Even enterprise retailers such as Amazon and Walmart use the service. Today, USPS flat rate services address many ecommerce delivery problems and costs. More than a decade later, on November 20, 2004, the USPS released the Priority Mail flat-rate box. The postal service’s flat-rate offering began in February 1991 when it introduced the Priority Mail flat-rate envelope. Shoppers expect to place an order, obtain free shipping, and receive that order in about two days.įortunately for merchants, the USPS is a leader in flat-rate shipping services. Most online stores now offer free shipping - thank Amazon, L.L. Moreover, free and fast ecommerce delivery is ubiquitous.

A business must pay shipping and carrier fees, buy packing materials, and hire labor to pick and pack each order. Shipping can be a significant challenge for ecommerce merchants. For more than 20 years, the United States Postal Service has offered flat-rate boxes and envelopes that have helped online stores reduce shipping costs while improving shoppers’ buying experience.

Size of medium flat rate box usps