How much is large flat rate box usps

The Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box and Large Flat Rate Box are up to $10.70 more expensive than using your own box

How much is large flat rate box usps

Written by Pirate Ship
Updated over a week ago

USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes and Large Flat Rate Boxes are specific types of packaging that you can get from a Post Office or from USPS.com/supplies.

To ship these boxes, you have to buy the corresponding kind of Flat Rate postage by specifying the exact type of packaging you're shipping when you're creating a label.

Flat Rate is convenient, since you don't need to worry about the size or weight of the box... but that convenience comes at a price. If your items weigh less than 20 lbs, Medium and Large Flat Rate Boxes can be much more expensive than using your own packaging and shipping with Priority Mail Cubic instead.

The Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box comes in two sizes:

  • Medium Flat Rate Box 1: 11 x 8.5 x 5.5 inches

  • Medium Flat Rate Box 2: 14 x 12 x 3.5 inches

If you used your own box that was the same size or even a little bigger, like 14 x 12 x 4 inches, it would be in the 0.4 cubic feet pricing tier of Priority Mail Cubic and can save you up to $5.88, depending on how far you're shipping it. Note that for the furthest distances the Medium Flat Rate Box can still be a good deal, but that only remains true if your items weigh more than 2 pounds (where Weight-Based Priority Mail becomes cheaper than Cubic 0.4):

How much is large flat rate box usps

Use your own box for a custom size that fits your products, or USPS offers two free "mailing boxes" that are the cubic 0.4 size:

  • Priority Mail Box - 1095 | 15-1/4" x 12-3/8" x 3" | Cubic Tier 4

  • Priority Mail Box - Shoe Box | 7-1/2" x 5-1/8" x 14-3/8" | Cubic Tier 4

You could save even more if your box was small enough to fit into the 0.3 cubic feet pricing tier of Priority Mail Cubic. You can see a rate comparison here.

The Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box comes in one size:

  • Large Flat Rate Box: 12 x 12 x 5.75 inches

If you used your own box that was the same size or even slightly larger, like 12 x 12 x 6 inches, it would be in the 0.5 cubic feet pricing tier of Priority Mail Cubic and can save you up to $10.22, depending on how far you're shipping it. Note that for the very furthest distances the Large Flat Rate Box does offer some savings, but that only remains true if your items weigh more than 3 pounds (where Weight-Based Priority Mail becomes cheaper than Cubic 0.5):

How much is large flat rate box usps

You could save even more if your box was small enough to fit into the 0.4 cubic feet pricing tier of Priority Mail Cubic. You can see a rate comparison here.


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How much is large flat rate box usps

EasyPost is a flexible, modern API that aggregates shipping APIs into one. Sign up and start shipping and tracking with UPS, USPS, FedEx, and more. Thousands of developers already have.

What are USPS Flat Rate Boxes & Envelopes?

USPS Flat Rate Boxes & Envelopes are just that - boxes and envelopes with flat postage rates, no matter how heavy the package is. If you're shipping heavy, small items, Flat Rate Boxes & Envelopes are the best bang-for-your-buck option. Take advantage of USPS flat rates by keeping a supply of these around your fulfillment operations. USPS provides these flat rate boxes and envelopes for free at most Post Offices or will ship them to you at the USPS Store. Using a USPS Flat Rate Box or Envelope can cut your shipping costs by 50%. This is a great way to prepare for peak shipping.

In addition to large Flat Rate Boxes, small Flat Rate Boxes and medium Flat Rate Boxes, prices are supported through the EasyPost API by using our predefined packages. So it's easy to set up internally and start collecting savings from your Flat Rate Boxes & Envelopes as soon as you integrate with EasyPost.

What is the Postage Cost For USPS Flat Rate Boxes & Envelopes?

We've broken the pricing into the table below. Note: The rates below reflect USPS Commercial Plus Pricing, which is available when shipping via EasyPost. If you're interested in signing up for USPS Commercial Plus Pricing, contact us and we can set you up.

USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Options

Last Updated: October 2, 2022.

TypeSize*EasyPost Predefined PackageEasyPost RateRetail Rate% Savings with EasyPost
Envelope 12 ½" x 9 ½" FlatRateEnvelope $8.50 $9.90 14.1%
Window Envelope 10" x 5" or 12 ½" x 9 ½" FlatRateWindowEnvelope $8.50 $9.90 14.1%
Small Envelope 10" x 6" SmallFlatRateEnvelope $8.50 $9.90 14.1%
Padded Envelope 12 ½" x 9 ½" FlatRatePaddedEnvelope $9.20 $10.60 13.2%
Legal Envelope 15" x 9 ½" FlatRateLegalEnvelope $8.80 $10.20 13.7%
Small Box 8 11⁄16" x 5 7⁄16" x 1 ¾" SmallFlatRateBox $9.00 $10.40 13.5%
Medium Box 11 ¼" x 8 ¾" x 6" or 14" x 12" x 3 ½" MediumFlatRateBox $15.00 $17.05 12.0%
Large Box 12" x 12 ¼" x 6" LargeFlatRateBox $19.95 $22.45 11.1%
APO/FPO Box 12" x 12 ¼" x 6" LargeFlatRateBoxAPOFPO $18.45 $20.95 11.9%

* Outside dimensions

If you have any questions about our Commercial Plus Pricing use the button below to contact us.

How You Can Use USPS Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes to Save on Shipping

One of the many benefits of shipping with USPS Flat Rate Boxes is that the boxes themselves are free. You can pick them up at any post office or USPS will actually ship the boxes to you for free. In order to have access to the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate pricing, you must use one of USPS designated Flat Rate Boxes; you cannot use just any box of the same dimensions. This can be a drawback for some because, unless you are a high volume shipper, you cannot get customized boxes with specific branding. If using non-customized boxes is not a deal breaker for you, USPS Flat Rate Shipping is a great tool to spend less on shipping.

With a USPS Flat Rate Box or Envelope, you will be able to ship any item of any weight up to 70lbs to any location for the same price assuming it fits properly, without any bulging, within its designated box or envelope. That being said, let's dive into the different USPS Priority Mail Box and Envelope options.

USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes

There are 5 different options for USPS Flat Rate Envelopes. Each envelope is unique in size and structure and has differing use cases.

Flat Rate Envelope

12 ½" x 9 ½"

How much is large flat rate box usps

Flat Rate Envelopes are great for documents, manuscripts, and applications.

Window Envelope

10" x 5" or 12 ½" x 9 ½"

How much is large flat rate box usps

Window Envelopes are great for pre-addressed documents.

Small Flat Rate Envelope

10" x 6"

How much is large flat rate box usps

Small Flat Rate Envelopes are great for greeting cards, photos, small documents, and gift cards.

Padded Flat Rate Envelope

12 ½" x 9 ½"

How much is large flat rate box usps

Padded Flat Rate Envelopes are great for books, small clothing, and jewelry.

Legal Flat Rate Envelope

15" x 9 ½"

How much is large flat rate box usps

Legal Flat Rate Envelopes are designed specifically for important legal documents.

USPS Flat Rate Boxes

When shipping with USPS Flat Rate Boxes there are a few different sizes to consider.

USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box: SMALL

Small USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes are great for items that are small, but dense or rigid like larger pieces of clothing, brochures, and small electronics.

Outside: 8 11⁄16" x 5 7⁄16" x 1 ¾"
Inside: 8 5⁄8" x 5 3⁄8" x 1 5⁄8"

How much is large flat rate box usps

USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box: MEDIUM

Medium Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes come in 2 different options: top-loading and side-loading.

Top-loading

Outside: 11 ¼" x 8 ¾" x 6"
Inside: 11" x 8 ½" x 5 ½"

How much is large flat rate box usps

Side-loading

Outside: 14" x 12" x 3 ½"
Inside: 13" x 5⁄8" x 11 7⁄8" x 3 3⁄8"

How much is large flat rate box usps

As you can see while these 2 boxes are both considered to be "medium sized" they are vastly different in their dimensions and are designed to fit different types of items.

USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box: LARGE

Large USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes are great for larger items such as laptops, computers, gifts, and larger electronics.

Outside: 12" x 12 ¼" x 6"
Inside: 12" x 12" x 5 ½"

How much is large flat rate box usps

USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box: APO/FPO/DPO

APO/FPO/DPO boxes are specifically designed for sending to troops overseas. These Priority Mail boxes are the same exact dimensions as the USPS Flat Rate Large Box, but have been altered slightly on the outside to include a message of support for military personnel. These boxes also have a discounted flat rate.

Outside: 12" x 12 ¼" x 6"
Inside: 12" x 12" x 5 ½"

How much is large flat rate box usps