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How to ship to the United Kingdom with USPS as a reseller

A small package of goods to the United Kingdom, up to 4 lb and $400, goes by First-Class Package International Service: $21.95 for up to 8 oz with a label from a USPS-approved PC Postage provider, or $23.05 at the Post Office or through Click-N-Ship. From 49 oz, a Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelope costs less if the item fits: $50.58 online, against $53.43 by First-Class Package International, though USPS offers no tracking on Flat Rate Envelopes. Heavier or pricier packages go by Priority Mail International, up to 66 lb, from $67.44 for 1 lb online, and every package of goods needs an electronic customs form with a 6-digit HS code for each item. The country's own rules to watch: no knives, aerosols or soiled clothes; VAT rules under £135.

Rules quoted from the United Kingdom's Individual Country Listing in USPS's International Mail Manual, read Oct 19, 2026. Prices from Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026; package prices are unchanged since the Jan 18, 2026 edition. The listing covers England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and the Isle of Man.

Rates verified on

First-Class Package International, up to 8 oz, online
$21.95
Priority Mail International, 1 lb, online
$67.44
Heaviest package (Priority Mail International)
66 lb
Prepaid duties (USPS DDP)
Optional

What you can and can't send to the United Kingdom

Goods on a country's prohibited list can't be mailed there, and a country can return or seize mail that breaks its rules even if USPS never published them (IMM 131.32-131.33). Here is what the United Kingdom's listing says about the goods resellers ship most, quoted from it, next to USPS's rule for every country where there is one. Other items on the United Kingdom's lists include ammunition, live animals, asbestos, clinical waste, dies for copying stamps, ice, prison-made goods, human remains and preserved animal parts, illegal lottery tickets, radioactive material, soil, stun guns and household waste; bees, insects, plants, medicines and vaccines have conditions.

Books, magazines and other printed matter

  • “Indecent and obscene prints, paintings, books, cards, lithographs, and other engravings, films, video tapes, or any other indecent or obscene articles.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Every country: USPS treats books as goods, not documents: they need a customs form with a value (IMM 123.623). There is no Media Mail abroad: USPS's five international mail categories don't include it (IMM 141.1), so books pay the same package prices as other goods. Airmail M-bags, a sack of printed matter to one address, are open to the United Kingdom (IMM 261.21).

CDs, DVDs, records and film

The United Kingdom's rule for these is under books, magazines and other printed matter.

Every country: CDs, DVDs and other recorded or blank media always need a customs form and a value; USPS never counts them as documents (IMM 123.622-123.623).

Clothing, shoes, leather and fur

  • “Soiled clothes and rags.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Used and secondhand goods

The United Kingdom's rule for these is under clothing, shoes, leather and fur.

Every country: Used, damaged or defective electronics with lithium batteries can't be mailed abroad; the manual exempts only devices new in their original packaging and manufacturer-certified new or refurbished ones (IMM 135.62).

Cosmetics, perfume and aerosols

  • “Aerosols.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Every country: USPS lists aerosols, nail polish, perfumes containing alcohol and hemp-based (CBD) products among items that can't be sent to any country (USPS international restrictions). Dangerous goods, such as flammable materials and compressed gases, are banned in all international mail (IMM 136.1).

Electronics and batteries

  • “Lead acid batteries (e.g., car batteries) and sealed lead acid batteries.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Every country: Only new lithium batteries installed in the device they run, at most four cells or two batteries per package and 100 Wh per lithium-ion battery; no spare batteries, and no used, damaged or defective devices with lithium batteries unless manufacturer-certified refurbished. The outside of the package must not carry lithium battery marks or labels (IMM 135.62-135.64).

Jewelry, watches, coins and precious metals

  • “Coins; platinum, gold, or silver (manufactured or not); precious stones; jewels; and other valuable articles.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Every country: Valuables can't go by Priority Mail Express International; inexpensive costume jewelry with little precious metal ships like any other merchandise, and USPS says it “is accepted to countries that prohibit jewelry, but only at the sender’s risk” (IMM 134.2).

Toys, games and playing cards

  • “Christmas crackers (holiday popper).” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Also under knives, replica weapons and toy guns.

Antiques, art, stamps and collectibles

  • “Counterfeit currency, bank notes, and postage stamps.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Knives, replica weapons and toy guns

  • “Arms and parts of arms, or any component classified as munitions of war; imitations and antiques; paint-ball or toy guns; taser guns; air rifles, air pistols, components of firearms, and all other items similar to or resembling the foregoing.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)
  • “Bladed articles (as defined by the Criminal Justice Act 1988) and bladed products (as defined by the Offensive Weapons Act 2019).” The examples that follow run from kitchen and bread knives, box cutters and scissors with sharp edges to razors, axes and replica or antique knives. (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Every country: USPS says some knives and sharp instruments may be mailed to certain countries, under the conditions in each country's listing (IMM 137). Inert or replica grenades and military ordnance are banned to every country (IMM 136.2).

Brand-name, copyrighted and origin-marked goods

  • “Articles, goods infringing British trademarks or copyright laws.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

Every country: Counterfeit or pirated goods are prohibited to every country (IMM 136.3).

Home goods, instruments and baby items

The United Kingdom's rule for these is under knives, replica weapons and toy guns.

Food, supplements, medicines and health items

  • “Frozen food.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)
  • “Medicines classified as flammable or toxic.” (IMM United Kingdom listing, Prohibitions)

USPS says the burden is on the mailer to follow every country's rules, whatever a USPS employee says (IMM 131.4). The full lists: United Kingdom in the IMM.

USPS services to the United Kingdom and their limits

From the United Kingdom's IMM listing (weight, size, insurance, M-bags, DDP) and Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026 (price groups). Global Express Guaranteed has been suspended since Sep 29, 2024.
ServicePrice groupWeight limitSize limitGood to know
First-Class Package International Service 20 4 lb 24 in. long; length + height + thickness 36 in. Value up to $400. Free electronic delivery confirmation to this country (IMM 252.22). No insurance. Customs form: PS Form 2976.
Priority Mail International 20 66 lb; Flat Rate Envelope and Small Box 4 lb, Medium and Large Box 20 lb 60 in. long; length + girth 108 in. 6-10 business days to many major markets (USPS). Tracking included, except on Flat Rate Envelopes and Small Flat Rate Boxes (USPS). Insurance: $200 included for merchandise; no extra coverage can be bought for the United Kingdom. Customs form: PS Form 2976-A.
Priority Mail Express International 20 66 lb 36 in. long; length + girth 79 in. Serves all points in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and the Isle of Man. Money-back guarantee suspended (USPS service alerts). No coins, jewelry, watches or other valuables. Customs form: PS Form 2976-B.
First-Class Mail International 5 3.5 oz letters; 15.994 oz large envelopes Letter and flat sizes Documents and correspondence only: no merchandise of any kind (IMM 242.2).
Airmail M-bag 5 44 lb One sack Printed matter (books, magazines, catalogs) to one address; $133.43 up to 11 lb, then $12.13 a lb.
  • Online prices need PC Postage. Commercial Base prices are for labels from a USPS-approved PC Postage product, “with the exception of Click-N-Ship service”, so Click-N-Ship labels pay the retail price for Priority Mail International and First-Class Package International alike (IMM 233.231, 252.25, 253.231).
  • Valuables: coins, precious metals, jewelry and watches can't go by Priority Mail Express International, and Registered Mail isn't offered for First-Class Package International Service or Priority Mail International (IMM 134, 332). The United Kingdom's own rule is under jewelry above.
  • Service alerts: USPS's international service alerts (updated Oct 2, 2026, checked Oct 19, 2026) don't list the United Kingdom among the 13 destinations where mail acceptance is suspended. The same page says that, effective Oct 25, 2021, “due to airline travel restrictions and cancellations,” USPS suspended the Priority Mail Express International guarantee to Great Britain (the alert's name for it). Check it before a big shipment.

USPS prices to the United Kingdom

"Online" is USPS's Commercial Base price, for labels from a USPS-approved PC Postage provider. "Post Office" is the retail price, which Click-N-Ship also charges: USPS lists retail Flat Rate prices “at Post Office & Online” (USPS, IMM 233.231). Commercial Plus prices are the same as Commercial Base in this edition. First-Class Package International weights round up to the next ounce (IMM 253.12), so an 8.2 oz package pays the 9-16 oz price.

First-Class Package International Service, price group 20. Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026. Online saves $1.10 to $10.82.
WeightPost OfficeOnline
1-8 oz$23.05$21.95
9-16 oz$31.95$30.34
17-32 oz (up to 2 lb)$35.70$33.98
33-48 oz (up to 3 lb)$49.25$46.33
49-64 oz (up to 4 lb)$64.25$53.43
Priority Mail International by weight, price group 20, weight not over. Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026.
WeightPost OfficeOnline
1 lb$69.70$67.44
2 lb$76.90$74.42
3 lb$82.15$79.51
4 lb$88.45$85.57
5 lb$94.45$91.37
10 lb$118.40$114.55
20 lb$177.50$171.74
30 lb$222.55$215.35
44 lb$277.15$268.17
66 lb$386.90$374.35
Priority Mail International Flat Rate, Flat Rate price group 5. USPS's own Flat Rate packaging only; every envelope or box named in a row costs the same, and USPS suggests the padded envelope for clothing, books and boxed jewelry (USPS). Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026.
PackagingUp toPost OfficeOnline
Flat Rate Envelope: regular, padded, legal, window or small4 lb$52.30$50.58
Small Flat Rate Box (also the DVD and Large Video boxes)4 lb$54.00$52.27
Medium Flat Rate Box (top- or side-loading)20 lb$95.95$92.83
Large Flat Rate Box (also the Board Game box)20 lb$108.85$105.85

Three packages, priced

  • A paperback in a padded mailer, 14 oz: First-Class Package International Service $30.34; Priority Mail International by weight (1 lb) $67.44; Priority Mail International Padded Flat Rate Envelope $50.58. Cheapest: First-Class Package International Service, $30.34 online.
  • Jeans and a sweater, 2 lb 8 oz: First-Class Package International Service $46.33; Priority Mail International by weight (3 lb) $79.51; Priority Mail International Medium Flat Rate Box $92.83. Cheapest: First-Class Package International Service, $46.33, as long as the value is $400 or less.
  • Six hardcovers, 9 lb: too heavy for First-Class Package International. Priority Mail International by weight (9 lb) $108.68; Priority Mail International Medium Flat Rate Box (if they fit) $92.83; Airmail M-bag (printed matter only, priced from 11 lb) (Post Office counter) $133.43. Cheapest: Priority Mail International Medium Flat Rate Box, $92.83.

Online prices, except the M-bag. Selling platforms and label services can charge their own rates. Domestic rates: postage calculator.

Customs form, HS codes and value

  • Which form: PS Form 2976 for First-Class Package International Service (up to $400), PS Form 2976-A in a 2976-E envelope for Priority Mail International, PS Form 2976-B for Priority Mail Express International. All must be printed electronically, by your label software, Click-N-Ship, Customs Form Online or the Post Office counter; hand-filled forms with a barcode are obsolete (IMM 123.11, 123.61).
  • What goes on it: full names and addresses, the category (gift, merchandise and so on), a detailed description with quantity, net weight and value for each item, and “the 6-digit WCO HS code for each item in the package unless otherwise specified in the individual country listing” (IMM 123.711). USPS's example: “Men's cotton shirts”, not “Clothes” (USPS).
  • Books and media count as goods: books, periodicals, CDs and DVDs need a form and a value even though they're printed or recorded (IMM 123.623).
  • Export filing: enter “NOEEI 30.37(a)” when each class of goods is worth $2,500 or less (IMM 526.2).
  • The United Kingdom's listing: “Many types of merchandise, unless sent as unsolicited gifts, require import licenses that the addressees must obtain from the British Board of Trade. Before mailing commercial shipments, senders should be assured that the addressees can obtain licenses if needed.”
  • The United Kingdom's listing: “Postal packages without a customs declaration that contain goods liable to customs duty or control may be seized by the customs authorities.”
  • The United Kingdom's listing: “Both the addressee’s telephone number (preferably mobile) and email address.” Royal Mail asks for this on the customs form, if available, along with the importer's tax ID.

Duties, taxes and fees: who pays

It depends on the value. For goods worth £135 or less, VAT has to be collected when the item is sold, by the online marketplace that handled the sale or by the overseas seller registered with HM Revenue and Customs; the UK's listing says it won't accept such an item otherwise. Above £135, duty and VAT are due on import, and the buyer pays them plus a clearance fee unless you prepay with USPS Delivered Duty Paid, which covers items worth 135 to 900 GBP sent by Priority Mail International or Priority Mail Express International.

You can prepay them with USPS Delivered Duty Paid. The United Kingdom's listing, under Delivered Duty Paid:

  • “Except as provided below and in 362, available only for dutiable items valued between 135–900 GBP sent via Priority Mail Express International or Priority Mail International.”
  • “Service is NOT available for items:” “Destined to Guernsey, Isle of Man, and Jersey.” “Not declared as Sales of Goods.” “Valued below 135 GBP, such threshold may be updated from time to time.” “Valued above 900 GBP, such threshold may be updated from time to time.”

Where to buy it: USPS sells Delivered Duty Paid only at a Post Office counter, in Click-N-Ship, through USPS APIs or in its Global Shipping Software (IMM 362), and the counter and Click-N-Ship charge the retail price: $69.70 instead of $67.44 for 1 lb by Priority Mail International (IMM 233.231). A PC Postage provider or marketplace “may choose to use alternative solutions, other than USPS DDP service” (IMM 362), so if you want to prepay the duties, check that yours can before you buy a cheaper online label.

If you opt in, USPS says the duties, taxes, fees “and a third-party service fee will be added to the cost of postage” (USPS).

Without prepayment, USPS's manual says: “The duties, taxes, import fees, and other charges, if applicable, are not included in the postage paid by the mailer,” and most countries charge the recipient a customs clearance and delivery fee on top (IMM 131.34, as revised Oct 19, 2026). Apart from Delivered Duty Paid and the invoices below, USPS doesn't give out information on what other countries charge (IMM 131.34).

If the charges go unpaid: since Oct 19, 2026, when duties, taxes or import fees on your package haven't been paid in full and the customs authority, postal operator or broker in the United Kingdom seeks them from you or USPS, “the Postal Service (or its representative) will send an invoice to the mailer for such amounts” (IMM 424.1). You have to pay the whole invoice by its due date “even if the mailer disputes the assessment,” whether the package was delivered, lost, damaged or returned, and anything not paid by the invoice's due date draws interest at 6% a year (IMM 424.2, 424.4). A challenge to the amount goes to the party that set it, not to USPS (IMM 424.5). USPS made these changes in an interim final rule effective Oct 19, 2026 (Federal Register, 91 FR 66000); its online manual, dated Sep 7, 2026, didn't show them yet when we checked on Oct 19, 2026. More: when USPS bills the sender for unpaid duties.

  • The United Kingdom's listing: “All goods sent to the UK are liable to customs duty and Value Added Tax on importation whether or not the package is marked as a ‘gift.’”
  • The United Kingdom's listing: “for all goods sent to the UK not exceeding £135 in value, the UK will not accept for importation an item that has not had the value-added tax (VAT) collected at the time of sale, before importation.”
  • The United Kingdom's listing: “Online marketplaces that facilitate the sale of goods will be responsible for collecting and accounting for the VAT.”
  • The United Kingdom's listing: “For goods sent from overseas and sold directly to UK consumers, the overseas seller will be required to register and account for the VAT to HM Revenue and Customs.”
  • The United Kingdom's listing: “charges a single-import customs clearance fee of 12 pounds sterling (GBP) for all low-value parcels subject to customs charges that it delivers” That is Parcelforce Worldwide, part of Royal Mail Group, since Nov 5, 2018; above 873 GBP the fee is 25 GBP.

HM Revenue & Customs: “The £135 limit applies to the value of a total consignment that is imported, not the separate value of individual items that are in a consignment.” HMRC values a consignment at the price the goods were sold for, without transport or insurance costs unless they are included in the price and not shown separately on the invoice. It also says the old import VAT relief for goods worth £15 or less is gone, and that these rules don't cover non-commercial goods such as gifts. The same page warns: “If a seller makes changes to the value of the consignment so that its total value goes above £135 they may be liable for import VAT and Customs Duty”. (HM Revenue & Customs: VAT and overseas goods sold directly to customers in the UK, last updated May 13, 2022, read Oct 19, 2026)

General information from USPS's manual and the official pages quoted, not tax or customs advice. Whether you have to register for the United Kingdom's VAT, GST or a similar tax is a question for a tax professional.

Questions

What's the cheapest way to ship a package to the United Kingdom with USPS?

For a light package, First-Class Package International Service (up to 4 lb and $400 in value): $21.95 for up to 8 oz with a label from a USPS-approved PC Postage provider, or $23.05 at the Post Office or through Click-N-Ship, which charges the retail price (IMM 252.25). From 49 oz, a Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelope costs less if the item fits: $50.58 online, against $53.43 by First-Class Package International, though USPS offers no tracking on Flat Rate Envelopes. Heavier or more valuable packages go by Priority Mail International, from $67.44 for 1 lb online (Notice 123).

Can I ship books to the United Kingdom?

Yes, but check this entry in the United Kingdom's listing. Prohibited: “Indecent and obscene prints, paintings, books, cards, lithographs, and other engravings, films, video tapes, or any other indecent or obscene articles.” Books need a customs form with a value (IMM 123.623). For 11 lb or more of books to one address, an Airmail M-bag starts at $133.43 plus $12.13 a pound over 11 lb (Notice 123).

Can I ship used clothing to the United Kingdom?

Yes, but check this entry in the United Kingdom's listing first. Prohibited: “Soiled clothes and rags.” Describe each piece on the customs form (USPS's example: “Men's cotton shirts”, not “Clothes”) (USPS customs forms).

Can I ship electronics with lithium batteries to the United Kingdom?

Only within USPS's limits: new batteries installed in the device, at most four cells or two batteries per package, 100 Wh per battery for lithium-ion, and no used, damaged or defective devices with lithium batteries unless manufacturer-certified refurbished (IMM 135.62-135.64). The United Kingdom's listing adds: Prohibited: “Lead acid batteries (e.g., car batteries) and sealed lead acid batteries.”

Who pays duties and taxes on a package to the United Kingdom?

It depends on the value. For goods worth £135 or less, VAT has to be collected when the item is sold, by the online marketplace that handled the sale or by the overseas seller registered with HM Revenue and Customs; the UK's listing says it won't accept such an item otherwise. Above £135, duty and VAT are due on import, and the buyer pays them plus a clearance fee unless you prepay with USPS Delivered Duty Paid, which covers items worth 135 to 900 GBP sent by Priority Mail International or Priority Mail Express International. The listing's exact words are quoted under duties and taxes above (IMM United Kingdom listing). If the charges go unpaid and the destination seeks them from you or USPS, USPS will invoice you, and you have to pay it by its due date even if you dispute the amount (IMM 424, effective Oct 19, 2026).

Does postage count toward the UK's £135 VAT limit?

Not when it's shown separately. HMRC values a consignment at the price the goods were sold for, leaving out transport and insurance unless they are built into the price and not shown separately on the invoice, and the £135 limit is for the whole consignment, not each item in it. So two £80 items packed together are a £160 consignment, which falls under the normal import rules, with VAT collected at the border. HMRC warns that a seller who changes a consignment's value so that it goes above £135 may owe import VAT and Customs Duty and have to adjust the VAT already charged at the sale. (HM Revenue & Customs, IMM United Kingdom listing)

Do I need an HS code to ship to the United Kingdom?

Yes. Every customs form needs at least the 6-digit HS code for each item unless the country listing says otherwise (IMM 123.711). With USPS's own tools (Click-N-Ship, Customs Forms Online or Global Shipping Software) you can skip the lookup: give a specific description, such as “Men's cotton shirts” instead of “Clothes”, and USPS assigns the code (USPS customs forms). Whatever tool picks the code, “the mailer remains solely responsible” for it being right (IMM 537.4).

Can I mail a trading card or other small item I sold to the United Kingdom in a letter?

No. First-Class Mail International takes only correspondence and documents: “No merchandise, whether dutiable or nondutiable, may be mailed using First-Class Mail International service” (IMM 242.2). The lowest-priced USPS service for goods is First-Class Package International Service, $21.95 online for up to 8 oz, with a customs form; the package has to be at least 6 inches long and 4 inches high (IMM 251.22).

Sources

Rates verified on from each official page below.

Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices

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