6 Things You Can Send Using Padded USPS Envelopes to Save Money (2023)

FAQs

What can you put in a USPS padded envelope? ›

Examples of products you can ship in a bubble mailer include electronics, jewelry, small books or handcrafted home goods. For extra protection, we recommend wrapping your product in an extra layer of packing paper or bubble wrap.

As long as the total thickness of your mailer is at least 3/4 of an inch, you'll be able to use any of the USPS shipping services to send it. One of the most popular ways to ship bubble mailers like these is USPS First Class Package Service.

Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope is an envelope of 9.5in (L) by 12.5in (W), lined with bubble padding for extra protection. It's flexible, bendable, and thick enough to protect your item from the bumps and tumbles of postal transit.

A padded envelope, also known as a padded or cushioned mailer or (UK) jiffy bag, is an envelope incorporating protective padding to protect items during shipping. The padding is usually thick paper, bubble wrap, or foam.

Is it cheaper to ship in a box or a padded envelope? Shipping a padded envelope is almost always cheaper than shipping a box, but it may not be the best option for your package depending on what you're shipping. Fragile or valuable items or shipments of multiple items are always best packed in boxes.

If you're shipping a single shirt or a small article of clothing, padded mailers or envelopes are sufficient. If you're shipping larger quantities of clothing, you may need to ship a large box or multiple smaller boxes.

Priority Mail Flat Rate® Padded Envelopes can hold up to 70 pounds, but they don't always offer enough protection for fragile products.

You can calculate postage online at pe.usps.com. Letters, bills, greeting cards, and other documents can be sent in standard white, manila, or recycled paper envelopes. Items needing extra protection can be sent in bubble-lined, padded paper, or waterproof envelopes.

First Class Package is the Cheapest Service for Bubble Mailers Under 15.99 Ounces (1 lb) When you're sending a lightweight bubble mailer, the cheapest service by far is USPS First Class Package Service. This is the cheapest service that USPS offers for packages under 15.99 ounces, or 1 lb*.

Can you put a box in a padded envelope? ›

You can put a box into the envelope, as long as it's still shaped like an envelope! USPS only cares about your outer packaging, so if there is a box inside your poly mailer or envelope, that's no problem. But you can't "shrink wrap" or tightly tape a bag or envelope around a box and call it an envelope.

Sure, using postage stamps on a bubble/padded envelope is the same as on a regular envelope. The postage rate has to be met by the sum of all stamps, on any cover.

Free Shipping Supplies Can Help Lower Shipping Costs

The USPS will keep you well-stocked with boxes, stickers, forms and more for free. These pre-printed envelopes, Tyvek® mailers and boxes can be used to send items through Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, and they're eco-friendly.

TIP: As a rule of thumb, you can send 1 oz (4 sheets of regular 8-1/2" x 11" paper and a business-sized envelope) for 1 First-Class Mail^® Forever^® stamp (currently $0.60). The postage for a large envelope (or flat) starts at $1.20 for 1 oz.

First Class Mail envelopes, flat rate envelopes, and USPS Priority Mail offer the lowest rates for small packages. Another option is to use cubic pricing. Cubic pricing is a special USPS service that offers lower shipping rates when sending small, heavy items that are under 20lbs with USPS Priority Mail.

The cheapest way to ship small, light items is through USPS. For items under 13 ounces, such as thin and flat items, documents, and letters, USPS First Class Mail starts at $0.555 for commercial and $0.57, with delivery in 1-3 days.

Use flat-rate shipping where possible—flat-rate shipping will almost always be the best value for money, especially for domestic delivery. Flat-rate shipping means that you can predict prices more accurately. No matter what kind of parcel you have or what dimensions or weight it is, the price will always be the same.

How to pack an iPad for shipping? Put the device in its original padded packaging. Wrap the box in bubble wrap to provide an additional layer of protection.

Do I need to use 2 forever stamps? ›

For any domestic mail piece that weighs more than one ounce, you must include additional postage along with your Forever Stamp to ensure USPS delivery. Also, you may purchase higher denomination postage stamps for heavier postage at the Post Office™. Avoid placing two Forever Stamps on a mail piece for heavier mail.

Even if you have a large enough envelope, you shouldn't send coins in the mail as they are too thick to meet letter envelope size guidelines at a maximum of 0.007 inches. Coins and any hard objects sent through the mail may damage mail sorting equipment.

Pens, pencils, key rings, bottle caps, and other similar odd-shaped items are not permitted in letter-size or flat-size paper envelopes unless they are wrapped within the other contents of the envelope to streamline the shape of the mailpiece and prevent damage during postal processing.

Rules for USPS. Nonflammable liquids and nonhazardous liquids can be sent via USPS, if sealed inside a waterproof container. A recently proposed rule change states that mailers must mark the outer container of a mailpiece containing liquid to indicate the nature of the contents, and include orientation arrows.

If it is important that your package has both padded protection and does not really “bend”, then padded mailers may be the right choice for you. They are sturdier and more rigid than bubble mailers, which are fully made with flexible plastic.

USPS Flat Rate Envelopes are almost ALWAYS the cheapest option. However, use your own envelope for packages weighing exactly 1 lb. and traveling locally. And if your package weighs less than 1 lb., use your own envelope and ship via USPS First-Class Package Service.

So to ship a bubble envelope that is 3.8 ounce, you'll need 1 forever stamp and 3 additional ounce stamps for a total cost of 1.16 cents. Just make sure the thickness of your envelope is smaller than 3/4 of an inch. Any thicker and it'll be considered a package. Why do we still use stamps?

To order free labels, boxes, and envelopes online: Go to The Postal Store® at www.usps.com/shop and select “Supplies” – OR - move your cursor over “Shop” in the top navigation and select “Shipping Supplies.” Order free supplies by selecting "Free Shipping Supplies" in the left-hand navigation.

An increase in prices from the United States Postal Service goes into effect Sunday, July 10, 2022. The new prices include a two-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 58 cents to 60 cents.

You can send standard postcards, letters and large envelopes and small packages up to 15.99 ounces using First Class Mail.

Can I reuse a padded mailer? ›

First of course you can just reuse them for mailing another item, some have a built in double peal and seal which make reusing easy, if they don't have this built in feature, a nice strip of packing tape will do the job! Then just cover up the old shipping label with a new one and it's good to go.

Speaking of odd shapes, don't mail bulky, odd-shaped things like pens or bottle caps in regular letter-size envelopes. Not only will you pay more in postage, but these items are likely to poke through the envelope, fall out, and be lost -- they could even damage postal equipment or hurt someone.

A letter of 2 ounces – 1 Domestic Forever Stamp and one additional ounce stamp at 20 cents costs 78 cents. A letter weighing 3 ounces – 1 Domestic Forever Stamp and two additional 20-cent stamps – costs 88 cents.

The amount of First Class (aka “Forever”) stamps you need to mail a letter depends on how much your letter weighs. As a rule of thumb, one First Class stamp represents the postage for sending one (1) ounce of mail. So, if your letter weighs two (2) ounces, you need two Forever stamps.

What to do? Use the USPS tool to easily calculate actual postage rates. For example, a regular two-ounce letter costs 78 cents. Using “two stamps” means you are paying $1.16 (2 x 58 cents).

The most common size of a #10 envelope is 4.125 x 9.5. (4 1/8 inches high by 9 1/2 inches long.) At Tension, we customize envelope sizes based on our customers' requirements - a number ten to one customer may be a few millimeters different than another customer's #10.

A #10 envelope is the popular business envelope size, and is used for both direct mail and transactional mail.

When you go to the post office, you can get as little or as many as you like. If you choose to order online, you can get boxes in packages of 10 or 25, and envelopes in sets of 10 or 100. Your order will arrive within 7-10 business days, but it can come much sooner. The boxes aren't all you can get for free.

No cost to you whatsoever. As long as you're after USPS Priority Mail packaging, you can either pick up free boxes by walking into your local Post Office, or you can order them online on the USPS website.

The USPS provides free shipping boxes and envelopes for Priority Mail and Global Express Guaranteed packages.

Do Forever stamps last forever? ›

As the name suggests, Forever Stamps can be used to mail a one-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change in the future.

If your letter is one ounce or below, you will need one Global Forever stamp or three Forever Stamps. Packages. The number of required stamps depends on the weight and size of the package. Usually, the first four ounces need a minimum of $3.80 in postage, with more postage as weight increases.

No, U.S. postage never expires; you can use existing stamps indefinitely. All postage stamps issued by the United States since 1860 are valid for postage from any point in the United States or from any other place where U.S. Mail service operates.

A. As long as the FRE can close within its normal folds, and as long as the sides of the FRE haven't been reconstructed, for example by being slit and having a gusset inserted, it is fine. “Flat” refers to the price, not to the shape.

Flat Rate Envelopes are best suited for documents, but if you choose to send another type of item (up to 70 pounds), it should not reconstruct or expand the envelope in any way. As long as the envelope closes within the normal folds, bulges will not matter. There is no maximum thickness for Flat Rate Envelopes.

Nonflammable liquids and nonhazardous liquids can be sent via USPS, if sealed inside a waterproof container.

USPS allows shipping of non-hazardous liquids, as long as they are in sealed containers with all contents clearly labeled. If you want to ship over 4 oz. of liquid, you must use insulating materials, triple-pack your boxes and use tightly sealed containers like shipping glass bottles.

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.

Can I send a necklace in an envelope? ›

Using multiple layers helps prevent jewelry from getting lost or damaged if the outer package is damaged. First, wrap your jewelry in bubble wrap and put it inside a small box or padded envelope. Finish it off by placing that package inside a slightly larger box or padded envelope.

The cheapest way to ship small, light items is through USPS. For items under 13 ounces, such as thin and flat items, documents, and letters, USPS First Class Mail starts at $0.555 for commercial and $0.57, with delivery in 1-3 days.

If the package is not classified as Priority Mail Express™ service (domestic or international), Priority Mail® service, First–Class Package Service™, or an international letter package, it may be opened and its contents examined.

Unless there is a problem with your battery that would present danger while it's inside (in which case, you may not want to ship the battery at all), keep your battery within the phone and the phone fully assembled before shipping to prevent a fire hazard and potential injuries.

“Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas,” it states on the USPS website. “However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount.