Is the Corsair the same as the USPS? (all you must know)
If you have a small business or just ship small to medium sized items, you may have heard of Pirate Ship. Pirate Ship offers USPS Priority Mail shipping at less than commercial cost with no monthly fees or markups.
But you might be wondering: Is the Corsair the same as the USPS? Is it just an offshoot of USPS, or is it a rebrand of the company’s Priority Mail service? Here’s what you need to know!
Is the Corsair the same as the USPS?
Pirate Ship differs from USPS because the former is its own business, offering cloud-based shipping software and even lower rates than Commercial Plus, likely through lower prices negotiated with the latter in 2022. Pirate Ship customers can gain access to shipping to USPS Cubic, ideal for smaller but heavier packages.
To learn more about whether the Pirate Ship is USPS approved, which boxes you can use on the Pirate Ship if the Pirate Ship pays the USPS, and more, go ahead!
Is the Corsair approved by the USPS?
Pirate Ship does not have the official stamp of approval from the US Postal Service.
But apparently, since the company has been in business since 2014, the USPS still endorses the company’s business model, otherwise Corsair wouldn’t be able to operate.
This is because the Pirate Ship ostensibly partnered with USPS to negotiate lower rates than those offered by USPS itself.
In return, USPS receives the high package volumes that Pirate Ship (and other similar carriers) can bring, thanks to its low rates and ease of use.
Does Corsair Pay USPS?
Somewhere, Pirate Ship, the freely available cloud-based shipping software, has to pay the USPS.
However, in order to be profitable, a company must be profitable at a price below the selling price of its services.
The company then charges its customers a slightly higher fee — which is still more affordable than USPS prices — and charges the difference.
Four Weeks MBA pointed out that the difference could be just a few cents, so they had to move a lot of package labels.
However, since the company was founded in 2014 and is still going strong today, Corsair has clearly found a business model that works.
What mode of transport does the pirate ship use?
Pirate Ship offers customers USPS Priority Mail, a fast and affordable method of shipping.
The company offers four sub-services under the Priority Mail umbrella, including Priority Mail Cubic, Weight-Based Priority Mail, Flat Rate and Regional Rates.
Again, the company’s Priority Mail shipping still includes tracking and insurance (although with Pirate Ship you get $100 worth of insurance, versus $50 for the Postal Service).
Delivery windows are one to three days, which makes it the second fastest shipping option offered by USPS (the fastest being Priority Mail Express).
Can you use USPS cases with Corsair?
You can definitely use a USPS box with the Pirate Ship, although the company recommends using your own box.
However, there are some mail classes that you must use USPS mailboxes – Priority Mail Flat Rate and Regional Rates.
If you use any of these shipping classes, you must get USPS boxes, which you can get for free at your local post office or online using the Postal Store.
(You also get free shipping when you order online; your local postman will pick them up at your front door.)
Does Corsair have priority mail?
Pirate Ship specializes in Priority Mail shipping for its customers, making it ideal for packages of all sizes and weights.
When combined length and girth, the maximum size is 108 inches and the maximum weight is 70 lbs. (Although Priority Mail Cubic has a maximum weight of 20 pounds).
Also, for flat rate and regional rate shipping, the maximum weight is 70 lbs, but the item being shipped must fit in one of the USPS boxes.
How does a pirate ship make money?
Since the transaction between Pirate Ship and USPS is private, we cannot know the exact details.
However, the 4-week MBA indicates that Pirate Ship has negotiated ultra-low rates with USPS, which receives a large number of packages in its system in return.
After that, Corsair charges the customer just a little more than the price it negotiated, and the difference goes into the vault.
Now, the 4-Week MBA is quick to point out that the difference could be just a few cents – so keeping a lot of packages is always a priority.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on Does USPS Ship to Singapore, Fastest USPS Shipping Methods, and USPS Shipping Limits.
in conclusion
Unlike the USPS, Pirate Ship is a cloud-based business and an independent agency of the federal government.
However, Corsair has struck a deal with the USPS that allows the company to offer priority mail shipping to customers at lower rates while still making money on its own.
