Priority Mail Express

Business organizations are always looking for ways to reach out to the target audience before their competition. Being able to do so makes all the difference in the world. However, it is not easy to reach your customers without delays when using snail mail.

USPS’s Priority Mail Express service is one of the fastest ways for businesses to send postal mail to their customers and partners.

But, what is Priority Mail Express, and how fast can it deliver your business message?

Is it an affordable and practical business solution?

Is using Express service alone enough to beat your competition in the market?

Today, We will answer all these questions in this comprehensive guide for the USPS Priority Mail Express service.

What is Priority Mail Express?

Priority Mail Express is a unique postal service that individuals and businesses can access via the United States Postal Service or USPS. It is the best way for companies to send documents and parcels to their customers or partners overnight.

It is the only USPS mail service that guarantees fast delivery for your postal mail. It is the best choice for businesses that need a super-fast mail delivery for sending critical and time-sensitive business documents. Express service is available in 3 different options, and they are:

• Priority Mail Express 1 Day
• Priority Mail Express 2 Day
• Priority Mail Express International

1-Day Deliveries

Priority Mail Express 1-day guarantees overnight delivery for your postal mail. USPS’s robust postal service system makes it possible for them to deliver your mailers by 12 PM to 3 PM on the next day. If you want an even faster delivery, you can opt for an expedited delivery service.

Expedite delivery ensures the mail reaches the recipient by 10:30 AM on the next day, which is as fast as any mail delivery can get. However, it is worth noting that you need to pay an additional $5 fee for expedited delivery.

2-Day Deliveries

Priority Mail Express’s 2-day delivery guarantees the delivery of your postal mail by the second day. USPS usually provides the second-day delivery for ZIP Codes where the Priority Mail Express 1-day delivery is unavailable.

It could mean that the ZIP Code is not easily accessible by the USPS, and hence, they need more time. However, it still reaches its recipient by 12 PM or 3 PM on the second day. Similar to the 1-day express deliveries, you can get expedited delivery for an additional fee of $5.

International

USPS Priority Mail Express service is not just available for somatic postal mails inside the US. You can also access the Priority Mail International service from the USPS. It provides guaranteed express delivery to 190 countries in the world!

As you can imagine, international mail delivery takes more time than domestic. Hence, don’t expect an overnight delivery of your postal mail even if you use Priority Mail Express. However, USPS guarantees a 3-5 business days USPS express mail delivery time for your international mail.

There are several advantages of using Priority Mail Express for your business correspondence, and super fast delivery is only one of them. We have listed and explained some of the other advantages or benefits of using the Express service from USPS.

Weekend and Holiday Deliveries

One of the biggest flexes of USPS Priority Mail Express is that it delivers practically every day of the year. You can even ship your letters or parcels on Saturdays and Sundays. It also delivers your mail on public holidays.

Even most of the private carriers do not deliver on weekdays and holidays, which makes USPS the only sure-shot option for delivering urgent documents. Furthermore, finding a guaranteed next-day or 2-day delivery is virtually impossible unless you use USPS as your postal service provider.

PO Box Deliveries

Another unique advantage the USPS has over other postal service providers is the PO Box deliveries. Many businesses use a PO Box address for their direct mail communications. The only way to reach such an audience is through USPS.

PO Box deliveries are generally faster than regular home or office deliveries because the mailer doesn’t have to travel through a delivery route. Hence, a Priority Mail Express may reach the destination even faster than the standard Priority Mail delivery.

Money-Back Guarantee

One thing that truly sets apart the USPS Priority Mail Express service from other similar services is the money-back guarantee. It is improbable that USPS can not deliver on time unless the mailing address you provided is an invalid one.

However, nothing is perfect, and there is a chance that USPS might fail to deliver your mails despite it having a valid address. In such cases, the USPS provides a money-back guarantee, and you can get a full refund for the delivery.

Priority Mail Express Delivery Time

As per USPS, all mailers are delivered by 6 PM. It means that you can expect your delivery to reach its recipients by six in the evening, whether it is an overnight delivery or a 2-day delivery.

However, USPS makes the delivery often happen anywhere between 12 PM to 3 PM. If you are willing to pay an additional $5, you can have your domestic express mail expedited and delivered before 10:30 AM.

The cost of availing Priority Mail Express service from the USPS can vary depending on mainly two factors:

• Package/Mailer Weight
• Delivery Destination

The heavier your mailer or package, the more you will have to pay for sending it via USPS Priority Mail Express. However, it is not always the case because there are three different methods to determine the service fee.

Following are the three different ways to find the shipping cost for sending postal mail via Priority Mail Express:

1. Weight And Zone

For many deliveries, the shipping rate is based on the weight of the mailer and its shipping zone. It means that you may have to pay a higher mailing fee if your package is on the heavy side and also if the destination is far away.

Additionally, It is worth noting that the higher-numbered ZIP zones in the US are further away from the USPS. Hence, you will have to pay a higher shipping cost for addresses belonging to these higher ZIP Codes. When it comes to the weight of the package, it is rounded up to the next pound.

You should also know that there is a maximum weight limit for Priority Mail Express. The maximum permissible weight for an express mail package is 70 pounds. It is best to use this method for determining the shipping rates for smaller items traveling shorter distances.

2. Dimensional Weight

Dimensional weight is merely a reference to the weight or size of your postal mail package. It means that the USPS can decide the shipping fee based on either the weight of the box or its size. The USPS will pick whichever has the higher value.

Suppose the shipping fee based on the weight of a Priority Mail Express package is $31. But the shipping cost based on the size of the box is $30. In this case, USPS will only consider the weight of the package for your shipping cost because it costs more. Such a method is ideal for compact packages.

3. Flat Rate

The more popular choice for Priority Mail Express shipping fee calculation is the flat rate for sending heavy packages. It lets you send all your domestic shipments at a flat rate.

As you can guess, there is a weight limit to the Priority Mail Express Flat Rate product. You must ensure that your packages don’t exceed the 70 pounds weight limit. USPS asks whether you want to ship by weight or Flat Rate every time you create a USPS overnight shipment.

It is worth noting that the flat rate is the economical option for sending heavy packages as it usually offers relatively lower shipping fees.

Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelopes

USPS also offers Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelopes to its customers. It is an easy and convenient way for businesses to send their urgent communications via mail. The envelope comes in different sizes, allowing you to choose the best one for your specific needs.

There are three Priority Express envelopes you can choose from, and they are:

• Flat Rate Envelope
• Legal Flat Rate Envelope
• Padded Flat Rate Envelope

This envelope cost can range from $23.50 to $27.50, depending on where you buy it.

Many businesses and individuals often confuse Priority Mail service and Priority Mail Express service with each other. Some people think that both are the same service, which can lead to a lot of unnecessary confusion.

Below, we discuss the significant differences and similarities between a Priority Mail service and a Priority Mail Express service.

Delivery Time

The most crucial difference between Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express service is the delivery time. USPS usually takes around one to three days to deliver Priority Mail. Furthermore, there is a chance that the delivery can be delayed.

On the other hand, Priority Mail Express delivers your postal mail within two days. And unlike regular Priority Mail, there is no chance for a delay in delivery for Express mail. Therefore, if you want to send a time-sensitive document, it is always best to go for Priority Mail Express over regular Priority Mail.

Pricing

Another significant difference is their pricing. USPS Priority Mail Express tends to be three times more expensive than regular Priority Mail. It can be a dealbreaker for many business organizations, especially if they regularly send bulk mail.

Most companies that cannot afford or don’t want to use the Express Mail service use Priority Mail or First Class Mail. However, to minimize the delivery delays, they employ an automated direct mail solution like PostGrid.

Using an automated system like PostGrid enables businesses to optimize their direct mail process. The time required for personalizing, printing, and delivering the mail when you employ an automated solution is minimal. Furthermore, you can even schedule when to send your direct mail to ensure it reaches the recipient on time.

Insurance

As we have mentioned, Priority Mail Express comes with robust insurance protection for your postal mailers. The insurance protects you from any damages caused to the items inside the mailer. It also covers the loss or theft of your mail.

Luckily, both Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express offer insurance to the sender without any additional costs. However, insurance is more likely to be helpful for a mailer if the item contains a valuable item rather than documents.

For example, suppose you are an eCommerce business owner and want to send products via either of the two Priority Mail services. In that case, the insurance can be beneficial to you.

Package Tracking

Another advantage of using the Priority service from the USPS is the package tracking feature. Whether you are sending a business mail or a personal one, you will always want to track your mail and know if it got delivered or not.

Like the insurance feature, package tracking is also available for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express services. Hence, if you are looking for an affordable USPS mailing service with relatively fast shipping and tracking features, you can go with Priority Mail.

But, if you want the mailer to reach its destination ASAP and don’t mind the additional expense, Priority Mail Express is the choice for you.

Weekend and Holiday Deliveries

Priority Mail Express again gets the upper hand when it comes to weekend and holiday deliveries of your postal mail. With the Express option, you get 365 days of delivery for your postal mail regardless of a holiday or a weekend.

You can not get the same delivery flexibility for any other USPS delivery options, including Priority Mail. Even most private carriers can offer a 365-day delivery option. Hence, whenever an urgent mail requirement comes up, the Priority Mail Express is the best option for businesses.

However, suppose you know when the recipient needs to receive the mail. In that case, you can use an automated direct mail system to schedule your mail delivery. By planning your postal mail delivery ahead of time using a system like PostGrid, you can factor in the holidays and weekends.

Hence, you can ensure the timely delivery of your mailer at all times without using the expensive Express option.

International Shipping

You can send international mail through Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express services. A weight-based shipping option and a Flat Rate envelope option are available for your international mail. These two options are available for both Priority services from the USPS.

As you can guess, sending an international mail via either of the Priority services, costs more than their domestic rates. However, Priority Mail Express is obviously the more costly option, and it offers a delivery period of 3 to 5 days.

USPS offers a unique service that allows businesses to use its Priority Mail Express service more economically. Companies can use the Priority Mail Express Open & Distribute or PMEOD for delivering at a discounted price.

PMEOD enables businesses to expedite bulk mail transportation. The bulk mail of companies that use the PMEOD service is shipped in an approved USPS container. An authorized location receives these containers, from where the USPS opens the container before they deliver them.

The service gives businesses commercial rates for their Priority Mail Express mailings. As a result, companies can save a considerable sum of money on their direct mail operations. Furthermore, the mailings also have unique barcodes labels, allowing you to easily track the shipments.

The USPS Priority Mail Express is all about speed of delivery and saving valuable time. Businesses often have to send time-sensitive mail to their customers, and Priority Mail Express is ideal for this. It guarantees fast delivery of your direct mail and comes equipped with insurance and tracking capability.

However, you need a more holistic solution that optimizes every aspect of your postal mail delivery to speed up your direct mail process. Using the Express delivery service can only speed up your mail delivery.

You need an automated direct mail system like PostGrid to streamline the other process involved in direct mail. PostGrid can personalize, print, and deliver your postal mail via USPS. As the entire process is automated, there is no scope for error. It significantly speeds up the mail delivery process.

Hence, you need a system like PostGrid to speed up your direct mail process significantly.