Can you send Media Mail to an APO, FPO or DPO address?
USPS's rules: Yes, with a customs form
Yes. APO, FPO and DPO addresses are domestic mail, so Media Mail costs the same as anywhere in the US: $4.39 up to 1 lb, $5.13 up to 2 lb and $7.34 up to 5 lb. The package needs a computer-generated customs form if it weighs 16 oz or more or contains goods, and if it carries a customs form and is paid with stamps only, it has to go over a Post Office counter. Some APO and FPO destinations have lower size and weight limits, and mail to military or State Department retirees (Box R) is limited to 16 oz.
Rates verified on
The rule, in USPS's words
Quoted from the official pages linked below each quote, checked Oct 19, 2026.
“Domestic mail is mail transmitted within, among, and between the United States of America, its territories and possessions, Army Post Offices (APOs), Fleet Post Offices (FPOs), Diplomatic Post Offices (DPO)”
“The mailpiece weighs 16 ounces or more (regardless of its contents, value, shape, or mail class).”
“Lower size and weight standards than provided under 3.2 may apply to Library Mail and Media Mail addressed to certain APOs and FPOs”
“PAL is available for USPS Ground Advantage – Retail, USPS Ground Advantage – Commercial, Package Services, or Parcel Select pieces that do not exceed 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined”
What it costs to ship
Media Mail costs the same to every US address, with a 1 lb minimum ($4.39) and any fraction of a pound rounded up. Ground Advantage, USPS's ground package service with tracking included, is priced by weight and zone: online is USPS's commercial price for labels bought online, and the counter price is retail.
| Package | Media Mail | Ground Advantage online, Zones 1-9 | Ground Advantage at the counter, Zones 1-9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $4.39 | $8.01 to $11.22 | $10.05 to $13.65 |
| 2 lb | $5.13 | $8.39 to $13.42 | $11.30 to $19.80 |
| 5 lb | $7.34 | $10.35 to $20.24 | $13.75 to $27.45 |
Worked examples
- A 2 lb box of books to an APO AE address: Media Mail, $5.13, with a customs form because it's over 16 oz.
- Parcel Airlift (PAL) moves it by air on a space-available basis for a fee on top: $1.45 up to 2 lb, $2.45 up to 3 lb, $3.30 up to 4 lb and $4.30 up to 30 lb. Mark the parcel "PAL" in large letters on the address side (DMM 703.2.10.6).
- A 5 lb box by Media Mail with PAL: $11.64.
Every weight from 1 to 70 lb: Media Mail rates · Ground Advantage rates
Edge cases
- Don't add a foreign city or country: an address showing them is charged international prices (DMM 703.2.3.2).
- A package with a customs form must be handed to a counter clerk if it's paid with stamps only or its customs form is handwritten or not computer-generated (DMM 703.2.5.2).
- Box R retiree addresses take only 16 oz (DMM 703.2.2.2).
What to do
- Buy the label from a service that generates the customs form, or fill out the form at the counter.
- Use the APO, FPO or DPO address exactly as given, with AA, AE or AP and the ZIP Code.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 608: domestic mail, territories and customs forms
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 703: military mail and mixed classes
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 101: physical standards (size and weight limits, large envelopes)
- USPS Notice 123: price list (effective Oct 4, 2026), Media Mail and Ground Advantage prices
- USPS: temporary price change for 2026 holiday shipping (Aug 25, 2026)
Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices
What each platform takes from a $10, $25 and $50 sale, Media Mail 1-10 lb, Ground Advantage to Zones 1, 5 and 8, and the Forever stamp, on one printable page. The link appears as soon as you sign up.