USPS Media Mail

USPS media mail is a cost-effective shipping solution that suits your needs. As one of the most affordable shipping services, USPS media mail brings many reliable shipping prices to help you send your packages on time. If you are someone who often sends study material or other forms of text, then this service is of utmost importance to you. Furthermore, if you barely have any concerns about the time taken to ship the packages and the number of items that you are shipping, then USPS media mail is your best bet.

USPS Media Mail

There’s nothing better than a cost-effective shipping service that can help you send multiple items in a single go. USPS media mail helps you send all kinds of educational material through the mail. Some of the items that you can ship through this service are books, videos, cassettes, DVDs, CDs, printed material such as papers, music sheets, etc.

Just like every other mailing service, the media mail shipping service has its rules and restrictions. One such rule is that this service is open to inspection. It simply means that when you choose this service to ship your packages, you are allowing the USPS officials to inspect your package. If you aren’t following the USPS media mail rules and restrictions, then there are high chances that you will be charged with mail fraud or your package could be charged with the shipping prices of Priority Mail.

Check out everything you need to know about USPS first class package by clicking on this link here.

Items You Can Send Through Media Mail

The items that you can send through media mail are as follows:

• Books up to 8 pages
• Audio or video recordings
• Manuscripts for books, music or periodicals
• Music sheets
• Films with 16 mm width or even narrower
• Printed test materials
• Educational charts
• Medical information that is sent to doctors, hospitals, patients, etc

Remember that these items cannot be mailed with items that do not qualify for media mail. The only time you are allowed to add certain enclosures is if you are shipping bills, invoices, how to use the media, or any corrections to the existing media in the mail. It is strictly prohibited to send media mails that include marketing copies or advertisements from companies.

Items That You Cannot Ship via Media Mail

The items that cannot be shipped through the media mail are:

• Puzzles: Books with puzzles are considered as an entertainment factor.
• Video games: Video games are also not considered as an educational material
• Vintage magazines: Magazines are also not allowed to be sent through media mail as they contain advertisements
• Cassettes: The DVDs and the CDs are allowed as long as they are not blank
• Flash cards: You are allowed to send flash cards, but you cannot send other school supplies such as pencils or empty binder.

Features of Media Mail

• Media mail is only used to send educational material. Any other forms of material such as advertisements or magazines are not allowed by any means. Even a birthday card cannot be placed with these documents.
• Advertisements or marketing copies are strictly prohibited. You can only send book announcements through this mail.
• The total weight of the packages must not be more than 70 lbs and the height and girth of the package must not be 108 inches in total
• USPS media mail prices start from $3.19

Media Mail Sizes

• Letter Rate: This is a small envelope which has a length of 5” to 11½” inches and a height of 3½” to 6 ⅛”. The letter rate is only offered to those envelopes that do not cross 3.5 ounces
• Large Envelope Rate: The thickness of this mailpiece should not be more than ¾” and the length and width should not be more than 12″x15″

Buying Postage for USPS Media Mail Labels

Before you buy postage for your media mail, you need to get the package properly packed and weighted. Make sure that the weight does not exceed 70 lbs in weight. Once this step is done, you need to buy the postage labels online from PayPal as USPS does not have the Click-N-Ship feature for Media Mail. Follow the steps given below to buy postage for your packages through PayPal:

• Log in to PayPal through your account
• Go to My Accounts > Profile, and then you can see My Selling Tools
• In the next step, click on Shipping My Items and then click on Update
• Enter your shipping address
• Check the box for US Postal Service Preference in the printer types
• Then carefully check the labels and click on the right label
• When you move to the Service Type page, select Media Mail
• Enter the details of your package such as the date, weight, type of package, etc
• After checking all the details, click on Pay. The postage amount will be calculated and it will be displayed to you
• You can print the labels if you have a shipping label maker or you can also use the regular printer

Pros and Cons of Using Media Mail

This shipping service is used to ship packages that are only meant for educational purposes. Through media mail, you can send 70lbs of educational material only. The benefit of using this shipping service is that it is a cost-effective solution that can be used if you are least bothered about the delivery time. Most people go for this shipping service as it is a cost-effective solution when compared to other shipping services provided by USPS.

Moving towards the disadvantages, media mail takes a lot of time to be delivered to the destination. According to the agency, the USPS media mail time is between 2-10 days or more, depending on your postal code. Another disadvantage is that this service is open to inspection by USPS officials. This means that every package will go through inspection to verify if the contents present within are authentic and contain valid items. If any prohibited item is packed in this mail, you will have to pay extra to get it shipped.

Many people have complained that the packages they received through media mail were not packed properly. As USPS workers have to inspect millions of packages every often, they poorly repack the package, which leads to the contents spilling out. People have also complained that most packages they received were empty.

Another disadvantage of using this service is that there isn’t any insurance on damaged products. As it is a low-cost service, you will not get any insurance for the damages incurred on the product.

Learn about USPS international shipping rates from here.

How to Ship a Package Using Media Mail?

Shipping a package through media mail is very a simple and easy process. You just need a few essentials and you are ready to go. Before you ship a package through media mail, you need to check if whatever contents that you are willing to send comply with the USPS demands. You are not allowed to send any prohibited items.

The next step is to find a box to fit in all your contents. Get the right size box either by ordering it online or getting it from the local USPS store. USPS has a collection of free supplies that you can get for your needs. Make sure that the boxes follow the dimensions as per USPS rules. Once the box is ready, fill it up with the contents. If you believe that the contents present in the box will shift around, then you can use packing peanuts as a means to fill up the empty space. Pack in a way that prohibits the items from rattling and breaking.

Address the package to the destination correctly. Mention the recipient address and the return address neatly and properly. Place the postage stamp on the envelope after having the postage calculated. Once you’re done, seal the package properly with two-inch packaging tape.

The next step is to ship your package by visiting the nearest post office. You can also ship your package via scheduled pickup, but you must remember that the postage must be paid, and the shipping must be paid. Pay the shipping for media mail, and you also have the option to opt for additional services such as Certificate of Mailing, Signature confirmation, Return Receipt, etc. You do not have to pay extra for USPS Media mail tracking as this option is already included.

Common Problems Associated With USPS Mailing Services

Addressing the common concerns of the people, some various problems associated with media mail shipping service are that most people have received opened packages. This is the most common issue when it comes to USPS media mailing shipping service. As the media mail service is open to having all its contents inspected, the workers at the office do not pack the box properly. That’s because they have to go through numerous packages in a single day, and packaging everything correctly becomes difficult when there is less time and more packages to deal with. Many customers have complained that the packages they received were damaged, poorly packaged, and some were even destroyed.

Other consumers were really frustrated with their packages being routed to entirely new destinations even though the address mentioned on the package was correct. The most prominent reason for this kind of situation to arise is due to understaffing. Due to the pandemic, many workers left their jobs, and also the number of working hours in a day also got reduced. This led to many USPS offices running short on workers. Due to the increase in packages and the reduction in the number of workers, there has been a huge confusion in terms of sorting the packages to their rightful destinations.

Conclusion

USPS media mail is a cost-effective solution to help you send educational materials across the country or internationally. This shipping service should only be used to send printed material and educational material only. Just like every other shipping service at USPS, you have to use media mail keeping in mind all the necessary rules and restrictions.

Does USPS do money orders? Learn it from here.

For more information on the price ranges for businesses that send more than 300 packages per day, you can check out the official USPS website.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ’s)