What is USPS Cubic Pricing?

USPS Cubic Pricing (or dimension-based pricing) is a discounted shipping rate based on the outer dimensions of a package instead of its weight. You’ll see it applied only to the dimension-based services Priority Mail Cubic and, on certain shipping software solutions, USPS Ground Advantage.

How Does Cubic Pricing Work?

Since the cost to ship your package with cubic pricing is dependent on your box’s size and not its weight, the services we mentioned above are perfect solutions for sending small, heavy parcels. A common example of this type of package is a subscription box, or a box full of small, dense items such as candles or soaps.

Regardless of what you’re sending, taking advantage of cubic pricing allows you to keep a ton of money in your pocket. In some cases, dimension-based pricing rates for USPS Priority Mail Cubic and USPS Ground Advantage can save you up to 89% off what you’d pay to ship the same box at the Post Office!

However, there are some guidelines your package must meet to qualify for cubic pricing. We’ve listed those below:

• Any single dimension on the box must be under 18 inches
• The box’s total weight cannot exceed 20 pounds
• Total volume cannot exceed 0.5 cubic feet*

*Note: Packages sent via Priority Mail Cubic are limited to being under 0.5 cubic feet in volume to qualify for cubic rates. Ground Advantage packages have a larger size limit for cubic rates and can have a total volume of up to 1 cubic foot.

How Can I Access Specially Discounted Dimension-Based Rates?

Cubic pricing is generally only provided to high-volume shippers, and you’ll never see these services available at your local Post Office. In fact, if you ask a postal worker about Priority Mail Cubic or dimension-based pricing for Ground Advantage, chances are they may not know what you’re referring to! The only way to access cubic pricing as a small business owner or individual is to buy discounted postage through online shipping software solutions.

When you buy labels through online shipping software, you get access to discounts and special pricing rates from USPS and other carriers. However, most shipping software companies only offer dimension-based pricing rates for Priority Mail Cubic…if they even offer it at all. Only a small number of shipping software companies offer dimension-based rates for both Priority Mail Cubic and Ground Advantage shipments.

To see which shipping software solutions offer the deepest discounts on dimension-based pricing rates, check out our guide: Choosing the Best Shipping Software.