Except under 233.12 and 233.13, Priority Mail International shipments are charged postage for each addressed piece according to its weight and zone. See the Individual Country Listings for countries that offer Priority Mail International service.
The Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box are charged at a flat rate. The price does not depend on the weight of the item, but the weight cannot exceed the 4-pound weight limit. Postage is required for each piece (see Exhibit 233.12). A domestic Priority Mail flat-rate envelope with prepaid postage may also be used for a Priority Mail International item provided that appropriate additional postage is added before mailing.
Exhibit 233.12
Priority Mail International Flat-Rate Envelope and Small Flat-Rate Box
The Priority Mail International regular/medium and large flat-rate boxes are charged at a flat rate. The price does not depend on the weight of the item, but the weight cannot exceed the 20-pound weight limit. Postage is required for each piece (see Exhibit 233.13).
Exhibit 233.13
Priority Mail International Regular/Medium and Large Flat-Rate Boxes
Prices for parcels not using flat-rate packaging vary by weight and country price group. See the Individual Country Listings.
Priority Mail International items may be paid with postage stamps, postage validation imprinter (PVI) labels, postage meter stamps, information-based indicia (IBI), PC Postage service, or permit imprint.
Payment for Priority Mail International items paid with permit imprint through an advance deposit account is allowed only when guidelines for commercial base price incentives (see 233.222) are followed. Postage paid with a permit imprint is subject to the general conditions in 152.4, and DMM 604 and 705.
233.222 Permit Imprint — Commercial Base Prices
Priority Mail International commercial base postage prices are 5 percent below retail prices for all postage paid with a permit imprint. The commercial base price incentive applies only to the postage portion of Priority Mail International prices. It does not apply to any other charges or fees, such as Pickup on Demand service, additional merchandise insurance coverage, or shipments made under a customized agreement.
To receive this commercial base price incentive, customers must meet the following requirements:
- Use USPS-produced Global Shipping Software (GSS). (To request information about GSS, send an e-mail to GSSHelp@usps.gov.)
- Pay for postage with a permit imprint through an advance deposit account.
Customers who are capable, on an annualized basis, of using Priority Mail International service to tender at least 2,500 pieces or pay at least $50,000 in international postage should contact the Postal Service to discuss customized agreements (see 297).
For selected destination countries, Priority Mail International items receive a 5-percent incentive below retail prices for the following online shipping methods:
- Click-N-Ship service.
- An authorized PC Postage vendor.
- An information-based indicia (IBI) postage meter used by the end-user customer, provided the meter electronically transmits customs data to the Postal Service.
The commercial base price is automatically applied to each shipment. The incentive applies only to the postage portion of the Priority Mail International price. It does not apply to any other charges or fees, such as Pickup on Demand service, insurance fees, or shipments made under a customized agreement.
For each addressed mailpiece, compute the online postage price as follows:
- Find the retail price by weight and price group of the country in the Individual Country Listings.
- Multiply the retail price by 5 percent to obtain the discount amount.
- Subtract the discount amount (without rounding off) from the retail price, and then round off the result as explained in 152.32.
Priority Mail International shipments that are entered by federal agencies and departments are subject to the same standards under 230 as Priority Mail International shipments that are entered by nongovernmental entities.
Priority Mail International shipments that are entered by U.S. Postal Service entities are subject to the same standards under 230 as Priority Mail International shipments that are entered by nongovernmental entities, except that U.S. Postal Service mailings must bear the G-10 permit indicia that are prescribed for all Postal Service official mail. See 142.2.
