Written on:
USPS Media Mail offers some of the best shipping rates you’ll ever see across all three major carriers, period. Rates start at just a couple of bucks for the first pound of your package, and as a result, pretty much every shipper is looking to lock in these rates, pretty much all of the time. We can’t blame them! The problem is, only certain kinds of items qualify for these special Media Mail rates…and unfortunately, calendars are not one of them.
Since Calendars Don’t Qualify for Media Mail Rates, What’s the Cheapest Way to Ship Them?
If you’re looking to send out calendars and were hoping to maximize your savings, don’t freak out just yet. Media Mail is out of the question, but you’ve still got plenty of options! Since Media Mail is out of the question, the cheapest way to send a calendar is to ship them using USPS First Class Package Service.
First Class Package allows you to send lightweight packages up to 13 ounces with USPS, and it’s still a super cheap service! Prices only start around $4 for a single package…and they’re even cheaper when you use online shipping software to buy postage at bulk discounted rates. Just remember that you have to supply your own packaging for First Class Package, since USPS doesn’t provide any free packaging options like they do for Priority Mail services.
Pro Tip: When you use shipping software to buy discounted labels online, you even get an extra 3 ounces of wiggle room to qualify for First Class Package. This means that you can ship packages up to 15,99 ounces, or just under a pound!
If Your Calendar is Small Enough, You May Be Able to Use a “Flat” Envelope
If the calendar that you plan to send is small enough, you might be able to fit it into one of those rectangular manila envelopes that you see people using for documents. USPS calls these types of envelopes “flats,” and if they’re under 3 ounces, you can actually send them via First-Class Mail! That means all you’ll need to send out your calendar are two or three postage stamps, which is even cheaper than First Class Package! In fact, sending a three-ounce flat envelope via First-Class Mail comes out to just $1.74 (Forever stamps are 58 cents each at the time of publishing this article).
If this price sounds too good to be true, we’ve got to warn you: it probably is. Most calendars are square—not rectangular—and as such, they don’t quite fit into these types of “flat” envelopes. So, it’s a long shot at the end of the day, but it’s still worth thinking about!
Learn more about sending flats with USPS.
Sanford
USPS Customer Support Ruling, Calendars – Bound Printed Matter; Updated April 2019 (PS-232 (263.2.1). CSR discusses the eligibility of Calendars as Bound Printed Matter (BPM). There is some wiggle room: if the calendar meets the guidelines, the shipping cost savings is significant. Check it out!
Rae
My calendar is rectangular, but it is over 3 oz. Can I still use an envelope? and isn’t there a thickness rule, how thick the envelope can be?
Rockwell Sands
Hi Rae – It sounds like your calendar will need to be shipped and not mailed with USPS. The maximum weight for First-Class Mail is 3 ounces, and the maximum thickness of a mailable envelope is 0.75 inches. You’ll be able to send it in a poly mailer with a shipping service like First Class Package though!
Ra
Thanks for the helpful info. Sometimes I send out quite a few calendars, it can get pricey.
Rae
Betty Phillips
Why do they not qualify? It was my understanding that magazines do not qualify if they contain ads. Is this why calendars do not qualify? Not all calendars have ads. We need to know the “why” behind this decision. Thank You, Ms. Betty
April
Would Magnetic Educational Children’s calendar s count?