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Who doesn’t love candy? Whether you’re a chocolate lover or more of a sour patch kid, there’s always something for everyone out there. With Halloween just around the corner, all of our favorite tasty treats are about to make their annual comeback. Candy is also an essential part of any care package—the good ones, at least—and since most candy isn’t perishable, it’s an incredibly popular food item to ship. This guide is all about how to save the most money when shipping candy, so that your sweet tooth doesn’t turn sour when it comes time to buy postage. Let’s dig in!
USPS First Class Package is the Cheapest Service for Shipping Candy
Far and away, USPS is the best option out of all the major carriers for shipping candy. This is because USPS specializes in handling and delivering smaller, lightweight packages. The Postal Service offer the best mix of quick delivery and affordable rates for these types of shipments. Speaking candidly, USPS blows both FedEx and UPS out of the water when it comes to prices for shipping packages of comparable sizes.
Out of all the shipping options the Postal Service offers, USPS First Class Package Service is the cheapest way to send candy shipments. This is the premier USPS service for sending smaller packages under 1 pound, and will only cost you anywhere from $3 to $6. Depending on how far your shipment needs to travel, First Class Package features a delivery timeframe of 1-4 business days, and comes with full tracking updates so you can follow along with your package every step of the way.
Pro Tip: USPS doesn’t provide any free packaging for First Class Package shipments, so you’ll have to use your own box. If you’re looking for a place to find boxes or envelopes, the ULINE website has tons of options.
For Shipping Candy Over 1 Lb, Use Priority Mail Cubic
If the total weight of your package exceeds 1 pound (1 lb), USPS is still the best choice for you. In this case, the next best service is the specially-discounted service USPS Priority Mail Cubic. Priority Mail Cubic—or “Cubic,” for short—is a unique service because its shipping rates are based on your package’s outer dimensions, and not its weight. That means that, as long as your box and envelope is less than 0.5 total cubic feet in volume, you can load it up to 20 pounds full of candy, and the cost to ship it won’t change at all! This makes Cubic the premier USPS service for shipping packages like subscription boxes, which tend to be on the smaller and heavier side.
“Qualifying” for Cubic Rates
Priority Mail Cubic rates offer some of the biggest savings in the entire shipping industry, but you should note that your package has to “qualify” in order to lock in these discounts. In order to be able to qualify for these special Cubic rates, the following criteria must be met:
- Total weight of the package must not exceed 20 pounds (20 lbs)
- No one dimension can exceed 18 inches
- Total volume of your package cannot exceed 0.5 cubic feet
Here’s one more thing to note: you’ll never find Priority Mail Cubic advertised at your local Post Office. In fact, a lot of USPS workers have never even heard of this service! The fact of the matter is, it’s a bit of a “secret” in the shipping industry. You can only access Priority Mail Cubic and its special discounts when you buy postage online through certain shipping websites…but don’t worry. We’re about to get into that in just a little bit.
Consider the Type of Candy, the Time of Year, and the Weather
Here’s something to ask yourself before it’s time to send off your package: do some of the candies you’re sending contain chocolate? If so, then you may need to add certain kinds of packing materials to help keep the chocolate from melting…if you’re shipping during warmer seasons in the year, that is. If you’re worried your chocolate might melt during transit, then throwing some cooling materials into your box like gel packs and insulated styrofoam will do the trick.
Even if you think your chocolate has a low chance of melting, you should probably still consider using these kinds of cooling packing materials. At the end of the day, we think it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Trust us…no one likes opening up a package of goodies only to grab a handful of melted chocolate!
Learn more about how to properly ship chocolate.
Save Money on USPS Labels with Online Shipping Software
When you’ve got your package all ready to go, don’t take it to the Post Office! In case you think you didn’t read that right, we’ll say it one more time: don’t go to the Post Office. You’ll end up spending way too much time waiting in line, and you’ll pay full retail price for shipping. Instead, beat the system and use shipping software to buy discounted USPS postage online.
When you use shipping software, you don’t just give yourself the ability to skip the lines and print your own shipping labels at home. You also get access to the deepest level of discounts that USPS offers, known as Commercial Pricing. USPS typically reserves Commercial Pricing discounts for huge commercial shippers who send more than 50,000 packages per year. However, when you use shipping software, you get to access those same discounts simply by signing up! Since we’re talking about shipping candy…those huge savings can get pretty sweet.
There are a ton of different shipping software options out there, and some are much better than others. At the end of the day, it’s all about what you need. If you’d like to see which shipping software solutions that shippers just like you have recommended, visit our Reviews page!
Looking for the right shipping software for you?
To save the most money on USPS labels, check out our guide:
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