Apart from delivering mail and packages, the US Postal Service is known to provide and sell shipping materials and packing supplies.
It’s like a one-stop shop for everything you need to send domestic and international packages.
Boxes are essential when shipping packages. Does USPS provide them?
Here’s What You Need To Know About USPS Boxes:
The US Postal Service provides boxes for sending items. When you ship, boxes are already provided free of charge. Other times, you may have to get the boxes separately and for an additional cost. There are 28 shipping boxes on the USPS website and at your local post office.
Table of Contents
Does USPS Have Free Boxes?
When you go to the USPS website, you can “buy” boxes for $0.00 and have them shipped for free.
You can simply head to your local post office and get some or order them online. Some boxes are “sold” in singles, while some you can only get in packs of 10 or 25.
These boxes can ship items through the Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express options. All of them can be used for domestic shipping, while others can also be used internationally.
When you order these USPS shipping boxes online, they will be shipped to your address free of charge.
They are shipped via the USPS Parcel Select service, and you should receive them within 5 to 7 business days.
Does USPS Have Flat-Rate Boxes?
Flat-rate boxes are boxes with flat or fixed postage rates.
This means that the cost of shipping using these boxes is not determined by the item’s weight, size, or shape.
USPS does have flat-rate boxes available at the post office and in the USPS online store.
Flat-rate boxes are the best option for shipping small and heavy items. You can get them for free at your local post office or order them online and have them shipped to you.
This is a great option if you are an online retailer that frequently ships orders.
Using a USPS flat-rate box can help reduce your shipping costs by up to 50% – best if it is the peak season for your store.
Here’s more information about mailing boxes and using shipping labels!
Here Are The Boxes You Can Get At Post Offices:
Shipping boxes from USPS come in different sizes and have different limitations.
Some are free, and some cost something. Some can only be used for certain services.
Here are the boxes that you can purchase at USPS, with their corresponding sizes in length x width x height and their prices:
- Priority Mail Express Cold Chain Packaging – 13.94 x 11.75 x 12.06 inches, pack of 3 – $48.00
- Priority Mail Forever Prepaid Small Box – 8.69 x 5.44 x 1.75 inches, single box – $10.40
- Priority Mail Forever Prepaid Flat-Rate Medium Box 1 – 11 x 8.5 x 5.5 inches, single box – $17.05
- Priority Mail Forever Prepaid Flat-Rate Medium Box 2 – 14.13 x 12 x 3.25 inches, single box – $17.05
- Priority Mail Forever Prepaid Flat-Rate Large Box – 12.25 x 12 x 6 inches, single box – $22.45
And here are the boxes that are free:
- Priority Mail Flat-Rate Small Box – 8.69 x 5.44 x 1.75 inches, available in singles, or pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Flat-Rate Medium Box 1 – 11.25 x 8.75 x 6 inches, available in singles, or pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Flat-Rate Medium Box 2 – 14.13 x 12 x 3.5 inches, available in singles, or pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Flat-Rate Large Box – 12.25 x 12 x 6 inches, available in singles, or pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Shoe Box – 14.88 x 5.25 x 7.38 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Express Box 1 – 11.75 x 8.75 x 5.75 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Express Box 2 – 14.13 x 12 x 3.5 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B1 – 12.25 x 10.5 x 5.5 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B1 – 15 x 12 x 3 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A1 – 10.13 x 17.3 x 5 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A2 – 13.06 x 11.06 x 2.5 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Box 4 – 7.25 x 7.25 x 6.5 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Box 7 – 12.25 x 12 x 8.5 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Flat-Rate AFO/FPO Box – 12.25 x 12.25 x 6 inches, available in singles, or pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Box 1092 – 13.69 x 12 x 2.88 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Box 1093 – 15 x 12 x 3.06 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Box 1095 – 15 x 12 x 3.13 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Box 1096L – 9.44 x 6.44 x 2.19 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail Box 1097 – 13.44 x 11.63 x 2.5 inches, available in pack of 10s or 25s
- Priority Mail DVD Box – 8.75 x 5.56 x 0.88 inches, available in pack of 25s
- Priority Mail Express Small Tube – 25.56 x 6 x 5.25 inches, available in pack of 10s or 20s
- Priority Mail Express Medium Tube – 38.19 x 6.25 x 4.25 inches, available in pack of 10s or 20s
- Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes Variety Pack – set of 4 boxes in different sizes
What to know more about USPS mailing options? Here are 9 answers about USPS & Certified Mail!
What Are The Biggest USPS Boxes?
USPS has a good variety of boxes to suit your shipping needs, from small to medium to large ones.
There are also tubs and slimmer boxes available.
The biggest USPS boxes are Priority Mail Flat-Rate Large Box and Priority Mail Forever Prepaid Flat-Rate Box. Both boxes have a volume of 882 cubic inches.
Both boxes are great for shipping big or irregularly-shaped items.
Both are flat-rate boxes, meaning the weight is not considered for the shipping fee.
The difference between these two boxes is that the second one is prepaid. It means that the fee you paid for the box is non-refundable.
How Durable Are USPS Boxes?
USPS boxes are very durable. After all, they are made for shipping heavy items.
Shipping boxes from USPS are made of cardboard, which is known for being extremely durable. Cardboard boxes can carry heavy items without breaking.
These boxes can withstand the shipping process, making them perfect for carrying fragile items.
As long as the items are packed securely in these USPS boxes, they won’t be damaged and can reach their destination in pristine condition.
Can You Take A USPS Box Home?
You can take a USPS box home.
If you are planning to ship several packages, you can take some USPS boxes at your local post office and bring them so you can do the actual packing at home.
Alternatively, you can order the USPS boxes online for free and have them shipped to your address at no cost, but it will take up to 7 business days to receive them.
The bottom line is that when you take a USPS box, you don’t have to use it immediately. You can take them home, so you have more time to pack and prepare the items for shipping.
What you can’t do with USPS boxes is use them to ship through a different carrier.
You can’t take free USPS boxes only to use them with UPS, FedEx, or other shipping companies.
If you do this, you may face some consequences, as this violates federal law.