Parcel post and media mail are two of the least expensive ways to send items. Formerly called book rate, media mail cannot contain advertising, except eligible books may contain incidental announcements of books. Airmail mbags send large amounts of printed material. Make sure your mail piece is classified as media mail. I would suggest that you instead place the books in a decorated gift box. The po has realized that most of the recipe pamphlets are nothing more than ads for product and so it can not be shipped media. Media mail is a usps mail class restricted to the delivery of books, film, audio and other recorded media. You can send books, videotapes, dvds, cds, printed music and other sound recordings through media mail as long as they weigh less than 70 pounds. Generally, media mail will be the cheapest option to ship books, but there might be a few instances where other options cost less. You can then insert any packing slip and seal the package for mailing. The return address goes in the upper left corner of the envelope or top of the box. Save money mailing books through the post office clever. Remember that, unlike other usps services, your parcel wont be delivered in one or two days. Media mail is a costeffective option for those who send books, recorded music and other media materials in bulk through the u.
It probably would have gone through fine if not for the duffel bag, it was quite obvious it wasnt books in there. Read this article to know more about this service, like what is media mail shipping and how media mail works. Media mail is a costeffective way to send media materials through the u. What is the cheapest way to ship books from us to india. Media mail only allows you to ship books, computerreadable.
Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography. Although you wont pay as much to send these items via media mail, they can take longer to get to their destination. Usps media mail service rules, rates, tracking, calculator. Media mail rates are limited to the items listed below. Be sure to ask a postal worker about this option, as it can save you as much as 50% on shipping costs. Contents are limited to books, manuscripts, sound recordings, and certain other educational materials. Only these items may be mailed at the media mail prices. Media mail is a moneylosing proposition for the usps. Usps has an international delivery service to fit your needs.
However, i have twice heard post office clerks tell me that they have seen shipments of books to go via media mail in the back of the post office, that were not sent from the counter. The mail class is also known as book rate among book sellers. Oct 14, 2017 media mail is the perfect affordable option for sending books, cds, and dvds through the united states postal service. The benefit of using this service is costeffectiveness. The instagram book exchange sounds scammy, but users are. The prohibition against advertising was to prevent all new periodicals not just comics, but time, us, newsweek, etc, which are distributed via second class special commercial rates, from using the media mail service. Mar 19, 2020 media mail is addressed just as any other mail shipped with usps is. Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals and music. Cds, dvds, records, tapes, or other sound and video recordings. Users are actually sending each other booksand reclaiming the eversketchy genre of chain letters. Media mail is shipped at the same time rate as a parcel post. Media mail is a costeffective way to send media and educational materials.
Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music. This provides an economical way to ship books, cds, dvds, and lps. Shipping a coffee table book is a different proposition than sending a pocketsized manual. I make sure i list that it will be sent media mail though, so the buyer cant complain about the shipping time. Media mail is just thata class where you can ship many of your media items ex. If youre sending only one book, that is not a good idea because the minimum charge for m bag is for 11 pounds. Books at least 8 pages 16millimeter or narrower width films. Alternatively, you might want to check if such books are being sold by a different company in europe, etc. The pros and cons of using media mail vervante blog. Nov 30, 2017 media mail is a costeffective way to send materials such as books, cards, calendars, journals, dvds, and cds through the u.
Media mail is a shipping alternative offered by the u. A postal worker may reject the mail and return it to sender or ask for additional postage if the worker discovers that it is not really media. I had one idiotic seller send me a book via media mail. To keep everything from getting jumbled up, ive included either a bunchedup towel or canvas bags as filler material. Many other postal services also offer a discounted price for shipping books. The shipping container must weigh less than 70 lbs 32 kg to qualify for. If they are pornographic your recipient could get into a bit of a stew. Generally, media mail is the cheapest usps mail class for shipping heavy items up to 70 lbs. However, there are few restrictions on the type of mail items that can be shipped restrictions will be discussed later. According to usps, the following media are allowed to be shipped using media mail. For large books, wrapping in plastic provides excellent protection against water damage. If you have more than that, then priority mail international is your next option. You might want to use media mail if you sell books online or swap cds or dvds.
If you are sending multiple books, compare your media mail price with that of a flat rate box. And shipping all 20 volumes of the oxford english dictionary will require yet another approach. All the times vary, though, and if you are sending the package somewhere fairly close, then you will usually get it sooner. The book rate was mainly for books when it was first created, but if your intention is to send books to or from a library, then you should use the cheaper alternative known as library rate. Choose a shipping service based on postage rates, included tracking and insurance, delivery times, the records youd like to keep, and whether you would like to use free postal shipping envelopes and boxes. This means that the packages are shipped solely by trucks and may take 7 through 9 days to reach their destination. Postal service for any packages containing books, recordings, printed music and other types of media. Your options for media mail packaging include flat cardboard envelopes, padded envelopes and boxes. Those books can be sent under a cheaper rate known as the library rate. The united states postal service usps has a media mail rate. Apr 26, 2017 if you send books or cds through the mail as a textbook seller, artist or publisher, you ought to familiarize yourself with media mail, a service from the united states postal service. Available for sending small and large packages containing books, film, manuscripts, sound recordings, video tapes, and computer media such as cds, dvds, and diskettes only. If you send a book in a media mail envelope, you might put a cardboard insert on both sides of the book. It usually costs less than first class mail if you are sending large items.
Thats how i mail stuff like used dvds via ebay every time. May 22, 2007 now that im here, ive decided which books to keep and which to sell, but ive discovered the rather annoying fact that canada does not have an equivalent to the united states media mail postal rate. Is it possible to ship books via media mail from home. Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music. Media mail shipping is a costeffective way to send educational materials.
People who need to send media items can make use of this service. Media mail is provided by the united states postal service. And here is a recent change that effects media mailcookbookscook pamphlets can not go media mail. May 28, 2008 media mail is not just books its any form of media. In april of 2016 the usps actually lowered some prices shock. How nitpicky is the post office with regards to media mail. Media mail is a costeffective way to send non time sensitive media materials through the u. Enclosures in books mailed at media mail prices are subject to these additional standards. Media mail cant be used to send any media that contains advertisements. Understanding the media mail classification newsletter. The cost of sending media mail is determined by your packages weight.
When using a box to mail books, use an appropriate size and insert packing peanuts, bubble wrap or shipping paper to fill any leftover space. If i buy poly mailers and i have a book that i sold on ebay and i put it in a poly mailer. Software, magazines with ads, games and the like are generally not eligible for media mail although under certain circumstances may be eligible for library mail but that in itself is a category of mail that no one at the usps can fully agree with what is allowed and what isnt. Media mail is a costeffective way to send materials such as books, cards, calendars, journals, dvds, and cds through the u. When i emailed usps, they said i cannot use click n ship to ship books via media mail. I was promoting a great book and great author who had potential for national tv. Yes, you can ship comic books via media mail without anyone ever opening the package and confiscating them. Even though books are heavy and bulky, sending them long distance to friends as a gift, or to yourself when moving, does not have to be expensive. Usps medi mail is one such costeffective service which is used to send educational materials. I know that media mail is not a moneymaker for the post office, so they try hard to hide the. If also serving as an order form, the envelope or card may be in addition to the order form permitted by 4.
As mentioned earlier, materials like books, films, dvds, videotapes, recorded media, cds, music tracks, and other sound recording things are considered as media mail. While media mail service is designed to account for the weight of books and other educational material, sometimes its even cheaper to use priority mails flat rate packaging, especially if youre sending several items together, or unusually heavy books. Books at least 8 pages sound recordings and video recordings, such as cds and dvds. Either one envelope or one addressed postcard may be bound into the pages of a book. Now that im here, ive decided which books to keep and which to sell, but ive discovered the rather annoying fact that canada does not have an equivalent to the united states media mail postal rate. If a customer wants to send the materials like books, films, dvds, videotapes, recorded media, cds, music tracks, and other sound recording things, they can send it through the media mail. How does the post office confirm that media mail is actually media mail.
The united states postal service offers several options for sending packages through the mail. Shipments that qualify for media mail service include. Expected delivery time 721 days usually 3 weeks or more. I wont use media mail unless its an actual hardcoversoftcover book. Shipping books through media mail may not be the cheapest option if you are mailing the books to a public library. Books shipping as media mail may contain incidental book announcements. Although you wont pay as much to send these items via media mail, they can take longer to get to their. Postal service allows you to send books, dvds, cds, printed music, and sound recordings through media mail at a discounted rate. We had one professor or college student send multiple very large boxes and a large duffel bag almost like a hockey equipment bag as media mail. If its not imperative that your books arrive quickly, the cheapest way to mail books is by sending them media mail through the u. Media mail small and large packages and thick envelopes can be sent domestically using media mail. But, in order to avoid being charged with mail fraud, be sure you understand exactly what media mail is, and when you can and cannot use it. Sep 05, 2019 books shipping as media mail may contain incidental book announcements. Almost all comics contain advertising and therefore cannot be shipped media mail.
What is difference between book rate and media mail. Whats the best way to ship a vinyl record through the mail. The only comparable service to media mail for international shipping is an m bag. But you can ship marijuana, lsd, hollow point ammunition, live scorpions, and child pornography via media mail as well. Yepmagazines, catalogs, books, dvds, computer games, etc. Can you use usps media mail to mail books from us to. Usps do not offer media mail internationally, only for domestic postage. There are big books, small books, thin books, and thick books. Books, cds, dvds, cassettes,vinyl records and the like can be shipped media mail.
It is a costeffective way for those who sell these items online to ship them to buyers. Media mail was intended to be a cheap, slow shipping method to move educational material, not just books. A media contact will often react the same way, and be much more likely to take a look at what youve sent as opposed to regular mail. The media item can be anything like books, films, dvds, videotapes, recorded media, cds, music tracks, and other sound recording things. Usps media mail regulations comics general cgc comic. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be shipped.
Mar 04, 2010 one of the most important things is to not have any actual correspondence in it. Can i ship a book in a poly mailer and ship it via media mail. This is a lot cheaper than media mail and provided exclusively for libraries. Media mail service has special eligibility requirements for permissible contents. Media mail usps retail rate table shippingeasy support. Media mail usps retail rate table shippingeasy support center.
An expensive change at usps for ebay and online sellers. I once actually ended up doing my own test of this. It allows you to get a discounted postage rate on certain items. The shipping container must weigh less than 70 lbs 32 kg to qualify for media mail. Print the recipient address and the return address neatly and clearly with a pen.
How do you use the usps media mail shipping service. I have actually had mail arrive with postage due because of some seller sending me books via media mail. Media mail is a cost effective service for shipping books and education material. Media printed music, sound recordings, periodicals, cds, dvds, and books. Media mail is for shipping media items containing books, sound recordings, recorded video tapes, printed music, recorded computerreadable. First class mail international can weigh up to 4 pounds. This service has certain rules and restrictions, however, including a maximum weight of 70 pounds and can only contain educational media. Each box contains a hodgepodge of hardback and paperback books. Sound recordings and video recordings, such as cds and dvds. Items that contain advertising do not qualify for media mail. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be sent.
It is an affordable method to send these media materials to the desired destination. What are library mail service and media mail service. This rule is a little fuzzy, however, because incidental mentions of other media within a piece of media are considered okay, as long as it isnt a part of overt advertising for the purpose of selling the media mentioned. Using media mail is easy, but there are a few tricks and precautions that you should be aware of. You can not ship magazines, trading cards, or video games with media mail. Media mail is a lowcost mailing service offered by the united states postal service, or usps. Media mail is a costeffective way to ship heavier books. For each additional pound, add 52 cents to your total. However, in order to obtain media mail rates, the shipper must abide by several packaging rules. The cheapest postal rate is the media mail rate which may be used only for books, including graphic novels, trade paperbacks and hardbacks. You can also track the packages you sent thanks to the usps tracking system. Media mail is a lowcost method of sending various types of printed and recorded media such as pamphlets, tapes, dvds and books through the mail.