The cheapest way to ship a package by USPS
The cheapest way to ship a package changes with its weight, its contents and the distance. Enter yours: the services are ranked by price, at the counter and online.
Independent site, not the Postal Service: prices read in its own price files.
Example: a 5 lb package from 60601 to 30303· change a figure to see yours
Cheapest at the Post Office today
$16.60
USPS Ground Advantage, zone 4, 2 to 5 days
| Ground Advantage at the Post Office (2 to 5 days) | $16.60 |
| Priority Mail at the Post Office (2 to 3 days) | $18.30 |
| Priority Mail Express at the Post Office (1 to 3 days, guaranteed) | $68.30 |
| Cheapest online label today (Ground Advantage) | $11.67 |
| Cheapest at the Post Office from Jan 17, 2027 | $17.26 |
| Service | Post Office now | Online now | Post Office from Jan 17, 2027 | Online from Jan 17, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage | $16.60 | $11.67 | $17.26 | $12.00 |
| Priority Mail | $18.30 | $16.37 | $19.43 | $17.73 |
| Priority Mail Express | $68.30 | $60.64 | $69.15 | $61.55 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the prices are built
For most packages, the cheapest way to ship with the Postal Service is USPS Ground Advantage with a label bought online. A 5-pound package from Chicago to Atlanta, zone 4, costs $11.67 that way, against $16.60 for the same service at a Post Office counter. Two exceptions change the ranking. Books, sound recordings and printed music can go by Media Mail, $7.34 for 5 pounds whatever the distance, if the package holds nothing else and you accept 2 to 8 days. And a heavy package going far can be cheaper in a Priority Mail flat rate box: from New York to Los Angeles, zone 8, 5 pounds by Ground Advantage cost $27.45 at the counter while the Medium Flat Rate Box costs $25.80, any weight up to 70 pounds. Prices are those of Notice 123 in force until January 16, 2027.
The cheapest way to ship a package nearby
Over a short or medium distance, Ground Advantage almost always wins. The table ranks the options for a 5-pound package from Chicago (60601) to Atlanta (30303), zone 4. The online label beats the counter by $4.93, and Priority Mail only makes sense if 2 to 3 days matter more than the money.
| Option, 5 lb, Chicago to Atlanta | Price today |
|---|---|
| Media Mail (books and media only) | $7.34 |
| Ground Advantage, online label | $11.67 |
| Ground Advantage, Post Office | $16.60 |
| Priority Mail, online label | $16.37 |
| Priority Mail, Post Office | $18.30 |
| Medium Flat Rate Box, Post Office | $25.80 |
Across the country the box can win
The far zones change the order. For the same 5 pounds from New York to Los Angeles, zone 8, the Medium Flat Rate Box at a counter costs less than Ground Advantage at a counter, because the box price is the same for every zone. Online, Ground Advantage falls back below the box. The flat rate calculator finds the zone where the box starts to pay off for your weight.
| Option, 5 lb, New York to Los Angeles | Price today |
|---|---|
| Media Mail (books and media only) | $7.34 |
| Ground Advantage, online label | $20.24 |
| Ground Advantage, Post Office | $27.45 |
| Priority Mail, online label | $30.93 |
| Priority Mail, Post Office | $39.00 |
| Medium Flat Rate Box, Post Office | $25.80 |
Flat rate box or price by weight?
Example: 5 lb from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours
Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box at the Post Office today
$25.80
Cheaper than paying by weight ($39.00): the flat rate saves $13.20.
| Same box from Jan 17, 2027 (proposed) | $26.97 |
| Same, online label today | $22.02 |
| Priority Mail by weight, 5 lb, zone 8 | $39.00 |
Three habits that cut the bill
Use the smallest box that protects the item: above one cubic foot, the size weight can cost more than the real weight. Weigh to the ounce under 1 pound, where Ground Advantage charges by 4-ounce steps. And check the date: on January 17, 2027 the proposed prices and the 11% fuel surcharge raise most of these figures, as the 2027 page shows.