USPS online vs Post Office prices: the same box, two prices
USPS online vs Post Office prices for your package: choose “Online label” or “Post Office” in the calculator and see what the counter costs you.
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
Ground Advantage online today
$13.42
zone 8 · charged as 2 lb
| from Jan 17, 2027 (proposed, with the 11% fuel surcharge) | $13.63 |
| Change on January 17, 2027 | +1.6% |
| Same package at the Post Office today | $19.80 |
| Zone | Now | from Jan 17, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | $8.39 | $9.15 |
| Zone 2 | $8.48 | $9.21 |
| Zone 3 | $8.66 | $9.36 |
| Zone 4 | $8.91 | $9.55 |
| Zone 5 | $10.50 | $10.87 |
| Zone 6 | $12.13 | $12.61 |
| Zone 7 | $12.55 | $12.79 |
| Zone 8 (yours) | $13.42 | $13.63 |
| Zone 9 | $13.42 | $13.63 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the prices are built
The Postal Service runs two price lists for the same packages. Retail prices apply at a Post Office counter. Commercial prices apply to labels paid online, on usps.com with Click-N-Ship, which usps.com says domestic shippers get on many services when they use Click-N-Ship. Both lists come from the same Notice 123 file. For a 2-pound Ground Advantage package from New York to Los Angeles, zone 8, the counter price is $19.80 and the online price $13.42. Light packages gain the most: under 1 pound, the online price of Ground Advantage has a single step for any weight up to 15.999 ounces, so 8 ounces in zone 4 cost $7.86 online against $8.80 at the counter. Flat rate boxes are cheaper online too: the Medium box costs $22.02 instead of $25.80. A Forever stamp costs $0.82 wherever it is bought; only a letter paid by postage meter gets a lower price, $0.78.
USPS online vs Post Office prices by service
Each cell gives the counter price, the online price and the change between them. The online discount is largest for Ground Advantage in far zones and for light packages; it shrinks for heavy Priority Mail Express.
| Service and weight | Zone 1: counter / online | Zone 4: counter / online | Zone 8: counter / online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage, 8 oz | $8.40 / $7.33 (-12.7%) | $8.80 / $7.86 (-10.7%) | $10.20 / $8.95 (-12.3%) |
| Ground Advantage, 2 lb | $11.30 / $8.39 (-25.8%) | $13.50 / $8.91 (-34.0%) | $19.80 / $13.42 (-32.2%) |
| Priority Mail, 2 lb | $12.45 / $9.50 (-23.7%) | $14.85 / $11.19 (-24.6%) | $22.55 / $17.22 (-23.6%) |
| Priority Mail, 10 lb | $18.60 / $15.15 (-18.5%) | $22.55 / $20.27 (-10.1%) | $63.40 / $43.03 (-32.1%) |
| Priority Mail Express, 2 lb | $37.65 / $33.43 (-11.2%) | $50.50 / $45.31 (-10.3%) | $74.80 / $66.29 (-11.4%) |
What it adds up to
A seller mailing one 2-pound package a week from New York to Los Angeles by Ground Advantage would pay about $331.76 more a year at the counter than online. The counter has its uses: no printer needed, a clerk who checks the address and the packaging, and stamps or other errands in the same visit.
Counter or online for your package
Example: a 2 lb package from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours
Ground Advantage online today
$13.42
zone 8 · charged as 2 lb
| from Jan 17, 2027 (proposed, with the 11% fuel surcharge) | $13.63 |
| Change on January 17, 2027 | +1.6% |
| Same package at the Post Office today | $19.80 |
Where the prices come from
Both columns are read in the Notice 123 files the Postal Service publishes on Postal Explorer, sheet by sheet: “Retail” for the counter, “Commercial” for labels. The method page lists the files and the date they were read; the cheapest way page adds Media Mail and flat rate boxes to the comparison.