What is Area Box A of the USPS? (all you must know)
When you’re an e-commerce business owner, you know you have many options when it comes to shipping, many of which come from the U.S. Postal Service.
Well, USPS not only offers some of the best deals, but have you heard of regional shipping? There are two box types, A and B. What is area box A, you ask? Well, I have the information you need below, so keep reading!
What is Regional Box A for the 2022 USPS?
There are actually two regional rate bin A types, including side-loading, taller and thinner bins and top-loading, squat, regular rectangular bins for 2022. The weight limit per case is 15 lbs. Priority Mail Regional Postage Boxes are designed to provide an affordable shipping option for lighter packages over shorter distances.
To learn more about what Zone Box A is for, shipping costs, the difference between A and B, and even who can use Zone Rates, go ahead!
What is the purpose of area box A?
The Regional Rates and Regional Rate Boxes are for business and online customers who print labels at home or in the office (rather than getting them from the post office).
Regional Rate Boxes offer low cost zoned priority mail shipping and are available in Type A and Type B.
Type A is as follows:
- Side Mount: 11 1/16” x 2.5” x 13 1/16; These A-boxes are thinner and taller, perfect for calendars and large books.
- Top Load: 10 1/8” x 7 1/8” x 5”; These A boxes are shorter and lower, perfect for shoes or other boxed items.
Weight limit is 15 lbs, but for regional rate pricing, weight is not included in the price.
You may be able to find regional rate boxes at your local post office, but most locations have limited orders.
So your best bet is to use The Postal Store to order these boxes online. They’re completely free, or even available (your postman will bring them).
The only downside is that you have to order a pack of 10 or 25.
However, if you’re a business owner using regional shipping, there’s a good chance you’ll use the rest of the shipping at some point.
Also note that if you drop your package to the post office, there will be an additional fee. The fee is $2.25 for zones 1-4 and $1 for zones 5-9.
How much does it cost to ship Zone Box A?
The cost of shipping a Zone A box via USPS depends on where it goes (but luckily, not its weight, which can be as high as 15 lbs).
For Zones 1 and 2, Box A is just $8.38. District 3 is only $8.58, while District 4 is $8.88.
After Zone 4, prices go up a bit; Zone 5 is $9.55, Zone 6 is $11.55, Zone 7 is $12.32, Zone 8 is $13.54, and Zone 9 is $26.37.
As you can see, prices in zones 1-4 are concentrated under $9; after zone 4, you start to see pricing that looks more like regular Priority Mail.
What is the difference between Regional Rate Boxes A and B?
The difference between regional rate boxes A and B is the size, the weight that can be included, and the shipping price.
Zone Rate Box B is slightly larger and can hold up to 20 lbs. The weight, therefore, will be slightly more expensive to ship to most areas.
What does USPS Regional Box B mean?
USPS Regional Rate Box B has a maximum weight of 20 lbs. and comes in two sizes:
- Side Mount: 14 ½″ x 3″ x 16 ¼″; a taller, narrower box shaped like a calendar
- Top Load: 12 ¼″ x 10 1⁄2″ x 5 ½″; a shorter squatter, more like a regular rectangle
Zone Rate Box B starts at the same price as Box A, and Zones 1 and 2 are only $8.88.
Then it jumps a bit more than Box A; zone 3 is $9.37, zone 4 is $10.12, zone 5 is $12.47, zone 6 is $16.61, zone 7 is $19.59, zone 8 is $22.51 and zone 9 is $44.02.
Still, if you’re shipping an item at 20 lbs, and you’re looking at regular Priority Mail, local and zone 1 and 2 shipping is immediately $21.95.
So the heavier your item, the closer to 20 lbs, the more you save.
Can anyone use the USPS Regional Rate Box?
Anyone who prints labels online can use the USPS Regional Rate Box.
Regional shipping discounts are especially applicable to USPS customers (or their third-party users, such as Stamps.com customers) who do not go to the post office for shipping.
To learn more, you can also check out our posts on what FedEx’s package handler is, whether FedEx delivers to PO Boxes, and whether FedEx charges by weight or size.
in conclusion
Regional Rate Box A is a smaller group of boxes for regional rate shipping, an online-based flat-rate shipping category for short-distance, medium-weight packages.
If your item doesn’t fit in regional price box A, consider trying one of the regional price boxes, B, which is slightly larger and more expensive.
