--- title: "How much to ship a 12 oz package with USPS (2026 prices)" description: "A 12 oz package costs $7.33-$8.95 by USPS Ground Advantage online and $10.05-$13.65 at the Post Office, Zones 1-9 (holiday prices). Media Mail: $4.39." canonical: https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/12-oz/ last_updated: 2026-10-19 publisher: "The Reseller Index" --- # How much does it cost to ship a 12 oz package with USPS? **A 12 oz package costs $7.33 to $8.95 by USPS Ground Advantage with a label bought online** (USPS's commercial prices) and $10.05 to $13.65 at the Post Office counter, depending on the zone. Zone 1 is the cheapest and Zones 8 and 9 the most expensive. If it's books, CDs or DVDs, Media Mail costs **$4.39** to any zone. At USPS's prices it costs exactly the same as a 15.999 oz package, online and at the counter. **Temporary holiday prices.** The Ground Advantage prices on this page are USPS's holiday prices, in effect from 12 a.m. CT Oct 4, 2026 to 12 a.m. CT Jan 17, 2027. Media Mail isn't part of the holiday increase. [What they add at 12 oz](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/12-oz/#holiday-h) Rates verified on Oct 19, 2026 - **Ground Advantage online, Zone 4 (up to about 600 mi)** $7.86 - **Post Office counter, Zone 4** $11.10 - **Media Mail, any zone (books and media only)** $4.39 - **Buying the label online saves** $2.72-$4.70 ## USPS Ground Advantage at 12 oz, every zone Online is USPS's commercial price (Click-N-Ship and label services); the Post Office price is retail. Zones: [what each zone covers](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost-by-weight/#zone-h) ([DMM 608.9](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/608.htm)). *USD, weight not over 12 oz. USPS Notice 123, effective Oct 4, 2026, holiday prices in effect to 12 a.m. CT Jan 17, 2027. Zone distances: DMM 608.9. Priority Mail: commercial price at this weight. Selling platforms and label services can have their own rates.* | Zone | Distance | Post Office (retail) | Online (commercial) | Online saves | Priority Mail online | | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | Zone 1 | up to 50 mi | $10.05 | $7.33 | $2.72 (27%) | $9.44 | | Zone 2 | up to about 150 mi | $10.45 | $7.34 | $3.11 (30%) | $9.72 | | Zone 3 | up to about 300 mi | $10.70 | $7.70 | $3.00 (28%) | $10.11 | | Zone 4 | up to about 600 mi | $11.10 | $7.86 | $3.24 (29%) | $10.80 | | Zone 5 | up to about 1,000 mi | $11.70 | $8.24 | $3.46 (30%) | $13.82 | | Zone 6 | up to about 1,400 mi | $12.10 | $8.41 | $3.69 (30%) | $15.32 | | Zone 7 | up to about 1,800 mi | $12.70 | $8.62 | $4.08 (32%) | $15.93 | | Zone 8 | over 1,800 mi | $13.65 | $8.95 | $4.70 (34%) | $16.07 | | Zone 9 | Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Is. | $13.65 | $8.95 | $4.70 (34%) | $33.33 | | Media Mail | any zone | $4.39 (same online and at the counter) | | n/a | | - The biggest step between neighboring zones online is Zone 4 to Zone 5 (past about 600 miles): +$0.38. At the Post Office it's Zone 7 to Zone 8 (past about 1,800 miles): +$0.95. - No Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope or box beats Ground Advantage online at 12 oz in any zone; Priority Mail by weight costs $2.11 to $24.38 more. - Zone 9 (Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands) costs the same as Zone 8 at this weight. [Check 12 oz for your zone in the postage calculator](https://resellerindex.com/calculators/postage/?lb=0&oz=12) USPS's [zone chart tool](https://postcalc.usps.com/DomesticZoneChart) gives the zone between two ZIP Codes. ## Which packages pay the 12 oz price - Under 1 lb, USPS prices Ground Advantage in ounce steps and rounds up, so anything over 8 oz up to 12 oz pays the 12 oz price: an 8.1 oz package costs the same as a 12 oz one ([DMM 283.1.1](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/283.htm)). - A package over 12 oz up to 15.999 oz costs exactly the same, online and at the Post Office. - An 8 oz package costs the same online and $1.65 to $3.45 less at the Post Office. - Online, USPS charges one price for every weight up to 15.999 oz ($7.33 to $8.95, Zones 1-9). At the Post Office the price steps up after 8 oz. A 12 oz package already pays the same counter price as 1 lb. ## Cheaper ways to ship 12 oz - **Flat and flexible? Send it as a large envelope.** Up to 13 oz, First-Class Mail takes large envelopes (flats) up to 15 x 12 x 3/4 in. ([DMM 101.2.1](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/101.htm)) for $4.02 to $4.93 in stamps at 9 to 12 oz, less than $7.33 for the cheapest Ground Advantage label. USPS charges parcel prices for a large envelope that is rigid, nonrectangular or not uniformly thick ([Notice 123](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm)), so a boxed item or a lumpy mailer doesn't qualify. [Large envelope prices by the ounce](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-stamp-prices/#flat-h) - **Priority Mail costs more here.** At 12 oz, a Priority Mail label online is $2.11 to $24.38 more than Ground Advantage online, depending on the zone; none of the Flat Rate envelopes or boxes beats Ground Advantage at this weight. You pay that for 2-3 day delivery. - **Media Mail, if it qualifies:** $4.39 to any zone, $2.94 to $4.56 less than an online Ground Advantage label. Media Mail has a 1 lb minimum, so a 12 oz package pays the 1 lb price. Only books (at least 8 pages), CDs, DVDs and the other media on USPS's list qualify, not video games ([USPS](https://www.usps.com/ship/mail-shipping-services.htm); [what qualifies](https://resellerindex.com/usps/media-mail/)). Guides: [books](https://resellerindex.com/guides/cheapest-way-to-ship-books/) · [video games](https://resellerindex.com/guides/how-to-ship-video-games/). - **Buy the label online:** $2.72 to $4.70 less than the counter at this weight (27% to 34%), the most in Zones 8 and 9. - **Watch the box size.** A box bigger than 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches; a 12 x 12 x 12 in. box is exactly 1 cubic foot) is billed at the greater of its actual weight and its dimensional weight: length x width x height, each side rounded up to the inch, divided by 139 and rounded up ([DMM 283.1.4](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/283.htm)). Any box over 1 cubic foot bills as at least 13 lb. A 12 oz package in a 13 x 13 x 13 in. box bills as 16 lb: $18.99 online to Zone 4 instead of $7.86. On top: $4.50 over 22 in. long, $10.00 over 30 in., $21.00 over 2 cubic feet, and the oversized price over 108 in. in length plus girth ([all fees](https://resellerindex.com/rates/ground-advantage/#fees-h)). ## Holiday prices until Jan 17, 2027 Every Ground Advantage price above includes USPS's temporary holiday add-on, from 12 a.m. CT Oct 4, 2026 to 12 a.m. CT Jan 17, 2027 ([USPS, announced Aug 25, 2026](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0825-usps-announces-temporary-price-change-for-2026-holiday-shipping-season.htm)). At 12 oz, in USPS's 0-3 lb band, it adds $0.40 online and $0.50 at the Post Office in Zones 1-4, and $0.55 and $0.75 in Zones 5-9. Media Mail is not affected. *Before: USPS Notice 123 of [Jul 12, 2026](https://pe.usps.com/Archive/NHTML/DMMArchive20260712/Notice123.htm), in effect until Oct 3, 2026 (today's price minus the holiday add-on, which matches that edition). Now: [Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm).* | Zone | Online, before | Online, now | Post Office, before | Post Office, now | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | Zone 1 | $6.93 | $7.33 | $9.55 | $10.05 | | Zone 2 | $6.94 | $7.34 | $9.95 | $10.45 | | Zone 3 | $7.30 | $7.70 | $10.20 | $10.70 | | Zone 4 | $7.46 | $7.86 | $10.60 | $11.10 | | Zone 5 | $7.69 | $8.24 | $10.95 | $11.70 | | Zone 6 | $7.86 | $8.41 | $11.35 | $12.10 | | Zone 7 | $8.07 | $8.62 | $11.95 | $12.70 | | Zone 8 | $8.40 | $8.95 | $12.90 | $13.65 | | Zone 9 | $8.40 | $8.95 | $12.90 | $13.65 | On Jan 17, 2027 the holiday add-on ends, and so does USPS's 8% time-limited increase, in place since Apr 26, 2026 ([tracker entry](https://resellerindex.com/changes/usps/2026-04-26-usps-time-limited-8-percent/)). USPS's Governors ordered prices "rolled back to approved levels" then (Governors' Decisions [26-1](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/30/2026-06025/change-in-rates-of-general-applicability-for-competitive-products) and [26-7](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/28/2026-17640/change-in-rates-of-general-applicability-for-competitive-products)). What that means for these prices: [questions below](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/12-oz/#faq-h) · [what's known about 2027 prices](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-price-change-2027/) · [USPS holiday prices in detail](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-holiday-2026/) ## Questions ### How much does it cost to ship a 12 oz package? By USPS Ground Advantage, $7.33 to $8.95 with a label bought online (USPS's commercial prices) and $10.05 to $13.65 at the Post Office, depending on the zone. These are USPS's temporary holiday prices, in effect until Jan 17, 2027. To Zone 4 (up to about 600 miles) it's $7.86 online and $11.10 at the counter. Books, CDs and DVDs can go by Media Mail for $4.39 ([USPS Notice 123](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm)). ### What is the cheapest way to ship a 12 oz package? If it's books, CDs, DVDs or other media on USPS's list, Media Mail: $4.39 to any zone, in 2-8 days against 2-5 for Ground Advantage ([USPS](https://www.usps.com/ship/mail-shipping-services.htm)). Otherwise, at published online prices: an online Ground Advantage label, from $7.33 in Zone 1 to $8.95 in Zones 8 and 9. A flat, flexible item can go First-Class Mail as a large envelope for $4.02 to $4.93. Keep the box at 1 cubic foot or less: a bigger box is billed as at least 13 lb. ### Why does a 12 oz package cost the same as a 15.999 oz one? USPS charges the same price for both ([Notice 123](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm) lists them as separate rows with equal prices). At the Post Office, 12 oz and 15.999 oz share a price ($10.05 to $13.65 by zone), and online every weight up to 15.999 oz pays one price ($7.33 to $8.95), since USPS dropped the ounce steps from its commercial prices on Jul 12, 2026 ([tracker entry](https://resellerindex.com/changes/usps/2026-07-12-usps-commercial-ground-advantage-ounce-tiers/)). So you can pack up to 15.999 oz for the same postage. ### Will a 12 oz package cost less after Jan 17, 2027? The holiday add-on ends at 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027. At 12 oz it is $0.40 online and $0.50 at the Post Office in Zones 1-4, and $0.55 and $0.75 in Zones 5-9 ([USPS](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0825-usps-announces-temporary-price-change-for-2026-holiday-shipping-season.htm)). Before it started on Oct 4, 2026, the same package cost $6.93 to $8.40 online. USPS's 8% time-limited increase ends the same day. USPS's Governors ordered both temporary increases "rolled back to approved levels" at 12 a.m. on Jan 17, 2027 (Governors' Decisions [26-1](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/30/2026-06025/change-in-rates-of-general-applicability-for-competitive-products) and [26-7](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/28/2026-17640/change-in-rates-of-general-applicability-for-competitive-products)); the restored prices apply "unless the Governors take further action to adjust prices." USPS filed those prices with the Postal Regulatory Commission (Dockets [CP2026-4](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/31/2026-06162/competitive-postal-products) and [CP2026-10](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/31/2026-17656/competitive-postal-products)), but they aren't in a Notice 123 price list yet, so this page shows no price from Jan 17, 2027, and the earlier prices above aren't a forecast. ### Can a 12 oz item go First-Class Mail instead? Yes, if it's flat and flexible enough to mail as a large envelope: up to 15 x 12 x 3/4 in. ([DMM 101.2.1](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/101.htm)) and 13 oz. First-Class Mail large envelopes cost $4.02 to $4.93 in stamps at 9 to 12 oz ([Notice 123](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm)), against $7.33 or more for Ground Advantage online. A rigid, nonrectangular or lumpy envelope pays parcel prices instead. ## Shipping cost at other weights - [8 oz](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/8-oz/) - 12 oz - [1 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/1-lb/) - [2 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/2-lb/) - [3 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/3-lb/) - [4 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/4-lb/) - [5 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/5-lb/) - [6 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/6-lb/) - [7 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/7-lb/) - [8 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/8-lb/) - [10 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/10-lb/) - [15 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/15-lb/) - [20 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/20-lb/) - [25 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/25-lb/) - [30 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/30-lb/) - [40 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/40-lb/) - [50 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/50-lb/) - [70 lb](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost/70-lb/) Every weight on one page: [USPS shipping cost by weight](https://resellerindex.com/rates/usps-shipping-cost-by-weight/) · full tables: [Ground Advantage rates](https://resellerindex.com/rates/ground-advantage/), [Media Mail rates](https://resellerindex.com/rates/media-mail/), [Priority Mail prices](https://resellerindex.com/rates/priority-mail/) ## Sources Rates verified on Oct 19, 2026 from each official page below. - [USPS Notice 123 (effective Oct 4, 2026)](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm) - [Postal Explorer archive: Notice 123, July 12, 2026](https://pe.usps.com/Archive/NHTML/DMMArchive20260712/Notice123.htm) - [USPS: temporary price change for 2026 holiday shipping (Aug 25, 2026)](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0825-usps-announces-temporary-price-change-for-2026-holiday-shipping-season.htm) - [USPS: transportation-related time-limited price change (Mar 25, 2026)](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0325-usps-announces-transportation-related-time-limited-price-change.pdf) - [USPS Domestic Mail Manual 283: Ground Advantage commercial (weight steps, cubic prices, dimensional weight)](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/283.htm) - [USPS Domestic Mail Manual 173: Media Mail (priced per pound, 1 lb minimum)](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/173.htm) - [USPS Domestic Mail Manual 608.9: postal zones](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/608.htm) - [USPS: Mail and shipping services (Media Mail and Ground Advantage rules)](https://www.usps.com/ship/mail-shipping-services.htm) - [USPS Domestic Mail Manual 101.2.1: large envelope (flat) size limits](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/101.htm) - [Governors' Decision No. 26-1 (8% time-limited increase): prices "rolled back to approved levels" on Jan 17, 2027 (Federal Register)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/30/2026-06025/change-in-rates-of-general-applicability-for-competitive-products) - [PRC Order No. 9490, Docket No. CP2026-4 (Federal Register)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/31/2026-06162/competitive-postal-products) - [Governors' Decision No. 26-7 (holiday prices): prices "rolled back to approved levels" on Jan 17, 2027 (Federal Register)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/28/2026-17640/change-in-rates-of-general-applicability-for-competitive-products) - [PRC Order No. 9703, Docket No. CP2026-10 (Federal Register)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/31/2026-17656/competitive-postal-products) Subscribe: https://resellerindex.com/subscribe/ Pricing postage into every listing? 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