USPS Shipping Calculator: 2026 Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Media Mail Prices
Use the calculator to compare USPS retail postage by weight, box size and zone: Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, the flat rate boxes an item fits and Media Mail. It applies the rules USPS uses to set the price, including ounce pricing under a pound, rounding up to the next pound, dimensional weight for boxes over 1 cubic foot and the fees for long or bulky parcels. Prices are USPS retail prices effective October 4, 2026, including the holiday increase that runs through January 16, 2027.
USPS shipping cost calculator
Enter the weight, the box size and the destination zone. The calculator prices USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, every Priority Mail Flat Rate box the item fits and, for books and other media, Media Mail, then sorts them cheapest first.
| Service | Billed as | Delivery | Postage |
|---|
USPS retail prices from Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026. Labels bought online through USPS Click-N-Ship get lower commercial prices. Delivery times are USPS targets, not guarantees.
How USPS prices a package
- Weight. Ground Advantage packages under a pound are priced in ounce steps of 4, 8, 12 and 15.999 ounces. From a pound up, every service rounds any fraction up to the next whole pound, and Priority Mail starts at the 1 lb price.
- Zone. Distance from the origin ZIP to the destination ZIP sets the zone, from 1 for local to 9, and the price climbs with it.
- Dimensional weight. For Ground Advantage and Priority Mail parcels over 1 cubic foot, USPS rounds each side up to the next inch, multiplies them and divides by 139, and charges the dimensional weight when it beats the actual weight. The divisor dropped from 166 to 139 on July 12, 2026, which made larger, light boxes cost more.
- Nonstandard fees. Long or bulky parcels pay extra on top of the weight price.
| Parcel | Ground Advantage | Priority Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Longest side over 22 in, up to 30 in | $4.50 | $4.50 |
| Longest side over 30 in | $10.00 | $21.00 |
| Over 2 cubic feet | $21.00 | $35.00 |
A box can pay a length fee and the 2 cubic foot fee together. Flat rate boxes, Media Mail and oversized Ground Advantage parcels pay none of these fees.
USPS zones
USPS measures zones between 3-digit ZIP Code areas, from the center of the area serving the origin Post Office to the center of the area serving the destination, so the first three digits of each ZIP decide the zone. The mileage bands below are approximate: an area counts in the nearer zone if any part of it falls inside that radius. Zone 9 is not about distance at all; it covers only the Freely Associated States.
| Zone | Distance |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Up to 50 miles |
| Zone 2 | About 51 to 150 miles |
| Zone 3 | About 151 to 300 miles |
| Zone 4 | About 301 to 600 miles |
| Zone 5 | About 601 to 1,000 miles |
| Zone 6 | About 1,001 to 1,400 miles |
| Zone 7 | About 1,401 to 1,800 miles |
| Zone 8 | About 1,801 miles or more |
| Zone 9 | Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands |
For the exact zone between two ZIP Codes, look up the origin's first three digits in the USPS domestic zone chart. Zone 8 also covers Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and other distant areas from most origins.
2026 USPS retail prices by weight and zone
| Weight | Ground Adv. zone 1 | Ground Adv. zone 4 | Ground Adv. zone 5 | Ground Adv. zone 8 | Priority zone 1 | Priority zone 4 | Priority zone 5 | Priority zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 oz | $8.40 | $8.80 | $9.35 | $10.20 | 1 lb price applies | |||
| 1 lb | $10.05 | $11.10 | $11.70 | $13.65 | $11.50 | $12.40 | $14.05 | $17.95 |
| 2 lb | $11.30 | $13.50 | $14.85 | $19.80 | $12.45 | $14.85 | $17.85 | $22.55 |
| 3 lb | $11.80 | $14.20 | $15.70 | $23.15 | $12.95 | $15.65 | $19.05 | $28.10 |
| 5 lb | $13.75 | $16.60 | $18.85 | $27.45 | $15.10 | $18.30 | $24.20 | $39.00 |
| 10 lb | $16.75 | $20.20 | $24.25 | $40.85 | $18.60 | $22.55 | $30.75 | $63.40 |
| 20 lb | $24.00 | $28.55 | $37.90 | $72.15 | $26.80 | $32.35 | $51.25 | $113.70 |
Ground Advantage zones 8 and 9 share prices, but Priority Mail to zone 9, the Freely Associated States, costs far more: $43.40 for 2 lb against $22.55 to zone 8.
Media Mail prices
Media Mail is priced by weight only, with no zones and no dimensional weight, for books, recorded media and other qualifying items. The Media Mail guide covers what qualifies.
| Weight | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 lb | $4.39 |
| 2 lb | $5.13 |
| 3 lb | $5.86 |
| 5 lb | $7.34 |
| 10 lb | $11.02 |
| 20 lb | $18.39 |
Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes
A flat rate box ships anywhere in the US for one price up to 70 lb, which makes it the cheapest choice for small, heavy items going far. Current retail prices: Small Flat Rate Box $14.65, Medium $25.80 and Large $36.10. The flat rate box size chart lists inside dimensions and what fits each box.
Size and weight limits
| Service | Max weight | Max length plus girth |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | 70 lb | 130 in; over 108 in pays the oversized price for its zone |
| Priority Mail | 70 lb | 108 in |
| Media Mail | 70 lb | 108 in |
Length is the longest side and girth is twice the width plus twice the height. The length plus girth calculator does the math for any box.
Holiday prices end January 16, 2027
The prices above include two temporary USPS increases on Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and Ground Advantage: an average 8 percent increase in place since April 26, 2026 and a holiday increase from October 4, 2026. Both end with shipments on January 16, 2027, when USPS restores its approved prices. Media Mail is not part of either increase. This page will be updated when the new prices are published.
Cut the cost before you ship
The box decides more of the price than most shippers expect. Once a box passes 1 cubic foot, a smaller box can cut the billed weight by half or more, so ship in the smallest box that fits with cushioning: a 10 x 8 x 6 multi-depth box can be cut down to the height of the item, and soft goods ship lighter in a 10 x 13 poly mailer than in a box. The cheapest way to ship a package guide compares USPS with UPS and FedEx.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to ship a package with USPS?
It depends on weight, size and zone. A 2 lb box costs $11.30 to $19.80 by Ground Advantage and $12.45 to $22.55 by Priority Mail to zones 1 through 8, at retail prices effective October 4, 2026.
What is the cheapest USPS shipping option?
Ground Advantage for most packages, Media Mail for books and other media, and a Priority Mail Flat Rate box for small, heavy items going far. The calculator compares all of them for your box.
How does USPS dimensional weight work?
For Ground Advantage and Priority Mail parcels over 1 cubic foot, USPS rounds each side up to the next inch, multiplies them, divides by 139 and charges that weight if it is higher than the actual weight. The divisor changed from 166 to 139 on July 12, 2026.
What is a USPS zone?
A price band set by the distance between the 3-digit ZIP areas a package travels between: zone 1 is up to 50 miles and zone 8 is about 1,801 miles or more. Zone 9 covers only Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. Higher zones cost more.
How much is a Priority Mail Flat Rate box?
At retail, $14.65 for the Small Flat Rate Box, $25.80 for the Medium and $36.10 for the Large, through January 16, 2027.
Is Ground Advantage cheaper than Priority Mail?
Usually. A 2 lb box to zone 8 costs $19.80 by Ground Advantage and $22.55 by Priority Mail at retail. Ground Advantage takes 2 to 5 business days, against Priority Mail's 2 to 3 days; neither is guaranteed.
Related tools and charts
- USPS flat rate box sizes
- Dimensional weight calculator
- Length plus girth calculator
- USPS shipping weight limits
- 2026 holiday shipping deadlines: USPS, UPS and FedEx
Zones from USPS Domestic Mail Manual 608. Prices from USPS Notice 123, retail editions effective July 12 and October 4, 2026, checked cell by cell against the live price list. Weight, dimensional weight, fee and size rules from the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, sections 101, 123, 133 and 173. Checked October 28, 2026.