201e Quick Service Guide

Physical Standards for Commercial Parcels

Overview

 

Parcel Dimensions
	Length Girth Length plus girth	The longest side of the parcel. Measurement around the thickest part. Cannot exceed 108 inches (Parcel Select cannot exceed 130 inches).

Measuring Length Plus Girth (201.7.0)

For parcels, length is the measurement of the longest dimension and girth is the distance around the thickest part (perpendicular to the length).

Except for Parcel Select, no commercial priced mailpiece may measure more than 108 inches in length and girth combined. Parcel Select pieces measuring over 108 inches but not more than 130 inches in combined length and girth are mailable at the applicable oversized price (253.1.0).

 

Length = 10 inches Girth (8 +5 + 8 + 5) = 26 inches Length + girth = 36 inches	Length = 20 inches Girth (6 + 6 + 6) = 18 inches Length + girth = 38 inches

The Postal Service classifies parcels as machinable parcels, irregular parcels, or nonmachinable parcels.

Machinable Parcels (201.7.5)

If you prepare your parcels so that they can be processed on Postal Service equipment, your mail is “machinable.” Machinable parcels must meet specific standards for size, shape, content, and weight.

Minimum weight: 6 ounces (3.5 ounces for parcels prepared under 201.7.5.2).

Maximum weight: 25 pounds. Lower weight limits apply to USPS Marketing Mail and Bound Printed Matter.

Dimensions:

• Minimum: 6 inches long, 3 inches high, and 1/4 inch thick. A mailpiece exactly 1/4 inch thick is subject to the 3-1/2 inch height minimum.
• Maximum: 22 inches long, 18 inches high, and 15 inches thick.

Soft goods wrapped in paper or plastic bags and printed matter are machinable only if all packaging standards in 601 are met.

 

Irregular Parcels (201.7.6)

Irregular parcels include parcels that do not meet the dimensional criteria of machinable parcels and other parcels that cannot be processed by parcel sorters, including:

• Rolls and tubes up to 26 inches long and merchandise samples not individually addressed.
• Unwrapped, paper-wrapped, or sleeve-wrapped articles that are not letter-size or flat-size (e.g., catalogs, directories).
• Articles enclosed in envelopes that are not letter-size, flat-size, or machinable parcels.



 

Nonmachinable Parcels (201.7.7)

Nonmachinable parcels exceed any of the maximum dimensions for machinable parcels. This category also includes certain high-density items, cartons containing more than 24 ounces of liquids in one or more glass containers, cartons containing 1 gallon or more of liquid in metal or plastic containers, and items in 201.7.7.

USPS Ground Advantage — Commercial (201.8.3)

Maximum weight: 70 pounds.

Maximum dimensions: 130 inches in length and girth combined.

See Quick Service Guide 280, USPS Ground Advantage — Commercial parcels

Bound Printed Matter (201.8.6)

Maximum weight: 15 pounds.

For additional information, see Quick Service Guide 260b, Bound Printed Matter Nonmachinable and Machinable Parcels.

Media Mail

Maximum weight: 70 pounds.

For machinable parcels, see Quick Service Guide 270b.

For preparation of irregular parcels, see 275.6.3.

Library Mail

Maximum weight: 70 pounds.

Barcode discount: available for machinable parcels (50-piece minimum), mailed at Basic prices.

For prices, eligibility, postage payment, and mail preparation, see Quick Service Guide 270b.

USPS Marketing Mail Parcels (201.8.4)

Maximum weight: less than 16 ounces.

Except for USPS Marketing Mail Marketing parcels mailed as product samples, parcels using detached address labels (DAL), parcels bearing simplified addresses, or parcels prepared under the exception in 3.4.2, all USPS Marketing Mail parcels, must bear the correct Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb). Parcels not meeting the requirements for use of Intelligent Mail package barcodes will be assessed a nonbarcoded fee.

See Quick Service Guides:

240h USPS Marketing Mail Machinable Parcels

240i USPS Marketing Mail Irregular Parcels

240j USPS Marketing Mail Carrier Route Irregular Parcels

Parcel Select (201.8.5)

Parcel Select Destination Entry packages are priced based on weight increment and the entry of each adddressed package.

Oversized Price: pieces measuring more than 108 inches in combined length and girth, but not more than 130 inches in combined length and girth, are mailable at the applicable Parcel Select oversized price.

 

Examples of Dimensional Weight and Oversized Price
Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage — Commercial, and Parcel Select Destination Entry Dimensional Weight for Rectangular-Shaped Parcels. For dimensional weight for nonrectangular shaped parcels, see 213.1.5.2, 223.1.5.2, 253.1.3.2, 283.1.4.2.		Dimensional Weight: Yes In this example the dimensional weight for a package is 51 pounds. Round off each measurement to the nearest whole number (length = 21, height = 20, and width = 20). Multiply length by height and then this total by width (21 x 20 x 20) = 8,400 cubic inches If more than 1,728 cubic inches, divide the result by 166 and round up to the next whole number to determine dimensional weight (8,400/166 = 50.60). Dimensional weight = 51 pounds.
Parcel Select Destination Entry and USPS Ground Advantage — Commercial Oversized Price If: Length plus girth combined is more than 108 but not more than 130 inches.		Oversized Price: Yes In this example, length and girth is 130 inches.