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USPS May Institute Zone-Based Surcharges in October

Ina Steiner
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USPS May Institute Zone-Based Surcharges in October

The USPS instituted surcharge fees for long and awkward packages in 2022, and this year, it is proposing changes to the fee structure. Most significantly, it wants to make surcharges zone-based, so non-standard packages shipped across the country would cost more than those shipping locally or regionally.

The OMG Official Mail Guide reported the changes and uploaded the May 17th USPS proposal that describes changes under consideration. The document notes that the contents are “pre-decisional, and subject to change based on Board of Governors and Postal Regulatory Commission decisions.”

The document shows that currently both a length and a cubic volume fee may be assessed; under the proposed changes to nonstandard fees, only the greater of the fee per package would apply.

Currently the USPS charges $4 for a Priority Mail or Ground Advantage package with a length over 22″ but less than or equal to 30 inches, and charges $18 for a package with a length greater than 30 inches. It also charges a nonstandard fee for packages with a cubic volume greater than 2 cubic feet.

Under the May 17th proposal, the USPS would charge fees that vary by zone for Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, USPS Connect Local, and Parcel Select packages for packages with the following dimensions:

  • Length is > 22″ and < 48″, or width is > 18″, or height is > 15″
  • Length is > 48″
  • And when package are prepared improperly or not capable of automation, including the following:
  • Tubes/Rolls
  • Shrink wrapped packages
  • Not in a shipping container
  • Label not fully on one side of the package

Under the new proposed fee structure, only one non-standard charge per package would apply, based on the greater fee.

OMG uploaded the proposed changes to the non-standard fee structure on its website (the USPS has not yet detailed the fees, only the proposed structural changes), which includes the following graphic.

USPS Proposed changes to nonstandard fees

Written by 

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

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2 thoughts on “USPS May Institute Zone-Based Surcharges in October”

  1. This proposal is going to lead to nothing but problems. Almost all Counter Postal Employees do not understand or know what the Minimum and Maximum size of a Standard 1st. Class envelope is under Postal Regulations.

  2. Guess they figure their losing too much money to UPS which the nonstandard length is 48″. Just depends the new rates on whether it will help or not.

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