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If you’ve been thinking about taking a much-needed vacation to paradise, we are right there with you! Speaking of paradise: the US Virgin Islands is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, and people often ask us what the cheapest ways to ship there are. Truth be told, it’s not so different to ship to the US Virgin Islands than the rest of the United States. It all comes down to which shipping carrier you choose. Care to take a guess which carrier is the best option?
Table of Contents
- USPS is the Best Choice to Ship to the US Virgin Islands
- Should I Ever Use UPS or FedEx?
- Buying Postage with Shipping Software is the Cheapest Way to Ship the US Virgin Islands
USPS is the Best Choice to Ship to the US Virgin Islands
USPS is far and away the best carrier for shipping to the US Virgin Islands. There’s no contest. You’ll always get the best mix of quick delivery times and affordable rates when you use USPS to ship to the US Virgin Islands. Similar to when you ship a package to Puerto Rico or the other US Territories, USPS treats the US Virgin Islands just like domestic mailing anywhere else the United States. As a result, you’ll never pay more than what you’d normally pay to ship packages within the continental US! In addition, all of the standard delivery times for the different USPS mail classes still apply.
Do I Need to Fill out Customs Forms?
Nope! Believe it or not, USPS doesn’t require you to fill out customs forms when mailing or sending parcels to the US Virgin Islands.
Should I Ever Use UPS or FedEx?
While we always recommend choosing USPS if you can help it, there are certain situations where you may need to use UPS or FedEx to ship to the US Virgin Islands.
UPS is Best for Shipping a Heavy Package Over 70 Pounds
Since USPS only allows for a maximum package weight of 70 pounds, you’ll need to look elsewhere to ship package heavier than that. If that’s the case, UPS will be your best option, as it’s much cheaper than FedEx. However, you should be aware that even UPS’ most cost-effective service to the US Virgin Islands will be much more expensive than shipping with USPS.
Use FedEx for Emergency or Overnight Delivery
If you’re in a pinch to have a parcel delivered as soon as possible, FedEx will be your best bet. However, be prepared to shell out money. A WHOLE LOT of money. FedEx is the priciest shipping carrier as is, and their expedited services to the US Virgin Islands definitely won’t come cheap.
Buying Postage with Shipping Software is the Cheapest Way to Ship the US Virgin Islands
No matter where you are shipping to, overpaying for postage is a common mistake that so many people make. In case you didn’t know, you can buy postage online with shipping software, and it’s WAY cheaper than buying it directly from any of the carriers. This is because you’ll be able to ship at USPS Commercial Pricing rates, the deepest level of postage discounts that USPS typically reserves for commercial shippers.
Some shipping software solutions even let you ship USPS Priority Mail Cubic, a special mail class that you won’t find at any Post Office. By a long shot, Priority Mail Cubic (or “Cubic,” for short) is the cheapest and quickest way to send parcels weighing up to 20 pounds with USPS. Similar to all Priority Mail services, Cubic delivery only takes between 1-3 days and automatically comes with $100 of insurance. Next time you need to ship a parcel to the US Virgin Islands, be sure to use shipping software to ship it Cubic! That’s how you’ll save the most money.
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Beth Bradford
son lives in St Thomas VI he needs a cleaned, plastic gas tank for his vehicle. i found one from salvage yard its less thank 20 lbs. how can i pack it and send it and approximately how much will it cost from Tucson Arizona to 00802 zip code many thanks
JackBlavk
USPS normally takes 5-7 days with Select Mail. FedEx and UPS vary but charge 5-10 times as much and lose packages, especially with the shipping issues over the past 4-6 months.
Janie Robertson
Need to ship cheaply to virgin
Micheline
This is no longer true! I have always used usps to ship my artwork to a shop in St. Thomas. Now, however, my boxes take up to a month to arrive and cost nearly twice as much.
David Lieder
A servoce like Shippo will give you an additional 40% to 80% discount on USPS and other carriers, and it is software based, you print your own label and take it to USPS. Shippo has a special deal and is used by hundreds of thousands of businesses.
Erin
Can you ship directly to your hotel or do you have to pick up package at post office?
Rockwell Sands
This is a good question Erin! In my experience, you can ship to a hotel without any problems. The front desk should be able to hold the package for you.
ClaudiusHarrigan
First time