Media mail is for shipping media items containing books, sound recordings, recorded video tapes, printed music, recorded computerreadable. Cheapest way to mail books, cds and more clark howard. However, there are other factors that should be considered before you decide to ship a package by media mail. Just make sure it says media mail somewhere on the face. There has been a revision in the price list of the usps media mail. That which is now called media mail used to be called book rate.
Media mail is a costeffective way to send non time sensitive media materials through the u. The united states postal service offers substantial shipping discounts for materials sent at media mail rates. The lowest rate i was able to find, is available only for media mail originally called book rate, if the package contains books, magazines, or any of several similar typ. Media mail cant be used to send any media that contains advertisements. Usps media mail service rules, rates, tracking, calculator. Media mail rates are limited to the items listed below.
Contents are limited to books, manuscripts, sound recordings, and certain other educational materials. How on earth can it take that long for a package that i bought from within my state to get here. I live in nh and media mail to ma gets there in 12 days. Media mail is a special reduced mailing rate solely for the purpose of sending printed or recorded material through the u. Media mail rates are based on parcel weights and rate class. I had one idiotic seller send me a book via media mail. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Postal service allows you to send books, dvds, cds, printed music, and sound recordings through media mail at a discounted rate. I would never use media mail for anything but books.
I recently posted the following on johns blog and realizes it might be more appropriate to post here. Formerly called book rate, media mail cannot contain advertising, except eligible books may contain incidental announcements of books. Generally, media mail is the cheapest usps mail class for shipping heavy items up to 70 lbs. Other media items were included in book rate, but the main use of that rate for years was books. Available for sending small and large packages containing books, film, manuscripts. This question cant be answered without a lot of additional information. Books at least 8 pages 16millimeter or narrower width films. The book rate was mainly for books when it was first created, but if your intention is to send books to or from a library, then you should use the cheaper alternative known as library rate. Often referred to as book rate, media mail is known for having a substantially lower cost than other delivery methods. There are changes to shipping surcharges and fees that may apply to your shipment and affect your total shipping rate. You can send books, videotapes, dvds, cds, printed music and other.
Media mail is a special shipping rate the united states postal service offers when you as a private citizen want to send educational materials. Usps reserves the right to open and inspect any media mail shipment. Post office rates of this service were increased by 1. For every additional pound in weight, the media mail cost goes up 51 cents. Can i ship media a book in a priority mail flat rate envelope through the usps but choose usps media mail shipping. How nitpicky is the post office with regards to media mail. Only these items may be mailed at the media mail rates. You can send books, videotapes, dvds, cds, printed music and other sound recordings through media mail as long as they weigh less than 70 pounds. I wont use media mail unless its an actual hardcoversoftcover book. Media mail shipping is a costeffective way to send educational materials. Media mail rate is the least expensive rate at which to send books.
Can i ship media a book in a priority mail flat rate. Books shipping as media mail may contain incidental book announcements. To send your educational items through it, it may take a longer time for your items to reach its address. Shipping rate updates for 2020 fedex shipping rates. Media mail usps retail rate table shippingeasy support center.
Unlike many usps services, media mail is only available at retail pricing. About two months ago i had occasion to mail four boxes of books and magazines across the united states, and much to my surprise a box that contains mostly books but a few magazines does not qualify for the book rate media mail rate at least acco. Media mail is a costeffective way to send media and educational materials. Using a digital scale will give you the most accurate rates since a difference of one or two ounces can mean the difference between one rate level and the next. This rule is a little fuzzy, however, because incidental mentions of other media within a piece of media are considered okay, as long as it isnt a part of overt advertising for the purpose of selling the media mentioned. You can also read the article on usps delivery time to know about the delivery time of each usps service. Save money mailing books through the post office clever. Sound recordings and video recordings, such as cds and dvds. As compared to the prices in 2019, the rates have increased. If you print the paperbackswap wrapper, media mail will print automatically. What is difference between book rate and media mail. Books shipping as media mail may contain incidental book.
The types of media allowed are limited, though, and by following this guide you will know what you can and cannot send through media mail. I ordered a book from someone within my state mo through amazon. The cost of sending media mail is determined by your packages weight. However, there are few restrictions on the type of mail items that can be shipped restrictions will be discussed later. But if you have a scale at home or if youre willing to use the apc to weigh the package and then use your iphone or something to go online and get the media mail rate then you can figure out the amount of postage required, get a stamp printed for that value, and stick it on. Generally, media mail will be the cheapest option to ship books, but there might be a few instances where other options cost less. Ten books of the example size would not quite fit into the medium size flat rate box of 11 by 8. Although you wont pay as much to send these items via media mail, they can take longer to get to their. People may confuse this with the uspss book rate, but.
Examples of media mail items include dvds, cds, disks, videotapes, manuscripts, books, film and sound recordings. The minimum postage per piece is for a piece weighing 1 pound. Play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and. How much does it cost to ship a 20 pound box with the usps. Eventually other media became more popular, dvds were invented, etc. The following materials can be shipped at the discounted media mail rate. The items sent using special mediamail rates cannot exceed 70. The service is closely regulated, so only select if your products qualify. Usps flat rate boxes and padded envelopes are also economical, reliable. Media mail can not contain advertising except for incidental announcements of books. If you are sending multiple books, compare your media mail price with that of a flat rate box. Since they are not to heavy i send them by the cheapest priority rate.
For more information about media mail service, please visit or call 1800askusps 18002758777. The shipping container must weigh less than 70 lbs 32 kg to qualify for media mail. The united states postal service offers many services, and one of them is media mail. So, you may refer to the recent price list of the usps media mail rates. Detailed rules for media and library rate mail can be found here in the dmm prices and eligibility section or you may read the less verbose interpretation below. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the media mail rate may be assessed at the proper rate and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage dmm 604. Usps medi mail is one such costeffective service which is used to send educational materials. The predictable result, especially during an economic downturn, is that retailers and the general public often try to send nonmedia items in packages at media mail rates. Media mail is a costeffective way to send media materials through the u.
Usps media mail is the most costeffective way to send items such as books. On sunday, april 10, 2016, the usps implemented a postage rate decrease, as a result of which it will now cost less to ship a media mail package. It was shipped on monday 25th but the date given about its arrival will be august 15th. Usps media mail is a great shipping option for shipping books. Media mail is a service provided by the united states postal service usps that allows customers to send a variety of mixed media through the mail at a cheaper rate than ordinary packages. Can i ship photos book ratemedia rate via the us postal. Media mail and library mail pieces are charged per pound or fraction thereof. Media mail and library mail prices are based on the weight of the piece without regard to zone. I am very upset at the ridiculous increase in the cost of shipping overseas from the u. Available for sending small and large packages containing books, film, manuscripts, sound recordings, video tapes, and computer media such as cds, dvds, and diskettes only. In the current issue of american philatelist, wayne youngblood, a directoratlarge of the american philatelic. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be sent.
New rates were implemented from january 26th, 2020. The good thing is that the media mail postage rate is not high, but your shipping time is 2 to 8 days. For more information about media mail service, please visit ps. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the media mail rate may be assessed at the proper price and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage. The mail class is also known as book rate among book sellers. An expensive change at usps for ebay and online sellers. Media mail is a cost effective service for shipping books and education material. When weighing a package, round up to the nearest whole pound to find the postage cost.
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