WASHINGTON — Expanding on the success of its line of Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, the U.S. Postal Service has introduced the first Express Mail Flat Rate Box.

Ideal for consumers and small businesses selling merchandise online, the Postal Service’s Express Mail Flat Rate Box takes the guess work out of shipping, providing overnight delivery — up to 70 pounds — almost anywhere in the country for $39.95.

“With the Express Mail Flat Rate Box, there’s no need to use a zone chart to calculate prices. If it fits, it ships,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “The Express Mail Flat Rate Box offers convenience, ease of use, free packaging and a flat-out value price.”

Express Mail Flat Rate Boxes also can be used for international shipments with a maximum weight of 20 pounds. The boxes are priced at $59.95 to Canada and $74.95 for all other countries that accept Express Mail International.

The Express Mail Flat Rate Box rounds out the Express Mail Flat Rate product line, which includes an Express Mail Flat Rate Envelope and an Express Mail Flat Rate Legal Envelope, both retailing for $18.95.

The same size as the medium Priority Mail Flat Rate Box, the Express Mail Flat Rate Box is available in a top-loading or side-loading design. The boxes can be ordered online at usps.com  and also are available at select Post Offices.

Express Mail service offers a money-back guarantee (some restrictions apply) and overnight delivery to most U.S. addresses, including PO Boxes. Express Mail is delivered 365 days a year with no Saturday delivery charges, residential surcharges or fuel surcharges. Sunday and holiday delivery is available to many ZIP codes for a modest premium.

Free Package Pickup and delivery status information using the Track & Confirm tool are available at no cost when shipping online at usps.com.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance, out of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

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