USPS is introducing several changes beginning July 12th, 2026, including updates to Ground Advantage pricing, Cubic max dimensions and Cubic Softpack pricing tiers, package measurements, DIM weight calculations, and new fees for certain shipments.

For shipments starting July 12th our site will reflect all of the rate changes. Whether you use our Rates Calculator or browse our dedicated USPS rate sheets, we’ll have everything you need to help keep the most loot in your pockets!

USPS is eliminating ounce-based pricing for Ground Advantage at Commercial Pricing rates. Beginning July 12th, all Ground Advantage shipments under 1 pound will cost the same within a given zone, regardless of their exact weight in ounces.

This change to Commercial Pricing will affect shipments to and from non-continental locations, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and military addresses. Continental shipments qualify for our below-Commercial Pricing rates, which will continue using ounce-based pricing for Ground Advantage shipments under 1 pound, and which USPS has not notified us of any changes to.

Due to the changes to Commercial Pricing for Ground Advantage, customers shipping packages to or from the following non-continental destinations will see higher rates:

Beginning July 12th, USPS will round all fractional package dimensions up to the next whole inch when calculating postage.

There is an exception to this new rounding rule for Cubic Rating, where both Ground Advantage Cubic and Priority Mail Cubic will still be rounded to the nearest quarter inch.

Higher dimensions may result in higher postage costs, so it's important to measure packages as accurately as possible. Just enter the exact dimensions of your package into Pirate Ship—we'll take care of the rounding for you 👍

USPS is also increasing the maximum allowable package length for cubic pricing from 18 inches to 22 inches, allowing more shipments to qualify for cubic pricing rates 🥳

USPS is lowering the amount of Ground Advantage Cubic pricing tiers for softpack envelopes from 10 tiers down to 5. This eliminates Ground Advantage Cubic tiers 0.6 through 1.0 for softpack and padded envelopes. The new measurement thresholds (Length + Width) for Ground Advantage Cubic will now match Priority Mail Cubic standards.

To calculate which pricing tier a softpack envelope is in for Ground Advantage Cubic:

USPS is lowering its DIM weight divisor from 166 to 139.

Here's a quick refresher on dimensional weight: It's determined by multiplying Length * Width * Height, then dividing by the DIM divisor. If the resulting "dimensional weight" is higher than your actual weight, that's the weight you'll be charged for instead.

Because of this change, more packages may be subject to dimensional (DIM) weight pricing. Combined with USPS's new dimension rounding rules, some shipments that previously avoided dimensional weight pricing may now see higher rates.

👉 Read more about DIM weight here

Effective July 12, 2026, USPS is increasing their overweight/oversize fee to $200 if they find a package that is over 70 lb or larger than 130 inches in combined Length + Girth, where Girth is the measurement around your package, or ((Width + Height) x 2).

Previously, items caught and returned to the mailer at the point of entry were exempt from the fee. Under the new rule, all overweight or oversize items found anywhere in the Postal network will be assessed the $200 fee. In most cases, the fee will be automatically billed to the shipper through Carrier Adjustments. Otherwise, payment must be made before USPS releases the package.

USPS has also clarified that any package flagged as oversize/overweight will have its rate corrected to 70 lb in addition to being assessed the $200 fee.

Pirate Ship does not allow you to buy USPS labels for packages that are this large or heavy, so the only way you will ever see this fee is if you do not enter accurate dimensions or weights when buying your label 😉

USPS is introducing a new non-compliance fee of $50 if HazMat items are not declared at the time of purchasing the label. USPS has shared that this fee will be non-disputable and non-refundable... so make sure to check the "Hazardous Materials" checkbox when creating a label in Pirate Ship if you're shipping any of the common items that qualify, such as:

👉 Read more about Hazardous Materials here

To see exactly how these changes affect your shipments, we recommend using our Rates Calculator! It'll show your available shipping options and how much you'll save compared to Retail Rates💰