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USPS Nonstandard Fees
USPS Nonstandard Fees

Understanding USPS® "non-standard" fees that some packages may be subject to

Updated over 4 months ago

  • USPS Nonstandard Fees: USPS imposes package surcharges known as "Non-Standard Package Fees" on most of their domestic shipping services when packages exceed certain dimensions.

  • Affected USPS Services: The USPS services subject to these surcharges are USPS Ground Advantage®, Priority Mail®, and Priority Mail Express®.

    • Media Mail® shipments are not subject to any non-standard package fees.

The "Non-standard" USPS surcharges

We've listed the new USPS surcharges below and the situations when they apply.

Ground Advantage shipments

  • $4 if any length of your package exceeds 22 inches but is less than or equal to 30 inches

  • $8.40 if any length of your package exceeds 30 inches

  • $18 for packages greater than 2 cubic feet in volume

  • $1.50 for missing or incorrect dimensions that result in any of the above non-standard surcharges

Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express shipments

  • $4 if any length of your package exceeds 22 inches but is less than or equal to 30 inches

  • $18 if any length of your package exceeds 30 inches

  • $30 for packages greater than 2 cubic feet in volume

  • $1.50 for missing or incorrect dimensions that result in any of the above non-standard surcharges

These surcharges will appear upfront, or as carrier adjustments if your package is bigger than expected

  • When You'll See the USPS Nonstandard Fees: When you buy labels, you'll see these new USPS surcharges upfront if you enter dimensions that exceed any of the length thresholds listed above.

    • Nonstandard fees can also come in the form of carrier adjustments if you enter incorrect dimensions when buying your label.

      • For instance, if you enter 20" as your length on a Priority Mail shipment and USPS determines your length is actually 23", you will receive the $4 surcharge as a carrier adjustment, as well as the $1.50 since the dimensions were incorrect.

  • Why USPS Imposes Carrier Adjustments: USPS imposes carrier adjustments on your shipment after determining that you entered inaccurate weight/dimension information or used the wrong type of packaging once they run your package through their Automated Package Verification (APV) System.

  • See Carrier Adjustments in Your Reports: Carrier adjustment charges will appear as line items in your individual shipment links, and you can see all of these charges listed by clicking on your Reports / Carrier Adjustments 👍

These surcharges can stack on a single shipment

  • Multiple Nonstandard Fees Can Apply: These new USPS surcharges can "stack," meaning you may see more than one in a single shipment 🙈

    • For example, if you send a Ground Advantage package with one side greater than 30 inches and that is also greater than 2 cubic feet in volume, you'll see both the $8.40 non-standard Length Fee > 30", and the $18 non-standard Cube Fee > 2 Cubic Feet for a total of $26.40 in surcharges.

How to avoid these new USPS surcharges

Here are a couple of ways you can avoid these new non-standard package fees from USPS:

  • Use Small Packaging: By keeping your packaging as small as possible, you can ensure that your packages don't reach the length thresholds where the new USPS surcharges kick in.

    • For instance, if the longest side of your package(s) doesn't exceed 22 inches, you won't be subject to that particular non-standard package fee 😉

    • Volume Fees Can Still Apply: If you use a box that doesn't incur any of the length surcharges, it's still possible for it to be over 2 cubic feet in volume without any of your dimensions exceeding 22 inches!

      • If this is the case, you'll be hit with that nonstandard fee if your dimensions are less than what's mentioned in the above sections but your volume ends up exceeding 2 cubic feet.

  • Use Free USPS Packaging: You can order free Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes from the USPS website which will automatically keep your packaging below the length thresholds where the new surcharges apply.

    • None of the free Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express packaging options available on the USPS website exceeds 22 inches in length except for the dual-use tubes (both the medium 1098 tube and the small 1098S):

  • USPS Tubes Incur Nonstandard Fees: Keep in mind that Priority Mail/Priority Mail Express tubes incur nonstandard fees. The tubes that incur nonstandard fees are below:

    • The PM/PME medium 1098 tube will incur a $18 surcharge

    • The PM/PME small 1098S tube will incur a $4 surcharge

  • Other Tubes May Not Include Surcharges: Unless you're shipping with a Priority Mail/Priority Mail Express tube, you won't need to worry about incurring any dimension-related surcharges unless it's longer than 22 inches!

Not using the service marked on your USPS packaging may result in carrier adjustments

  • Paying for the Right USPS Service: If you decide to use any of these Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express packaging options, you'll need to pay for the exact service marked on the box, and you may need to select it from your Type of Packaging drop-down menu.

    • If you don't, USPS will impose carrier adjustments and charge your account for the proper postage required.

Let us know how we can help!

Any questions about USPS nonstandard fees, Matey? Chat with us by clicking the blue button at the bottom right part of your screen - we ARRrrr always here to lend a hook 😄

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