How Much Is Priority Mail?

“Except under 1.4 through 1.6, Priority Mail retail prices are based on weight and zone and are charged per pound; any fraction of a pound is rounded up to the next whole pound. For example, if a piece weighs 1.2 pounds, the weight (postage) increment is 2 pounds. The minimum postage amount per addressed piece is the 1-pound price. Other charges may apply.”

“Postal prices for certain subclasses of mail are based on the weight of the individual piece and the distance that the piece travels from origin to destination (i.e., the number of postal zones crossed). … The distance is measured from the centroid of the 3-digit ZIP Code area serving the origin Post Office to the centroid of the 3-digit ZIP Code area serving the destination Post Office.”

“Zones are defined as follows:
The Zone 1 price applies to pieces mailed within the same 3-digit origin/destination (O/D) pairs. The Zone 1 price also includes pieces mailed with different 3-digit O/D pairs, whose centroids are up to 50 miles in distance.
Zone 2 includes all units of area outside zone 1 lying in whole or in part within a radius of about 150 miles from the center of a given unit of area.
Zone 3 includes all units of area outside zone 2 lying in whole or in part within a radius of about 300 miles from the center of a given unit of area.
Zone 4 includes all units of area outside zone 3 lying in whole or in part within a radius of about 600 miles from the center of a given unit of area.
Zone 5 includes all units of area outside zone 4 lying in whole or in part within a radius of about 1,000 miles from the center of a given unit of area.
Zone 6 includes all units of area outside zone 5 lying in whole or in part within a radius of about 1,400 miles from the center of a given unit of area.
Zone 7 includes all units of area outside zone 6 lying in whole or in part within a radius of about 1,800 miles from the center of a given unit of area.
Zone 8 includes all units of area outside zone 7.
Zone 9 includes the destinations listed in DMM 2.2 (Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of the Marshall Islands).”

“The USPS Official National Zone Chart Data Program is administered from the National Customer Support Center (NCSC) in Memphis, TN. Single-page zone charts for originating mail are available at no cost online at https://pe.usps.com.”

“Only USPS-produced Flat Rate Envelopes or Flat Rate Boxes are eligible for the Flat Rate price, and only customers when using them are charged a flat rate, regardless of the domestic destination or actual weight (up to 70 pounds) of the mailpiece. Customers must only use USPS-produced Flat Rate containers at the applicable Flat Rate price. Restrictions apply for using USPS-produced packaging (see 601.6.1).”

“Priority Mail is an expedited service and may contain any mailable matter weighing no more than 70 pounds, except for APO and FPO mail subject to 703.2.0, 703.4.0, and Department of State mail subject to 703.3.0. Service objectives for delivery are 2 to 3 days. However, USPS does not guarantee the delivery time.”

“Pay for your package based on how much it weighs and how far it’s going (the zone). Maximum weight is 70 lbs. … Maximum combined length and girth (girth is the distance around the thickest part) is 108 inches.”

“Postage for parcels addressed for delivery to Zones 1-9 and exceeding 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches) is based on the actual weight or the dimensional weight (as calculated in 1.3.2 or 1.3.3), whichever is greater.”

“If the result exceeds 1,728 cubic inches, divide the result by 139 and round up (see 604.7.0) to the next whole number to determine the dimensional weight in pounds. If the dimensional weight exceeds 70 pounds, the customer pays the 70-pound price.”

“Parcels that exceed 22 inches but not greater than 30 inches in length, add $4.50. Parcels that exceed 30 inches in length, add $21.00. Parcels that exceed 2 cubic feet (3456 cubic inches), add $35.00.”