USPS Zones | Shipping | eBay Community

wastingtime101 · 2025-09-16T20:15:05.815000Z

Clearing up confusion posted by @imac7065 and @ghost-star as the other discussion is old and locked. USPS zones are like a bullseye. The center of a bullseye, the "from" zip code, is based on the first 3 digits of the zip code. From there zones are determined by how many miles away the "to" zip code lands, again based on the first 3 digits. Zip codes are not in any specific zone. Zone is determined by the distance between 2 zip codes. This is why shipping from a different zip code where the first 3 digits are different can result in a cost adjustment. It doesn't matter if the post office where you drop off packages is across the street from your house. The line has to be drawn somewhere and that line is drawn based on the first 3 digits of the zip. While shipping from a different zip will not always affect the zone, it definitely can.Enter your first 3 digits here to produce a USPS zone chart: https://postcalc.usps.com/DomesticZoneChartOnce you generate that chart, check to see where your "to" zip code lands.Now generate a new zone chart from the different zip where you're dropping off packages. Check to see where your "to" zip code lands now. How to deal:Ship from the same zip code that's printed on your label. You can have different "ship from" and "return" addresses. Your return address being your home or business, and your ship from being the post office where you're shipping. Just click 'edit' next to the return address before generating the label and you'll see a field to edit the ship from address. If you use calculated shipping on your listings, you'll also want to update the zip code on your listings. Update it in the location field at the bottom so it matches the post office where you're shipping.

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