USPS Regional Rate Boxes

[rondog]

Does anybody here have any experience using USPS Regional Rate Boxes? They're Priority Mail boxes, but they're NOT Flat Rate Boxes. Just a little bit smaller.

The pricing on them is cheaper, not a flat price, based on shipped from/shipped to, and they're weight limited to 15 pounds, not 70. At least the "A" boxes are.

What I DON'T know, and the counter guys don't seem to know either, is if regular folks can use these - or if you have to have a commercial account of some kind.

Does anybody here know about these things? They sure don't hesitate to send you a bundle if you ask for them.

[cwtebay]

I use them quite a bit. Yes, they're available for everyone, but savings are best if you have a Shipping Easy account. I think it's 20# or less only.

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[Skunk1]

I think they are for online postage only. I believe you can only use the USPS web site to print postage. I don’t think the brick and mortar post office can do it.

[tomme boy]

No they are not for online postage only. Anyone can use them and you can pay the postage at the counter. They used to be a really good deal. About 4 years ago they went and changed all the zones and made them so that about 1/2 way between a Small flat rate and a Medium Flat rate. Unless they are going in side your own state.

I use the padded Flat rate envelope for most things now. I use their tyvek envelope to put whatever I am shipping into. Then put that into the padded flat rate envelope. It is the same as a small rate box for cost.

[Skunk1]

https://www.stamps.com/usps/priority-mail-regional-rate-box/

Your right. Purchasing postage at the retail counter should add to the amount according to this.

[higgins]

Post offices will accept them, but if you read the fine print you will see that there is an additional 2.30 (?) charge if you present them over the counter. The charge does not apply if you have an account and print your own labels. They're cheaper than a flat rate box if you're sending something that would fit in an "A" Regional Rate box (size between a small FRB and a medium FRB) to a nearby rate zone.

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm#_c031

[JWFilips]

If you have an online USPS account You can do well with these ( Have to buy supplies on line) You can give your close customers a good deal with shipping or at times when you think you will eat the shipping ....it can be less of a meal! I use them all of the time I'm in the northeast so as long as the address is on the east side of the Mississippi It is a great deal for me or the person I'm shipping to

& No you can't ship "lead" this way !

[rondog]

I've yet to find any definition/maps for the "zones". As in, the box is going to X destination - what's the zone and charge?

And I'm not interested in buying a special printer and label stock just to ship a few boxes of brass.

[tomme boy]

You have to bounce back and forth between these two charts to get the price. It used to be about $0.55 difference in price between retail and online price. I have not used them in a couple of years because they went up so much. That $2.30 charge must be what I seen.

https://postcalc.usps.com/DomesticZoneChart

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm#1131658

[JWFilips]

Here is the Local rate chart256537
You just need to know the zone based on zipcode
If the buyer is with in 3 zones from you It is a good deal

[frkelly74]

I have found them to be cheaper, often, though not always., B size regional is comparable to the Medium size flat rate box. Example.. Michigan to Florida , B regional was $10.20 Med flat rate was $14 something. On the other hand B regional to San Francisco was over $20 when Medium FRB was $14 something. A B regional inside Michigan was $8.10 last week as opposed to medium FRB at what ever they have risen to. I order the A and B boxes from the USPS in bundles of 10 , they are free until you buy the postage to go on them. Weight limit is 20 lbs rather than the famous 70 lbs of flat rate. It has paid to have some on hand as when I have asked for them at the Post offices here they have just kind of stared at me. But the computer scanner knows what they are when I take them in. I do use Clik-N-Ship.




/\ /\ /\ That is a handy little table there JWFillips,I had to enlarge it to read it but it bears out my experience /\ /\ /\

[tomme boy]

Here is the Local rate chart256537
You just need to know the zone based on zipcode
If the buyer is with in 3 zones from you It is a good deal

That is the old chart before the price increase. The correct chart is in the second link I posted about 1/4 of the way down under Regional, PMOD, Cubic

[ioon44]

I just shipped 5 lbs of rifle brass in a regional box A for $11.20, a lot cheaper than the MFRB.

[rondog]

Well, I just took two RRB "A"'s to the Post Office, and both were nearly $25 from my town to Georgia. Put them inside MFRB's, dropped to $15.05 each.

So much for that idea, I'll just use MFRB's from now on. I'll use up the Regional A boxes as extra packing inside them, since the USPS is notorious for damaging my brass shipments. Buggers......

[fatelk]

I think your local post office didn't know what they were doing. Either that or they've changed things, because I've shipped regional boxes over the counter a time or two in the past.

You don't need any kind of special printer or labels to use regional boxes. I have a Click-and-ship account (free and easy to set up) and have used them a number of times. I've also used them for eBay. It's simple to buy and print labels from your regular printer, and just tape them to your box. I did buy a scale, something like $18 on Amazon. It's accurate up to 70lbs and works great.

[rondog]

I think your local post office didn't know what they were doing. Either that or they've changed things, because I've shipped regional boxes over the counter a time or two in the past.

You don't need any kind of special printer or labels to use regional boxes. I have a Click-and-ship account (free and easy to set up) and have used them a number of times. I've also used them for eBay. It's simple to buy and print labels from your regular printer, and just tape them to your box. I did buy a scale, something like $18 on Amazon. It's accurate up to 70lbs and works great.

I was using a self-service kiosk, with a USPS guy showing me. Scanned the bar code on the box, weighed it, boom - $24.95 or so. Nope.

[frkelly74]

Something went wrong there. It should have been substantially less for the Regional A box. Was it more than 15 lbs? That is the limit for The A size box.

[rondog]

Something went wrong there. It should have been substantially less for the Regional A box. Was it more than 15 lbs? That is the limit for The A size box.
No, neither box was more than 6lbs. I had two going to GA, tried each several times, came up with the same prices every time.

Maybe it's because I'm just a Joe off the street and not a commercial customer?

[fatelk]

That stinks. I know I've done it before, a couple times at least, but I wonder if they've changed something now. I looked at the USPS Postage Calculator, and it now shows the regional boxes as on-line postage only, and an over the counter price as "not available". I wonder what the rationale is for changes like this?

[frkelly74]

To collect more moola from the unsuspecting public? People like my wife will just pay it and not question the difference. I am more and more trying to push back on stuff like that. But that does perhaps explain the difference. Things just can not stay the same for long, someone has to change the system just to keep things confused.

[JWFilips]

You are in Colorado You Shipped to Georgia..... I guess you don't understand "Regional Rate Boxes" 3 zone max for savings! Once you cross the Mississippi You loose!
You got to learn how and when to use them

[rondog]

You are in Colorado You Shipped to Georgia..... I guess you don't understand "Regional Rate Boxes" 3 zone max for savings! Once you cross the Mississippi You loose!
You got to learn how and when to use them

I have YET to find any kind of map, or chart, or ANY explanation AT ALL about the zones - what they are, where they are, pricing from this zone to that zone - ANY damn information. And the people at our Post Office are more clueless than me. It's obviously a product/service they don't want to push.

[rondog]

I'll just use the "A" boxes to pack brass inside the MFRB boxes, to "double bag" them for damage protection.

[JWFilips]

Rondog If you go to google and type in Domestic Zone Chart you will get a page where you type in your zipcode and enter it
you will then generate a "zone chart" for your zipcode Then save it as a pdf Then use your zone chart to figure out what zone you would be shipping to!
Then use the Regional Rate chart posted above to figure out the cost

[fatelk]

You are in Colorado You Shipped to Georgia..... I guess you don't understand "Regional Rate Boxes" 3 zone max for savings! Once you cross the Mississippi You loose!
You got to learn how and when to use them

I’ve shipped them from the West Coast to the East Coast. Depending on weight, they’re still a good value. Even at the farthest region they’re still cheaper than a medium flat-rate box, not much savings, but still some.

It stinks that they have to make it so difficult to use them.

[rondog]

Yeah, when I tried two different RRB "A"'s to GA, and each was nearly $25, but if I put them in a MFRB it dropped to $15.50, that was, um - eye-opening, to put it mildly. As is, WTH am I even trying?

So, people are going to be receiving some very well packed brass for awhile.....

[JWFilips]

The Regional Rate boxes were not meant for the average consumer that is why you can't get supplies or the service at a regular post office window.
It was made for commercial shipping and you need an online usps account. This way you can offer some of your near by customers a lower price for shipping as compared to those that are farther away. It works very well but you have to know when and how to use it properly

[tomme boy]

Here is the thing. 5 years ago it was WAY cheaper to use these boxes. But they found out everyone was using these more than the Flat Rate boxes and were losing money. They redid the zones. There used to be only 5. They added zones and upped the cost. They have redid the zones 3x's and each time it makes you use the regular flat rate boxes.

I have switched over to the padded envelopes you can get way more than a small box in it and it is the same price. Almost.

[fatelk]

I just did an estimate on USPS.com, for an 8lb package from Portland, OR to Portland, Maine. It comes to $15.05 for a MFRB, and $12.10 for a regional Box A, coast to coast.

I think if it will fit in an A box, it’s still worth while to have a couple around, and print labels online. You all do what you want, but the math still works for me.

It sounds like the reason they wanted to charge $25 to ship one was because the post office kiosk didn’t recognize the box, and was charging you full retail by weight. That seems ridiculous to me. If I can easily print out postage online, they should be able to program a kiosk in the post office to provide the same service.

[JWFilips]

I'm Done here Can't teach those that can't learn!

[fatelk]

Am I missing something???

I didn't mean to offend. I just wanted to point out that even shipping clear across country, regional boxes aren't so bad a deal as some of you all seem to think. Am I wrong somehow? Show me the numbers. If it's under 15 pounds and fits in a Regional A box, it's a better deal than an MFRB no matter where you're sending it. That's a fact. I'm certainly not a commercial shipper, and it's easy for me.

It's not hard to set up an online USPS account. It doesn't cost a thing, and you don't need anything special to do it. It's SO much easier than standing in line at the PO. It takes seconds to request next day pick-up for Priority boxes, and they pick them up at your front door.