If you own an online store and send out more than 50,000 parcels annually, you should be aware of the Parcel Select Lightweight USPS service. Using this service may cut the cost of delivering your light items by half (those less than 1 lb).
In this guide, you’ll discover more information about Parcel Select Lightweight, including what it is, the sorts of postage costs you may anticipate if you use it, the time frame for this service’s delivery, and more.
What Is Parcel Select Lightweight?
Parcel Select Lightweight is a low-cost ground delivery service provided by the United States Postal Service for bulk shipments weighing less than 16 ounces (1 pound). Because it offers per-ounce prices, this service is less expensive than the per-pound package rates provided by Priority Mail, FedEx, or UPS ground services.
In 2022, delivery will take 2 to 9 business days. Continue reading this post to find out more details about Parcel Select Lightweight if you have any other inquiries!
What Does USPS Parcel Select Mean?
Let’s take a step back and examine the Parcel Select service in general before delving into the specifics of what USPS’s Parcel Select Lightweight service entails. Parcel Select is a low-cost ground delivery service provided by USPS for large quantities of goods entering the company’s delivery system, including items entering the system at designated facilities.
This service is primarily for and utilized by large and medium-sized package shippers (i.e., those shipping over 50,000 packages per year). Although this is not the only service available for bulk shipping, it is less expensive than other USPS offerings like Priority Mail.
This is because Parcel Select mailers pay postage proportional to the effort during the shipping process. Instead of delivering packages to a letter carrier or leaving them at the sorting office, Parcel Select mailers presort packages and drop ship items at a facility closer to the delivery point.
Parcel Select mailers presort packages and drop ship items at a destination facility near the delivery area rather than handing them off to a letter carrier or leaving them at the post office.
This entails moving Parcel Select items to a destination bulk mail center (DBMC), a destination delivery unit (DDU) for commercial and residential delivery. Or a destination sectional center facility (DSCF). Simply said, Parcel Select mailers do a large portion of USPS’s labor for them in exchange for a lower shipping cost.
What Does USPS Parcel Select Lightweight Mean?
Parcel Select Lightweight is one of the various options included in the Parcel Select service, targeted for lightweight items. The weight range for eligible packages is between 3.5 and 16 ounces (1 pound). Packages shipped using this service have to be presorted before they may arrive at one of these three places:
- Destination Network Distribution Center (DNDC),
- Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF),
- Or Destination Delivery Unit (DDU).
Size has no bearing on price; it is decided by the weight and distance of the mailpiece. Parcel Select Lightweight shipments are delivered within 48 states in 2 to 9 business days. Deliveries to Alaska and Hawaii, however, can take more time.
What is the Cost of Parcel Select Lightweight?
It’s impossible to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of Parcel Select Lightweight shipping without knowing the details of the packages you’re delivering. Several variables affect prices, including the following:
- Where you buy the service (it can only be bought from third parties like Stamps.com)
- Total weight of your shipments ( the closer the weight is to the 1-lb limit, the higher the cost)
- How frequently you send packages (the more frequently you ship, the better the pricing)
Despite this, Parcel Select Lightweight is considerably less expensive than comparable items provided by other shipping companies like UPS and FedEx. One key factor in this is that Parcel Select Lightweight charges by ounce, whereas other providers charge in pounds.
For instance, shipping costs for 1-lb parcels through USPS Priority Mail, UPS, and FedEx range from $5 to $7 and increase based on distance. On the other side, Parcel Select Lightweight shipments are less expensive, ranging from $1.38 to $3.20.
What Size Is Parcel Select Lightweight?
The maximum weight of a piece of mail sent through the Parcel Select Lightweight service is 16 ounces. The total length and girth cannot be larger than 108 inches.
It’s crucial to understand that size does not affect the cost because rates are determined by weight and trip distance. Because of this, shipments must be big enough to fit postage or any other shipping necessities.
How Long Does it Take for a Parcel Select Lightweight Package to Arrive?
Items mailed with the Parcel Select Lightweight service will arrive at addresses in the contiguous 48 states in 2 to 9 business days. If your shipment is being transported to or from Alaska, Hawaii, or a U.S. territory, Parcel Select delivery timeframes may be much longer (10 to 14 days).
Does the Post Office Sell Parcel Select Lightweight?
It is impossible to purchase the Parcel Select Lightweight service at the post office. Instead, you can only purchase it online from a PC postage vendor (such as Endicia.com) or another licensed USPS business partner.
Who Needs the Parcel Select Lightweight Service?
Parcel Select Lightweight is an excellent shipping solution for medium-sized to big businesses that send 50,000 or more light packages (weighing under one pound) annually. With the option to pay by the ounce rather than the pound, it’s an excellent substitute for shipping by USPS Priority Mail, UPS, or FedEx.
This price structure might result in up to a 50% discount over other comparable services. This option is for you if faster delivery dates are less critical than reduced freight prices. You may read our entries on how long USPS Parcel Select takes, whether or not you can reroute a USPS item, and what happens if a USPS parcel is stolen for additional information.
Final Thoughts
Parcel Select Lightweight is a USPS ground delivery service frequently utilized by businesses that need to transport packages in large quantities. Rates vary based on the provider, the weight of the items, and the frequency of shipping by the company.
