Effective January 22, 2023 (and subject to approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission), Priority Mail® Regional Rate Boxes A and B will be discontinued, and the current pricing for these boxes will no longer be applicable. Customers with Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes A and B in their inventory can still use them for shipping, but they will be processed as weight and rate packages.
The United States Postal Service® introduced Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes A and B in 2011. They were created to combine the speed and convenience of Priority Mail and Priority Mail International® shipping with zone pricing to potentially reduce commercial customers’ shipping costs. These boxes are currently available on The Postal Store® website at usps.com, in packs of 10 and 25, with the following dimensions (L x W x H):
n Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A1 —
10-1/8” x 7–1/8” x 5”
n Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A2 —
13-1/16” x 11–1/16” x 2-1/2”
n Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B1 —
12-1/4” x 10-1/2” x 5-1/2”
n Priority Mail Regional Rate Box B2 —
15” x 12” x 3”
Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes A1 and A2 have a maximum weight requirement of 15 pounds for domestic shipping and 10 pounds for international shipping. Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes B1 and B2 have a maximum weight requirement of 20 pounds for both domestic and international shipping.
After conducting a Return on Investment analysis, the Postal Service™ decided to discontinue further production of these boxes as part of an effort to simplify the Priority Mail products offering. Customers who currently use these boxes are encouraged to place orders before supplies are depleted.
The recommended alternative to these boxes is Priority Mail Cubic. Priority Mail Cubic is a sub-service of Priority Mail in which the commercial customer ships using their own packaging and the pricing is based on the outer dimensions of the package rather than its weight. Additionally, this option offers similar cost savings. Priority Mail Cubic packages must:
n Measure 0.5 cubic feet or less;
n Weigh 20 pounds or less; and
n May not exceed 18 inches (at the longest dimension).
Priority Mail Cubic offers zone pricing with five price tiers up to 0.5 cubic feet (see pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm).
For questions about this change, send an email to expeditedpackaging@usps.gov.
— Shipping and Commerce Product Management,
Business Solutions, 12-15-22
