Media Mail Calculator
The cheapest way to ship books, CDs, DVDs and records. Enter the weight to see the Media Mail price (same to every zone) next to Ground Advantage and Priority Mail.
Your package
Packed weight
Weigh it sealed, with the mailer or box. Round up.
Box size
Outside dimensions in inches.
Find the zone from ZIP codes
Cheapest USPS label, zone 5
$5.13
USPS Media Mail · 2–8 days
USPS Media MailCheapest
Billed as 2 lb · same price to any zone · 2–8 days
Books and recorded media only; USPS can open it to check. No zones, but slow.
$5.13
USPS Ground Advantage Cubic
Cubic tier 0.20 · 2–5 days
Priced by size, not weight. Commercial only: sold through label services (PC Postage) that offer cubic.
$9.37
Zones 1–8: $7.82–$11.84
USPS Ground Advantage
Billed as 2 lb · 2–5 days
Includes tracking and $100 insurance.
$9.95
Zones 1–8: $7.99–$12.87
USPS Priority Mail
Billed as 2 lb · 2–3 days
Includes tracking and up to $100 insurance.
$13.17
Zones 1–8: $9.10–$16.37
USPS Priority Mail Cubic
Cubic tier 0.20 · 2–3 days
Priced by size, not weight. Commercial only: sold through label services (PC Postage) that offer cubic.
$13.17
Zones 1–8: $9.10–$16.37
Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box
Any weight, any zone · smallest box it fits · 2–3 days
Checked against USPS inside dimensions. Free boxes from USPS.
$21.17
Not available for this package (1)
- Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: Too big or too thick for a flat rate envelope.
USPS commercial prices from Notice 123, effective July 12, 2026. Your label service or marketplace may charge a little more or less.
See your profit with a $5.13 labelSelling on a marketplace with its own labels?
Poshmark, Mercari, Depop and Vinted issue their own prepaid labels, so you can’t pick USPS services there. Here’s what each one charges for this package, where they publish it.
Poshmark
$6.49
Standard label, up to 5 lb: buyer pays $6.49, you pay $0.00. USPS Ground Advantage, 2–5 days.
One flat USPS Ground Advantage label for up to 5 lb, any distance. Over 5 lb you buy a heavier-weight label: $5 more up to 10 lb, $10 more up to 15 lb.
Who pays: Buyer pays the $6.49 label; you pay any upgrade and any shipping discount you offer.
Mercari
Flat nationwide prices by weight class and carrier (USPS, UPS, FedEx). Packages up to 1 cu ft with no side over 22″ get the cheaper “Best rate”. Mercari changes label prices on October 19, 2026.
Who pays: You choose buyer-paid or seller-paid when you list.
Depop
Depop Shipping (US) uses USPS. You pick a parcel size when you list, and that sets what the buyer pays. Depop shows the price for each size in the listing flow.
Who pays: Buyer pays the price set by the parcel size you pick.
eBay
eBay labels are discounted USPS, UPS and FedEx rates that eBay doesn’t publish as a table. Use calculated shipping so the buyer pays by distance.
Who pays: You set the shipping charge (flat, calculated or free) and buy the label.
Etsy
Etsy Labels are discounted USPS, UPS and FedEx rates bought in your shop; Etsy shows the price when you buy.
Who pays: You set shipping prices (or calculated shipping) and buy the label.
Vinted
Vinted US ships with prepaid USPS labels (a QR code at the post office, or a home pick-up). The rate depends on package size and both locations, and the buyer sees it at checkout.
Who pays: Buyer pays shipping.
Media Mail prices (July 12, 2026)
One price per pound to anywhere in the US. Round any fraction of a pound up.
| Weight up to | Price (any zone) |
|---|---|
| 1 lb | $4.39 |
| 2 lb | $5.13 |
| 3 lb | $5.86 |
| 4 lb | $6.60 |
| 5 lb | $7.34 |
| Weight up to | Price (any zone) |
|---|---|
| 6 lb | $8.08 |
| 7 lb | $8.81 |
| 8 lb | $9.55 |
| 9 lb | $10.29 |
| 10 lb | $11.02 |
Up to 70 lb. Use the calculator for heavier packages.
What qualifies
Books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, vinyl records, cassettes, printed music, manuscripts and prerecorded computer media. Video games, magazines and anything with advertising go Ground Advantage. Mercari offers Media Mail labels for eligible categories too.
How to pay less for shipping
Stay under 1 lb when you can
Ground Advantage costs the same from 4 oz to 15.999 oz at commercial prices, then jumps at 1 lb and every pound after. Shave the extra bag or card that tips a package over.
Use the smallest mailer that closes
Cubic pricing charges by size. A heavy bundle in a snug 10×13 mailer can cost several dollars less than by weight.
Avoid boxes over 1 cubic foot
Past 1,728 in³ USPS bills dimensional weight (L × W × H ÷ 139). A sweater in a big box can bill at 15 lb.
Try a flat rate envelope for dense, heavy items going far
The $11.12 envelope ships any weight anywhere. It beats multi-pound Ground Advantage labels to zones 7–8.
Never buy at the counter
Post Office retail prices are higher than the commercial prices you get online ($7.90 vs $6.93 for the lightest zone 1 Ground Advantage label).
Keep it under 22″ long
Longer parcels pick up a $4.50+ nonstandard fee. Fold coats and long items to stay at or under 22″.
Does the sale still make money after shipping?
Put your label cost into the reseller profit calculator and see fees, payout and profit on 9 marketplaces side by side.
Open the profit calculatorShipping FAQ
How much is Media Mail in 2026?+
Media Mail is priced by the pound with no zones: $4.39 for 1 lb, $5.13 for 2 lb and $11.02 for 10 lb at the prices effective July 12, 2026. Any fraction of a pound rounds up.
What can I send by Media Mail?+
Books (8 pages or more, no advertising), sound and video recordings such as CDs, DVDs and vinyl, printed music, manuscripts, play scripts, printed educational charts and prerecorded computer media. Video games, computer drives, magazines and anything with advertising don’t qualify.
Is Media Mail always cheaper than Ground Advantage?+
For qualifying items it is almost always cheapest, especially heavy books going far. It is also the slowest: USPS quotes 2–8 days and doesn’t guarantee it. The calculator shows both so you can decide.
Can USPS open a Media Mail package?+
Yes. Media Mail isn’t sealed against inspection. If it contains things that don’t qualify, you or the buyer can be charged the difference at a higher price.
Print marketplace labels on a 4×6 thermal printer
Poshmark, Mercari, Depop and Vinted labels cropped to a clean 4×6, free.
Sources
USPS prices come straight from Notice 123 (effective July 12, 2026), checked September 2026. Marketplace label prices checked September 2026 against each marketplace's own pages.
- USPS Notice 123 — Price List (effective July 12, 2026)
- USPS DMM 283 — USPS Ground Advantage Commercial (weights, cubic, dimensional weight, fees)
- USPS DMM 223 — Priority Mail Commercial (cubic, flat rate, dimensional weight, fees)
- USPS DMM 173 — Media Mail (what qualifies)
- USPS — Mail & shipping services (delivery estimates)
- USPS — Domestic zone chart / zone for a ZIP pair
- Mercari: Shipping rates (Best vs Standard)
- Mercari: Shipping change announcements
- Mercari: Shipping labels, tracking and carrier options
- Prices are USPS commercial (online) prices. The Post Office counter charges more; marketplaces and label brokers with negotiated rates may charge less.
- Delivery times are USPS’s published estimates, not guarantees.
- Surcharges for rolls/tubes, cans and liquids, hazmat and live animals are not included.