# Priority mail



## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Does the package have to be in a Priority mail box in order to mail it out as Priority Mail? Lets say I have a regular old white box. can I just use a priority mail label and postage?


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

yes you can


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Yes. When you get to the post office they can give you some Priority Mail stickers or tape to put on the box too.


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## Revernance (Aug 20, 2007)

You can use any box for priority mail. Keep in mind that priority mail cost is per weight. 
There's a flat cost if you use the flat rate box, so that you don't have to worry about weight.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Revernance said:


> Keep in mind that priority mail cost is per weight.
> There's a flat cost if you use the flat rate box, so that you don't have to worry about weight.


True, but it they're mailing plants it's pretty rare to be shipping 3 lbs of plants, which is how much it would take to make the flat rate box economical.  The vast majority of plant packages that I've mailed all weigh under a pound by several ounces.


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## Revernance (Aug 20, 2007)

AaronT said:


> True, but it they're mailing plants it's pretty rare to be shipping 3 lbs of plants, which is how much it would take to make the flat rate box economical.  The vast majority of plant packages that I've mailed all weigh under a pound by several ounces.


yes 

a scale is needed. the postage increases by 4 bucks or so for being a few ounces over! damn you post office!


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Its actually usually around 2 pounds for flat rate, and it varies according to zip code. Prority mail also goes by dimensional weight now, so if you are using a large box, the cost goes way up. Smaller the box, the cheaper it is. For large boxes, UPS or Fed X is actually cheaper than the post office. For example, an AH supply 55 watt Brite kit costs about 70 dollars to send priority mail coast to coast. UPS ground, a little over eight dollars.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I didn't realize that the price went up with package dimensions too. I know they ask for them (which is a PITA), but I thought it was just for for getting an idea if they were over-sized or something.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Yeah, thats why they just came out with a larger flat rate box for 12 dollars something... its not all that much bigger than the 8.90  flat rate box. It is confusing and a pain in the butt for someone doing a large amount of daily shipping. For a small box, a few plants like Aaron said its not that big a deal but when you are somewhere between 2 and three pounds, or if you have to use a box bigger than 12x8x6, then its hard to figure out where the cut off is.


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## mikenas102 (Feb 8, 2006)

This new pricing scheme based on size came about with their last round of price hikes. Click-n-Ship never asked for the exact dimensions before but now they do.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

mikenas102 said:


> This new pricing scheme based on size came about with their last round of price hikes. Click-n-Ship never asked for the exact dimensions before but now they do.


That's right, it was about a year ago with the last round of rate hikes that they started asking for dimensions, wasn't it?

I've heard that they are now going to be offering a small discount for people who use Click-n-ship rather than bringing it to the PO to be taken care of. Does anyone know if that's true? I just heard it on the radio or something, so I'm not entirely sure. I would make sense if it saves them time and perhaps reduces the lines/wait time.

I swear until the past year or so they all look at me like I'm alien when I bring in a package and say it's all ready to go. I would always get the "well you still need to put postage on it, right?" type of comments, so I'd have to read through the label with them to show them that I've already paid and that it indeed "ready to go"....


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

JanS said:


> I've heard that they are now going to be offering a small discount for people who use Click-n-ship rather than bringing it to the PO to be taken care of. Does anyone know if that's true? I just heard it on the radio or something, so I'm not entirely sure. I would make sense if it saves them time and perhaps reduces the lines/wait time.


That's what the USPS website says. I don't think they've said the exact discount yet though.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

I found out when Kim at AH supply warned me not to use Priority mail to send light bulbs and kits any more. I didn't believe him until I brought one to the post office and I was shocked at the outrageous price. That was some time last year.



> I swear until the past year or so they all look at me like I'm alien when I bring in a package and say it's all ready to go. I would always get the "well you still need to put postage on it, right?" type of comments, so I'd have to read through the label with them to show them that I've already paid and that it indeed "ready to go"....


Oh don't get me started, I could rant and rave for hours. Its worse than going to the DMV. You know how they ask you automatically "does this contain anything liquid, perishable or potentially hazardas"? Well try answering yes and see what they do. Half of them won't pay any attention to your answer and continue on, while the other half will just stop and look at you not knowing what to say next! so I just say no to save time, even when my boxes say PERISHABLE on them. Or I am shipping liquid fertilizers that when you pick up the box you hear a loud sloshing noise. I still get asked and I still say no, and they are still oblivious.

I have one lady that insists on me showing her my driving license even though she has seen me every day for three years. Another one refuses to give me priority boxes and tells me to order them online. When I tried that, the local warehouse told me to go to my local post office to get them! I HATE these people.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

LOL! I hear you Robert. You would think they'd have some clue when they do it for a living, or like you say, they've seen you every day for the past few years doing the same thing.

I hear you too on the zipping the lip thing. It's not so much for me at the PO, but when you're flying, if you tell them you have live fish in the bag you get the whole security crew surrounding you. After a time or two of that happening, we've just learned to pass them through without saying a word and everything is fine and dandy. Of course now that only applies to checked luggage, but back when it was carry on it was even more of a fiasco if you said anything.


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## mikenas102 (Feb 8, 2006)

I've always said no when they ask that question. It's not as if they treat it any differently if you tell them yes. Maybe they only toss the box 20 feet into the truck instead of the customary 30 feet.


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## Revernance (Aug 20, 2007)

They always ask "does this contain anything liquid, perishable or potentially hazardous". 

I say no, and it's a lie and they're like okay. Thanks. 
I found a better way to answer them though:
"does this contain anything liquid, perishable or potentially hazardous". 

"Just fragile".  

There, that wasn't a lie.

Oh, and there's a new policy now. Apparently I have to use Post Office with the zip code as my return address. They said it's California's new budget problem.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

rates went up today. Priority mail flat rate went up by a buck! Damn gas prices.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I sent one Priority yesterday and that one was still $4.75 for an 8 oz. box, so that's not too bad.

Yeah, those gas prices are going to affect everything.

Our big bales of hay jumped from $65 to $110, and grain has over doubled in price. I don't know how some people are going to be able to afford to keep horses and other livestock at that rate.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

They told me the priority mail rate went up by about 20 cents, but the flat rate jump is bigger. Stamps went up. The forever stamp is higher. UPS and Fed x are going up too. I paid five dollars for a gallon of milk at a quickie mart.


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