Tips To Use The USPS Media Mail Service

The USPS Media Mail service is meant to promote the shipment of educational materials including books, posters, documents, loose-leaf pages, medical information for doctors, hospitals, and medical students, textbooks, printed music and printed educational reference charts, play scripts, printed objective test materials, films having sixteen millimetre or narrower widths, magazines, and optical media such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray. The items are typically delivered within 2-8 days and the shipping costs are considerably low. However, this service does not permit the shipment of USB keys, hard drives, or other digital media and you need to abide by certain packaging specifications in order to be eligible for the Media Mail service.

Notably, you cannot send any material that contains advertisements. You should have an in-depth knowledge about various Media Mail restrictions in order to avoid unnecessary hassles. You cannot send anything that weighs more than 70 pounds. You cannot send video games or computer software through the Media Mail service. You are allowed to send certain enclosures along with the media, including invoices and bills, instructions on media use, and a personal note that provides an introduction to the media.

You also need to abide by certain packaging guidelines in order to be eligible to use the USPS Media Mail service. The service allows for the shipment of envelopes that have a maximum dimension of 12 by 15 inches and a maximum thickness of ¾ inches. If you are shipping boxes, make sure that the distance around the thickest part and the package length do not exceed 108 inches. Such envelopes and packages are available at most USPS locations. If you find that the size of the box is too large compared to the sizes of the items that you have to ship, you may use packing peanuts to cover the vacant spaces. Alternatively, you may also use newspapers to generate the necessary cushioning effect.

Write the return address on the top of the box and on the upper left corner of the envelope. The recipient’s address needs to come in the middle whereas the upper right corner of the envelope or the top of the box is reserved for the postage stamp. You will find a tool at the USPS website which will help you to calculate the right postage. If you are using a postage meter, this process should be easier for you. You need to use 2-inch packaging tapes to seal boxes. Seal envelope flaps with a tape. Visit your nearest USPS post office and get your parcel weighed. It is a better idea to use the Priority Mail service if your package weighs less than 9 ounces. The Media Mail cost may be as low as $2.72 with $0.50 pound being added for each pound and it may go up to $37.22 for a 70-pound shipment.

When you opt for the Media Mail service, the executive at the post office will paste a label on your parcel. You can then opt for additional services such as certified mailing and insurance. The Media Mail service allows for shipment tracking which will allow you to anticipate the date of delivery. You can get your parcel insured for up to $5000 and the cost mainly depends on the value of the items that are being transported.