Everything below happens at home except the final hand-off, and even that can be a drop box on the way to work.
The six steps
- Pack for a rough ride. Sturdy box, cushioning on every side of the contents, nothing rattling when you shake it. Reused cartons are fine per usps.com, checked 2026-07-27, provided old logos, barcodes and addresses are covered or blacked out, and USPS asks for 2-inch-wide packing tape on all seams rather than string or twine, which jams sorting machines.
- Get the numbers, or skip them. A kitchen scale and a tape measure give you packed weight and three dimensions. Without either, type what the item is into the calculator and it estimates the packed box for you; the no-scale walkthrough shows that whole path.
- Write both addresses correctly. Recipient with apartment or unit number and ZIP, plus your return address. Our addressing guide covers formats, and a label bought online prints both addresses for you anyway.
- Pick a speed you can defend. Ground tiers cover most gifts and sales; two-to-three-day services exist for deadlines. The table below shows how the trade priced on a real day.
- Buy the label before leaving the house. Online checkout compares carriers, takes payment as a guest and produces a print-ready label with tracking attached. Counter buying surrenders both the comparison and, usually, the better rate tier.
- Hand it over and keep the receipt view open. Drop boxes take small parcels, staffed locations take everything, and the first scan starts the tracking history your recipient can watch.
What a first package costs: 2 lb, two routes, 2026-07-27
A 12 × 10 × 6 in box at 2 lb, the sweater-and-a-book weight class, quoted through the SMKlog calculator on 2026-07-27 along a short lane and a coast-to-coast one. Totals are complete; the checkout adds nothing after these.
Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303
| Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | $8.48 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS Ground Saver | $10.52 | 4 days quoted |
| UPS Ground | $11.07 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx Ground Economy | $12.42 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS 3 Day Select | $16.37 | 3-4 business days |
Los Angeles, CA 90011 to New York, NY 10001
| Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | $11.04 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS Ground Saver | $13.29 | 6 days quoted |
| UPS Ground | $13.69 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS 3 Day Select | $17.96 | 3-4 business days |
| USPS Priority Mail | $22.34 | 2-3 business days |
Two lessons hide in these rows. Crossing the whole country moved the cheapest row surprisingly little, far less than first-time shippers tend to fear. And speed has a price curve, not a single price: the western lane offered 2-3 business days for roughly double its slowest row, with tiers in between. Deeper carrier detail lives in the USPS walkthrough and the UPS walkthrough.
Size is billed, not just weight
Per pe.usps.com, checked 2026-07-27, parcels over one cubic foot are charged on actual or dimensional weight, whichever is greater, with dimensional weight computed from length times width times height divided by 139. Snug boxes dodge the whole mechanism.
Some contents change the rules
Lithium batteries, perfume, aerosols and their cousins ship under restrictions or not at all. Skim our shipping restrictions page before packing anything with a plug, a pump or a flame near it.
Tracking is not an add-on
Every label sold through the calculator carries its tracking number from the moment of purchase. Share it with the recipient and both ends of the shipment watch the same scan history.
First-package questions
What do I actually need to ship a package?
A protective box, the recipient’s full address, your return address, and a paid label. Weight and dimensions help but are optional here, since the calculator can estimate the packed box from a plain description of the item.
How much does it cost to ship a normal small box?
Our 2 lb reference box labeled for $8.48 from Newark to Atlanta and $11.04 from Los Angeles to New York on 2026-07-27, both USPS Ground Advantage, both full checkout totals. Heavier boxes and faster services climb from there.
How long will my package take to arrive?
The 2026-07-27 quotes on this page ranged from 3-4 business days on UPS 3 Day Select to 6-7 on the slowest ground rows, with Priority Mail promising 2-3 on the western lane. Every quoted row carries its own window, so pick with the date in view.
Do I have to go to a post office to send a package?
Only for the hand-off, and often not even then. With the label bought and printed at home, a small parcel fits a drop box and a larger one goes to any staffed carrier location without waiting for weighing or payment.