your requirements, let’s dive deeper into each one.

Priority Mail allows you to deliver your items quickly (usually 1-3 business days) and affordably.

This USPS mail service type is ideal for sending things such as invoices, statements, letters, and merchandise.

The cost to send an item via Priority Mail is based on how many “zones” it must travel through to reach its destination. The more zones, the more you pay.

If you know your mail will be traveling a far distance, it may be less expensive to send it in a Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope or Box. As the name suggests, this option allows you to post your item at a flat rate price. As long as your mail weighs 70 pounds or less, it qualifies for flat-rate pricing.

For peace of mind, Priority Mail from USPS automatically comes with $100 of insurance coverage in case your item is lost or damaged during delivery and USPS Tracking so you will always know how the delivery of your item is progressing.

Need to have something delivered as fast as possible? Priority Mail Express from USPS is your answer.

This mail service type is the quickest mailing option USPS offers. You can choose from guaranteed 1-day or 2-day expedited service.

This service is ideal for time-sensitive documents such as contracts and sales orders or when a customer has requested overnight delivery.

Like Priority Mail, the cost to deliver an item using Priority Mail Express is calculated based on how many zones it must travel through to reach its destination. However, because the delivery time is quicker, Priority Mail Express costs more than three times as much as Priority Mail.

To help reduce the cost, USPS offers a Priority Express Mail Flat Rate service.

USPS Tracking and $100 in insurance coverage are included with Priority Mail Express, too.

If your organization needs to mail letters, postcards, or lightweight items that weigh 13 ounces or less, First Class Mail service from USPS is a smart choice.

With this USPS mail service type, the cost of delivery is not based on the number of zones the item must travel through to reach its end destination. Instead, the price is determined by the size, shape, and weight of the item being sent.

The bottom line is that with First Class Mail service, you can send your item from one side of the country to the other, and the cost will be the same as if you were sending it next door.

Shipping time for this service will be anywhere from 1-3 business days.

USPS Tracking is included if you send a package using First Class Mail. Insurance, however, is not included with First Class Mail. If you want to add it, you can do so for an additional fee.

USPS Ground Advantage service is a cost-effective option for non-urgent delivery needs.

With this USPS mail service type items arrive in 2-5 business days.

There are two pricing formats. For items that weigh 15.999 ounces or less, the mailing cost is based on the weight and the number of zones the item will travel through before arriving at its destination. The cost of mailing is based on weight for items that are 16 ounces to 70 pounds.

With USPS Ground Advantage service, package pickup from your home or office is included for free. Businesses can receive discounted rates for this service. You can use USPS Ground Advantage Return as a convenient option for customers who need to send items back. 

Plus, USPS Tracking and $100 in insurance coverage, in case your item is lost or damaged during delivery, are also included. Both outbound and returns include $100 insurance.

Planning to do a bulk mailing of a promotional piece like a postcard, flyer, newsletter, or catalog? The most cost-efficient service to use for this purpose is USPS Marketing Mail.

You need a minimum quantity of 200 pieces or 50 pounds of mail to use this USPS mail service type. Note that this service can’t be used if you only have a single item to send out.

USPS Tracking and insurance are not included with USPS Marketing Mail. If you would like to add either one of these options to your order, you can do so for an additional cost.

A tactic many organizations use to acknowledge their customers, employees, or their company’s industry expertise is to self-publish and distribute a magazine or newspaper.

To mail out a publication like this, USPS offers a Periodicals service.

Before using the USPS Periodicals service, you must apply to see if your publication will qualify. To do so, you have to fill out a PS Form 3500.

The qualifications your periodical must meet to use this mail service type include:

• being published at least four times per year
• being made up of less than 75% advertising
• having an established list of subscribers or requesters

Note: if your organization is a non-profit or science-of-agriculture, or if your publication is a classroom periodical, USPS offers lower rates for distribution. Inquire online or at your local post office to determine the rates.

A successful business or organization is judged not only on the revenue it generates each year but also on how well it manages its costs. By understanding and knowing the differences between these six mail service types that USPS offers, your team can ensure they are mailing and shipping items in the most cost-effective way.