Shipping for Small Items

[etsvcs]

Does anyone know which is the most cost-effective way to ship an item that weighs less than 3 oz? I tried to send it via USPS First Class Mail, but the postal clerk said that I could not. He said that the item in the envelope must be bendable and not stiff.

Regards,

John...

[chevymontecarlo88]

What exactly are you trying to ship?

[kalyoth]

If your item is not flats, first class is not available for you anymore. Envelopes are flats only. If your item does not conform to media mail regulations, that is also not available. The cheapest service, generally, is the one most people complain about now - ground advantage. It has worked fine for me to date with use. However, the service is not the issue so much as USPS is the issue. USPS gets in it's own way by hiding behind statements of lack of workers, to high volume, not enough funds, etc. - it's government bloat & inefficiency at it's worst sadly for such a necessary service.

[nobody*s_perfect]

There are two types of domestic USPS First Class Mail: letters and flats (which are also called Large envelopes).

Letters can be rigid, but cannot be more than 1/4 inch thick. Weight limit is 3.5 ounces.

Flats have to be literally flat, they must be flexible and not more than  3/4 inch thick. Weight limit is 13 ounces.

[jbbowers12012]

We also ship a lot of small items from here in N.J. - U.S.P.S. Ground Advantage is what we use.  Fairly inexpensive & provides tracking for you.  However,  it can be a bit slow.  Good Luck!!  (J.B.)

[12345jamesstamps]

Has to be like a standard greeting card with standard envelope... the greeting card(or thin cardboard) fitting the entire envelope.

No lump in the envelope...not an oversized envelope...bendable of course.

Stamps, cards(4 trading cards max.) , post cards, a coin...very simple almost flat item.

[etsvcs]

Thanks, my issue is the cost.

[1786davycrockett]

@etsvcs 

"Thanks, my issue is the cost."

 Check with your post post to see if you might be able to ship at First Class "nonmachinable" rates, which start at $1.12 --

What is the Non-Machinable Surcharge for First-Class Mail®?

A nonmachinable mailpiece is sorted outside of the standard automated mail process. A surcharge applies because it is more expensive to processes.

A nonmachinable mailpiece is a mailpiece that must be sorted outside of the standard, automated mail process. Because it is more expensive to processes these mailpieces, a surcharge applies to them.

The nonmachinable surcharge is added to First-Class Mail® with any of the following criteria:

• For pieces more than 4-1/4 inches high or 6 inches long, the thickness is less than 0.009 inch
• The length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5 (length is the dimension parallel to the address)
• It is poly-bagged, poly-wrapped, enclosed in any plastic material, or has an exterior surface made of a material that is not paper
• It has clasps, strings, buttons, or similar closure devices
• It is too rigid or contains items such as pens, keys or coins that cause the thickness of the mailpiece to be uneven
• It has a delivery address parallel to the shorter dimension of the mailpiece

Also, the nonmachinable rate may not be charged for round-trip mailings of letters containing discs (discs mailed under specific criteria from a mailer who expects to receive the disc back from a subscriber) that are placed into the mailstream either presorted or returned single-piece.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Currently the nonmachinable surcharge for First Class letters is 44 cents, in addition to the weight-based postage cost.  

Even a nonmachinable letter must fall within the dimensional limits: "Not more than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than 6-1/8 inches high, or more than 1/4-inch thick."

[1786davycrockett]

@nobody*s_perfect 

"Currently the nonmachinable surcharge for First Class letters is 44 cents, in addition to the weight-based postage cost."

44 cents plus 68 cents = $1.12 -- as I noted above in #8.