Media Mail Rates

Media Mail is a U.S postal services known as USPS established to ship items related to media; books, CD, DVD, sound recordings like music Educational material.  Their prices are low as compared to other mailing services. They strict content policy like no magazines that contain ads, comic books, and other items that don’t qualify.

The rates are charged according to the weight, starting at round about $4.6 for a package of 1 pound or less. There are small incremental increases per pound when added. Media mail is popular for its affordability but due to economic service the shipments take longer than any other private mail service. It changes from 2-10 days.

Media Mail Rates by Weight

According to latest updates from July 2024, the weight per pound is charged as given below:

  1.  lb: $4.63
  2.  lb: $5.38
  3.  lb: $6.13

The charges increased with 0.53 cents per pound. The shipment packages total cost is rounded up to nearest pound.

Media Mail Rates USPS 2024

  1. You can send media mail package as big as 70 lb shipment. Maximum length and girth is 108 in.
  2. The postal service has the authority to inspect and check every package, if your items don’t quality their criterion, they will charge extra for your package.
  3. You can have service like registered delivery or insurance services but that is typically not required.
  4. In case you have to send more than 300 media items in a day, you may be eligible for a pre-sorted rate discount.

Media Mail Rates per Pound

The rates in below table are mentioned for up to 10 lbs. However for more weight, you go to this link to get rates up to 70 lbs. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17-O6OQKCrCTa3CxwOwP8DvIzOzt-olP4OJzXmUlzECs/edit?gid=1875160011#gid=1875160011

WeightCost
Up to, not over
1 lb$4.63
2 lb$5.38
3 lb$6.13
4 lb$6.88
5 lb$7.63
6 lb$8.38
7 lb$9.13
8 lb$9.88
9 lb$10.63
10 lb$10.63

How Do I Calculate the Media Mail Postage?

Here is how you can calculate the number:

  1. The smallest postage is for a piece of 1 pound
  2. The first pound costs $4.63, and then for the rest 0.53 cents for each pound
  3. Maximum weight for a single item is 70 lbs., otherwise you can send as much as you want.

Calculation formula:

  1. Get the weight of each individual piece if not same in weight
  2. You can round the weight of each piece to 4 decimals
  3. Now multiply no. of pieces by the price per piece with each pound increment

Is Media Mail Cheaper Than Regular Mail?

Yes the media mail rating is cheaper than other flat rate shipping. In comparison to Priority mail flat rates even medium box costs $10.20. But the shipping take 2-10 business days, priority mail is 3 business days. There is no insurance in the media mail, while priority mail has $50 insurance cost.

What Size Is Media Mail?

Media mail starts from 1 lbs. to an unlimited amount of weight, however the maximum weight for a single item is 70 lbs. For every pound you need to pay 0.53 cents.

What Cannot Be Sent Through Media Mail?

  1. Non-educational items cannot be sent like personal letters, ads, and puzzles.
  2. Blank or empty media like bank papers, clank CD’s, cannot be sent.
  3. Book without texts like book with Soduko games, crosswords, drawings cannot be sent.
  4. You also cannot send any kind of greeting cards, playing cards.
  5. Media related to entertainment cannot be sent.
  6. Video games and computer games can also be not sent

How Much Slower Is Media Mail?

The media mail is as slow as 2-8 business days delivery time. It is not considered very slow the amount they charge for their delivery service is economic and affordable. This makes media mail a unique and value giving mail service. Because there are very expensive flat rates priority mails in town.

Is Media Mail as Fast as Priority?

No, it is not as fast as priority because it is an economic mail service with cheap rates, and delivery time up to 8 business days while priority mail delivery is up to 3 working days, with insurance rates $50 per shipment. It has flat rate options, real time tracking, and signature confirmation option. While the delivery mail does not have any of these.

Does the USPS Check Media Mail?

Yes the USPS authorities check media mail to confirm that there is no content that is now allowed in the media mail, such as non-educational content, empty or text less books, empty cassettes and DVDs, entertainment material, and magazines with ads.

When Should I Use Media Mail?

You can use the media mail service as below:

  1. You can send proper Books that have minimum 8 pages
  2. Send things like sound recordings and video recordings, e.g CDs and DVDs.
  3. Can also send play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
  4. Able to Send Printed music.
  5. Computer compatible media containing pre-recorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.
  6. Use to send sixteen millimetre or narrower width films.
  7. Send Printed objective test materials and their accessories.
  8. Send Printed educational reference charts.
  9. Send Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.

Does A Computer Count As Media Mail?

No, computer cannot be sent as a media mail package in the United States. This also includes computer parts like CD Rom, hard drive, software packages.

Does Media Mail Still Exist?

Yes the media mail still exists as USPS subsidiary which is used to send non-commercial and educational content with highly economic and fast delivery services around the 50 states of U.S.

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