How Do Post Offices Work In The United States?
Mail: United States
The prices charged vary according to the size and weight of what you want to ship and the time you would like it to take to reach your destination. The USPS (United States Postal Service), one of the postal services in the United States, divides the shipping options into postcards , letters ( letters ), large envelopes ( large envelopes ), boxes ( packages ) and large boxes ( large packages ). A postcard costs US $ 1.05, while the price of sending letters and boxes, for example, will vary according to the weight, measured in pounds in the USA. You can USPS Schedule Pickup.
It is not necessary to know the exact weight of your delivery, as postal service offices have scales that will measure and calculate the exact price. But it’s nice to have a sense of converting from pounds to pounds to get an idea of how much you will need to spend (1 kg is equivalent to 2.204 lb). A large box is any one that contains a dimension (width, height or length) that exceeds 12 inches – or 30 centimeters.
To get a sense, a box considered large by the USPS of a maximum of 20 pounds (approximately 9 kg), will cost, more or less, U $ 60 to deliver; a small one is around U $ 16. Both will be delivered between six and 10 days as Priority Mail.
At the postal service agency, the employee will ask you to fill out a form that will also vary according to the size of your envelope or box. It will be necessary to inform the sender and recipient address, list each item contained in the package and the value of each one of them, to be stipulated the insurance price. Buying delivery insurance is not mandatory, but it is a good option if the value of the shipping item is high. Remember: the more expensive or heavy the content, the more expensive the insurance. In addition, you receive an identifier number so that you can track your delivery via the Correios website .
American postal services offices sell official envelopes and boxes that come in the right sizes and prices set by them. If you prefer to pack and prepare your own envelope / box, remember that the sender and the recipient are written differently from our Brazilian version. In the USA, both addresses must be written on the same side of the letter or box: sender in the upper left corner and recipient in the center.
Each company has different price, rules and delivery time. Check the official websites of the most well-known courier services in the USA:
