Cost to ship a package with USPS, from your ZIP Code
The cost to ship a package depends on its weight, the two ZIP Codes and the service. Type them: every USPS service is priced at once, at the counter and online.
Independent site, not the Postal Service: prices read in its own price files.
Example: a 2 lb package from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours
Cheapest at the Post Office today
$19.80
USPS Ground Advantage, zone 8, 2 to 5 days
| Ground Advantage at the Post Office (2 to 5 days) | $19.80 |
| Priority Mail at the Post Office (2 to 3 days) | $22.55 |
| Priority Mail Express at the Post Office (1 to 3 days, guaranteed) | $74.80 |
| Cheapest online label today (Ground Advantage) | $13.42 |
| Cheapest at the Post Office from Jan 17, 2027 | $20.81 |
| Service | Post Office now | Online now | Post Office from Jan 17, 2027 | Online from Jan 17, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage | $19.80 | $13.42 | $20.81 | $13.63 |
| Priority Mail | $22.55 | $17.22 | $23.20 | $17.46 |
| Priority Mail Express | $74.80 | $66.29 | $84.75 | $71.65 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the prices are built
The cost to ship a package with the Postal Service is read in two tables. The zone chart gives a number from 1 to 9 for the pair of ZIP Codes, from their first three digits. Notice 123, the official price list, gives the price for that zone and the weight, rounded up to the next step. A 2-pound package from New York to Los Angeles, zone 8, costs $19.80 by Ground Advantage at a Post Office counter and $13.42 with an online label, 32% less. The same package to Boston, zone 3, costs $12.70 at the counter. Priority Mail is faster and dearer; Priority Mail Express adds a guaranteed date. Prices shown for January 17, 2027 are the proposed base prices plus the 11% fuel surcharge the Postal Service announced on November 12, 2026, still under review. The packed weight is what counts: box, padding and tape included.
What the cost to ship a package is made of
Three facts set the price: the service, the weight step and the zone. Everything else is an option you add, such as insurance above the $100 included, a signature or a return receipt. The calculator above reads the zone from your ZIP Codes in the official chart, then reads the price of each service in the Notice 123 file of the Postal Service. It never estimates.
The weight step differs by service. Ground Advantage under 1 pound is charged up to 4, 8, 12 or 15.999 ounces, then by the pound. Priority Mail at a counter is charged by the pound from the first ounce. Any fraction of a pound counts as a full pound: 2 pounds 1 ounce pays the 3-pound price.
| Weight | Ground Advantage, Post Office | Priority Mail, Post Office | Ground Advantage, online | Ground Advantage, from Jan 17, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $13.65 | $17.95 | $11.22 | $14.04 |
| 3 lb | $23.15 | $28.10 | $16.30 | $24.48 |
| 5 lb | $27.45 | $39.00 | $20.24 | $28.42 |
| 10 lb | $40.85 | $63.40 | $26.39 | $43.07 |
The counter or the online label
The same package costs less with a label paid online. The gap is not a promotion: it is a second price list, called Commercial, that the Postal Service opens to anyone printing a label. On the 2-pound example, it saves $6.38. The online or counter page measures the gap for each service and zone.
Try another trip
Example: a 2 lb package from 10001 to 02108· change a figure to see yours
Cheapest at the Post Office today
$12.70
USPS Ground Advantage, zone 3, 2 to 5 days
| Ground Advantage at the Post Office (2 to 5 days) | $12.70 |
| Priority Mail at the Post Office (2 to 3 days) | $13.95 |
| Priority Mail Express at the Post Office (1 to 3 days, guaranteed) | $42.80 |
| Cheapest online label today (Ground Advantage) | $8.66 |
Before you pay
Weigh the package once it is closed. Measure it if it is large, because a light but bulky box can be charged as if it weighed much more. Check the size limits: above 108 inches of length plus girth only Ground Advantage takes it, at an oversized price, and above 130 inches nothing does. Then pick the speed you need. The cheapest way page ranks the services for heavier packages.