Priority Mail Flat Rate Options
The post office offers priority shipping boxes and envelopes at a flat rate. Various sizes and shapes of packaging are available and are shipped for a set rate, independent of weight, up to 70lbs. The post office will deliver priority mail shipping materials to your home for free, and will pick priority mail packages up from your home for free. Priority mail is generally delivered in two days, straight to the receiver’s home or mailbox.
Package Size
Priority mail flat rate packaging comes in several sizes of envelopes and boxes. Envelope sizes range from 5” X 10” up to 9 ½” X 15” and vary in price from $4.75 to $4.95. Boxes start as small as 8 5/8" x 5 3/8" x 1 5/8” and range upward in sizes large enough to ship board games, shoes and care packages. Priority mail flat rate fee for shipping boxes starts at $5.00 for the smallest box up to $14.95 for the largest boxes. Paying for and printing shipping labels online saves a bit of money when shipping priority mail flat rate.
Insurance Options
Insurance is available for purchase for amounts up to $5000.00 through the post office or online. If you are shipping valuables worth more than $5000.00, you can purchase registered mail service at your local USPS branch. Items shipped registered mail can be insured in amounts up to $25,000, for prices starting at $10.95.
Proof of Mailing and Delivery
Delivery confirmation is free if you purchase your shipping service online, or is available at a small, additional cost when you ship your priority mail at the post office. You can also request signature confirmation, which requires a signature when the package is delivered, a certificate of mailing to show proof of the date you mailed the package or restricted delivery, which only allows the person to which the package is addressed to sign for it. Proof of mailing and delivery are excellent options to consider if you are mailing for a business or things you sold on the Internet.
Collect on Delivery
Collect on delivery, also known as COD, is available when shipping with flat rate priority mail. COD is only available at the post office and requires an additional fee, but it allows your business customers to pay for an item and its shipping when the item is delivered, which is an added draw for the customer. COD also covers insurance up to $1000 for the item shipped.