General Domestic Services
Domestic postage includes Monday through Saturday delivery (excepting federal holidays) to any address, Post Office Box, or general delivery Post Office in the United States, or any U.S. military mail destination.
The Post Office will not deliver packages heavier than 70 pounds (32 kg) or if the length (the package's longest dimension) plus the girth (the measurement around the package at its largest point in the two shorter dimensions) is greater than 108 inches (270 cm) combined (130 inches for Parcel Post). Other carriers handle packages that exceed these limits.
Deliveries outside the contiguous United States may take longer than those listed below.
As of April 2011, domestic postage levels for low-volume mailers include:
- Express Mail – Overnight delivery guaranteed to most locations
- Sunday and holiday delivery available for additional charge
- $100 insurance included
- Tracking included
- Flat rate envelopes and boxes are available. Otherwise, pricing varies by weight and distance.
- Priority Mail – 2 or 3-day service (partially guaranteed-only if you use a specific tracking or confirmation of delivery service)
- Flat rate envelopes and boxes (various sizes) are available. Otherwise, pricing varies by weight, size and distance.
There are Prepaid Priority Mail Envelopes available through the Postal Store at a cost of $5.15 per envelope. You must order at least 10 envelopes in order to order the Prepaid Priority Mail Envelopes.
- First-Class Mail
- 1–3 day delivery (will soon be 2-3 day delivery due to USPS network changes) in most cases for letters and small packages
- Rate varies by size and weight, but not distance.
- Postcards (5" x 3.5" x 0.007 to 6" x 4.25" x 0.016" ): 32¢
- Letters (up to 11.5" x 6.125" x 0.25", 3.5 oz ): 45¢ + 20¢ for each additional ounce
- Large Envelope or Flat (up to 15" x 12" x 0.75", 13 oz ): 90¢ + 20¢ each additional ounce (28 g). Must be rectangular, uniformly thick, and not too rigid.
- Package/Parcel (Up to 108 inches (270 cm) length plus girth, 13 ounces (370 g): $1.95 + 17¢ each additional ounce (28 g) over 3 ounces (84 g)
- Parcel Post
- Slowest but cheapest service for packages too large or heavy for First Class – uses surface transport
- 2-9-day service to contiguous U.S., 4–14 days internal to AK/HI/territories, 3–6 weeks between mainland and outlying areas (travels by ship)
- Variable pricing by weight, size and distance
- Free forwarding if recipient has filed change-of-address form, or return if the item is undeliverable
- Media Mail (formerly "Book Rate")
- Books and recorded media only
- No advertising
- Pricing by weight only
- Transit time similar to Parcel Post
- Cheaper than Parcel Post but only due to increased restrictions on package contents
- Library Mail
- Similar to Media Mail, but cheaper and restricted to academic institutions, public libraries, museums, etc.
Read more about this topic: USPS (disambiguation), Service Level Choices
Famous quotes containing the words general, domestic and/or services:
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—John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)
“... feminism is a political term and it must be recognized as such: it is political in women’s terms. What are these terms? Essentially it means making connections: between personal power and economic power, between domestic oppression and labor exploitation, between plants and chemicals, feelings and theories; it means making connections between our inside worlds and the outside world.”
—Anica Vesel Mander, U.S. author and feminist, and Anne Kent Rush (b. 1945)
“I see this evident, that we willingly accord to piety only the services that flatter our passions.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)