Can binders, loose-leaf pages or printouts go by Media Mail?
USPS's rules: Only if they form a book
Loose-leaf pages qualify if together they form a book, at least eight printed pages of reading matter with no ads, and they can ship in their binder or with it at Media Mail prices. A binder on its own doesn't qualify, and neither do transmittal, update or replacement pages, which pay another class's price for their weight. Medical loose-leaf pages and binders for doctors, hospitals, medical schools and medical students are a Media Mail item of their own.
Rates verified on
The rule, in USPS's words
Quoted from the official pages linked below each quote, checked Oct 19, 2026.
“Books are not required to be in bound form to qualify for the Media Mail prices.”
“Loose leaf pages that form a book may be enclosed in a binder or mailed with a binder at the Media Mail prices.”
“Transmittal pages, update pages, and replacement pages do not qualify for mailing as a book or supplement to a book at the Media Mail prices.”
“Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.”
“Handwritten or typewritten letters and other documents are mailable only at the First-Class, Priority Mail, or Priority Mail Express prices regardless of when they were produced.”
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 (if it qualifies) | 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 complete loose-leaf edition in its 3-ring binder, 4 lb: Media Mail, $6.60.
- Three empty binders, 2 lb: Ground Advantage, $8.39 to $13.42 online.
- A typed manuscript of a novel, 1 lb: manuscripts for books qualify (DMM 173.4.1f), $4.39.
Every weight from 1 to 70 lb: Media Mail rates · Ground Advantage rates
Edge cases
- A complete new edition that replaces an old one counts as a book: PS-010's example is a sixth edition shipped with instructions to discard the old pages.
- Photocopies and artwork that illustrate a manuscript go at Media Mail prices only with the manuscript, and a handwritten or typed transmittal letter or bill about the manuscript may ride with it (PS-018).
- Printouts that are neither a book nor a manuscript for a book, periodical or music aren't on the Media Mail list.
- Handwritten or typed letters and documents, however old, aren't a book: USPS requires First-Class Mail, Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express for them (PS-091), unless they're a manuscript for a book, periodical or music.
What to do
- Ship a full loose-leaf book in its binder by Media Mail.
- Ship empty binders and update packets by Ground Advantage, or a light update packet as a First-Class Mail large envelope.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-010: Loose Leaf Pages, Media Mail (updated January 2017)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 173: Media Mail and Library Mail prices and eligibility
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-091: Old Letters (updated January 2017)
- USPS Customer Support Ruling PS-018: Manuscripts (updated June 2014)
- 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.