You could save up to 57% by not using Priority Mail Flat Rate®

The idea behind Priority Mail Flat Rate® is that if you can fit something into a Flat Rate-branded box, there’s just one price to pay, no matter how much it weighs or where it’s going. This simplifies shipping a lot, but that simplicity comes with downsides:

1. You can’t use your own packaging, which can impact your customer's experience
2. It can be up to 57% more expensive than using your own plain or custom packaging

Priority Mail Flat Rate® was really designed as a consumer product, and is not ideal for most business shippers. Even with Commercial Plus Pricing® shipping rates, there are only two types of Flat Rate packaging that are always a great deal: Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes® (including Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope® and Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope®) and the Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box®.

For other sizes, such as the Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box® and the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box®, you could save up to 57% by shipping your items with Priority Mail Cubic® in your own comparably-sized packaging instead.

Priority Mail Flat Rate® requires using Flat Rate-branded packaging, which you can pick up at any Post Office® or order online for free from USPS.com/supplies. There are 7 different Flat Rate package types, and some types come in multiple package sizes:

• Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope®
• Priority Mail Legal Flat Rate Envelope®
• Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope®
• Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box®
• Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box®
• Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box®
• Priority Mail APO/FPO/DPO Large Flat Rate Box®