New on July 9th, 2023 USPS is merging First Class Package and Parcel Select Ground and renaming them Ground Advantage. The way those services work remains the same, and they'll still have their slower 2-5 day delivery speed—they're just changing the names.
For Ground Advantage there will be the same ounce-based rates for packages under 1 pound (previously known as First Class Package), and weight-based rates plus dimension-based Cubic rates for packages that weigh more than 1 pound (previously known as Parcel Select Ground and Parcel Select Ground Cubic). The service also comes with $100 of built-in USPS insurance.
If you have any First Class Package or Parcel Select labels that you've purchased & printed before the 9th, USPS will still accept those ✅
USPS handles returned Ground Advantage packages differently
In most cases, USPS won't make you pay for postage for packages that are returned to you. However, USPS doesn't offer free returns for Ground Advantage packages under a certain weight.
USPS Ground Advantage packages under 1 lb (1 pound) that are marked Return to Sender don't have free returns 😅 They will have postage due when USPS picks up the package or when it's dropped off at the Post Office to be returned
USPS Ground Advantage packages over 1 lb (1 pound) that are marked Return to Sender have free returns
Only some rates are changing—and they're mostly getting cheaper!
Priority Mail with Pirate Ship's extra discounts is getting up to $4.83 cheaper for this fast & reliable 1-3 day service.
Ground Advantage rates for packages under 1 pound (formerly First Class Package) are staying the same 👍
Ground Advantage rate changes for packages over 1 pound (formerly Parcel Select Ground) are mixed—some rates are increasing up to $1.06, while others are decreasing up to $3.
Media Mail rates are increasing by 7% across the board.
Signature Confirmation is increasing to $3.40
Everything else is staying the same 🥳
With Pirate Ship you'll get secret discounts up to $4.83 cheaper than Commercial Pricing!
Pirate Ship is authorized by USPS to offer prices BELOW Commercial Pricing shipping rates for shipments to and from the lower 48 states, which can save you up to $4.83 more than the published Commercial Pricing rates.
Take a look at the new July 2023 rate sheets
To see the new July 2023 USPS rate sheets, just login to your Pirate Ship account and head to the Rates page. These rates will go into effect for any shipments created with a Ship Date of after July 9th.
If you have any questions just hit the blue chat button on the bottom right, or shoot us an email—we're always here to help!