How to Measure Packages for Priority Mail Shipping

Measure your packages prior to mailing for proper postage application.

Package rates for United States Postal Service (USPS) are based on two determinants to apply postage for shipping your package; package weight and package size. Because of this, the USPS requires that you take careful measurements of your packages in order to apply the proper postage rates to them. The measurements are in cubic inches, and you can complete them using any measuring tape that's accurate to the inch.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Use a measuring tape to measure the length, width and height of your package. Round off the measurement to the inch.

2. Add the length and the girth of the package. The girth is the measurement around the package. This is the number used to determine postal rates for those packages sent using balloon rates, which are those with a result between 84 and 108 inches. Packages greater than 108 up to 130 inches must use oversized package rates.

3. Multiply the length, width and height to obtain the packages' dimension in cubic inches. This is used to determine the dimensional weight of your packages for postal rates using dimensional weights. Divide the result by 194 for cubic measurements over 1,728. Round the number up to the nearest whole number to get the dimensional weight in pounds used to price your package.

4. Determine the dimensional weight of non-rectangular packages by making your measurements using the widest distance along each size. For example, use the widest length point, width or height. Multiply these to get the cubic inch measurements and then multiply the cubic inch measurement by 0.785 to adjust for the irregular size. The result is used the same in determining weight as the results from the rectangular package measurements.

References

• United States Postal Service: Quick Service Guide 120
• Ship It APO: U.S. Postal Service Postal Rates

Resources

• United States Postal Service: Priority Mail