On January 17, 2008, the Postal Service™ announced two new shipping initiatives — a larger Priority Mail® Flat-Rate Box with new domestic and international pricing, including a military discount, and an Express Mail® Sunday/Holiday Delivery Premium. Both initiatives take effect March 3, 2008.
The new Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box enables customers to ship 50 percent more than the current box. The box may be used for either domestic or international shipments. The box is offered at a $2.00 discount if shipped to overseas military addresses — i.e., to Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office (APO/FPO) addresses.
Note: There are two versions of the flat-rate box: the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box and the APO/FPO Flat-Rate Box. Both are acceptable for domestic shipments, but it is intended that the APO/FPO Box be used for APO/FPO addresses. The APO/FPO Box should not be promoted for domestic use. It is not intended for international shipments.
The Postal Service will continue to offer its original Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes, which currently retail domestically for $8.95 and internationally for $23.00 to Canada and Mexico, and $37.00 to other countries.
The new Express Mail Sunday/Holiday Delivery Premium offers the option of Express Mail delivery on Sundays and federal holidays for an additional $12.50. A customer who wants a lower-cost alternative may choose to have the package delivered on the next business day at the regular Express Mail price.
The new mailing standards for the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box and the Express Mail Sunday/Holiday Delivery Premium will be incorporated as revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®). The complete text of the revisions is scheduled to be published in the February 28, 2008, edition of the Postal Bulletin.
