A rate chart is only useful with its effective date attached. The edition in force carries October 4, 2026 and holds temporary holiday prices until 12 a.m. CT on January 17, 2027; the July 12, 2026 edition below it is what applied before.
In effect now: October 4, 2026 until January 17, 2027
USPS announced on August 25, 2026 a temporary holiday price change on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, retail and commercial alike, from 12 a.m. CT on October 4, 2026 until 12 a.m. CT on January 17, 2027 (USPS newsroom, checked 2026-10-06). Notice 123 now prints those prices with an effective date of October 4, 2026, and this edition prices Priority Mail Zone 1 and Zone 2 separately.
| Weight | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $10.05 | $10.45 | $10.70 | $11.10 | $11.70 | $12.10 | $12.70 | $13.65 |
| 5 lb | $13.75 | $14.35 | $15.35 | $16.60 | $18.85 | $21.00 | $23.80 | $27.45 |
| 10 lb | $16.75 | $17.10 | $18.05 | $20.20 | $24.25 | $28.90 | $34.70 | $40.85 |
| 20 lb | $24.00 | $24.20 | $25.70 | $28.55 | $37.90 | $47.00 | $58.25 | $72.15 |
| Weight | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $8.01 | $8.08 | $8.40 | $8.55 | $9.29 | $10.18 | $10.53 | $11.22 |
| 5 lb | $10.35 | $10.41 | $10.79 | $11.67 | $14.53 | $16.94 | $18.17 | $20.24 |
| 10 lb | $12.56 | $12.91 | $13.83 | $15.09 | $17.81 | $20.99 | $23.02 | $26.39 |
| 20 lb | $17.51 | $18.11 | $19.08 | $20.71 | $26.68 | $32.07 | $36.42 | $42.14 |
| Weight | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $11.50 | $12.00 | $12.15 | $12.40 | $14.05 | $15.50 | $16.60 | $17.95 |
| 5 lb | $15.10 | $15.75 | $16.85 | $18.30 | $24.20 | $29.10 | $34.80 | $39.00 |
| 10 lb | $18.60 | $19.05 | $20.00 | $22.55 | $30.75 | $42.70 | $55.65 | $63.40 |
| 20 lb | $26.80 | $27.05 | $28.80 | $32.35 | $51.25 | $75.05 | $98.85 | $113.70 |
| Weight | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $9.44 | $9.72 | $10.11 | $10.80 | $13.82 | $15.32 | $15.93 | $16.07 |
| 5 lb | $12.04 | $12.21 | $13.67 | $16.37 | $23.27 | $28.10 | $30.85 | $30.93 |
| 10 lb | $15.15 | $15.28 | $17.31 | $20.27 | $29.53 | $35.49 | $40.32 | $43.03 |
| 20 lb | $21.61 | $21.74 | $24.59 | $29.34 | $48.66 | $56.87 | $66.68 | $71.91 |
Against the July 12 grid, 1 lb of Ground Advantage at the counter to Zone 1 went from $9.55 to $10.05, and 20 lb of Priority Mail at the counter to Zone 8 went from $109.40 to $113.70.
USPS Ground Advantage, July 12, 2026 edition
Ground Advantage is the workhorse parcel service, quoted by USPS at 2-5 days with a 70 lb ceiling. The retail grid comes first, then the commercial one.
| Weight | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $9.55 | $9.95 | $10.20 | $10.60 | $10.95 | $11.35 | $11.95 | $12.90 |
| 5 lb | $12.95 | $13.55 | $14.55 | $15.80 | $17.45 | $19.60 | $22.40 | $26.05 |
| 10 lb | $15.95 | $16.30 | $17.25 | $19.40 | $22.85 | $27.50 | $33.30 | $39.45 |
| 20 lb | $22.75 | $22.95 | $24.45 | $27.30 | $35.15 | $44.25 | $55.50 | $69.40 |
| Weight | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $7.61 | $7.68 | $8.00 | $8.15 | $8.74 | $9.63 | $9.98 | $10.67 |
| 5 lb | $9.70 | $9.76 | $10.14 | $11.02 | $13.48 | $15.89 | $17.12 | $19.19 |
| 10 lb | $11.91 | $12.26 | $13.18 | $14.44 | $16.76 | $19.94 | $21.97 | $25.34 |
| 20 lb | $16.46 | $17.06 | $18.03 | $19.66 | $24.93 | $30.32 | $34.67 | $40.39 |
The 20 lb row shows how steeply distance is priced on this service. Retail runs $22.75 in Zone 1 against $69.40 in Zone 8, while the commercial column for the same box runs $16.46 and $40.39.
USPS Priority Mail, July 12, 2026 edition
Priority Mail is quoted by USPS at 2-3 days with the same 70 lb ceiling and a tighter size limit. The July 12 edition merges the first two zones into a single column for this service, so the leftmost price column covers both.
| Weight | Zones 1-2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $11.00 | $11.65 | $11.90 | $13.05 | $14.50 | $15.60 | $16.95 |
| 5 lb | $14.30 | $16.05 | $17.50 | $22.10 | $27.00 | $32.70 | $36.90 |
| 10 lb | $17.80 | $19.20 | $21.75 | $28.65 | $40.60 | $53.55 | $61.30 |
| 20 lb | $25.55 | $27.55 | $31.10 | $46.95 | $70.75 | $94.55 | $109.40 |
| Weight | Zones 1-2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $9.04 | $9.71 | $10.40 | $12.97 | $14.47 | $15.08 | $15.22 |
| 5 lb | $11.39 | $13.02 | $15.72 | $21.52 | $26.35 | $29.10 | $29.18 |
| 10 lb | $14.50 | $16.66 | $19.62 | $27.78 | $33.74 | $38.57 | $41.28 |
| 20 lb | $20.56 | $23.54 | $28.29 | $44.81 | $53.02 | $62.83 | $68.06 |
Priority climbs harder than Ground Advantage as the zones stretch. At 20 lb the two retail grids finish $40.00 apart in Zone 8, which is worth remembering before paying for speed on a heavy box going a long way.
The chart meeting a real parcel
Charts describe a service. To show the grid touching something specific, here are the Priority Mail rows our calculator returned on 2026-07-28 for boxes cut to three familiar footprints, quoted from Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303, with the counter figure the carrier returned beside each.
| Box | Weight | Counter figure returned | Price at our checkout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-5/8 x 5-3/8 x 1-5/8 in | 10 lb | $29.95 | $14.53 |
| 8-5/8 x 5-3/8 x 1-5/8 in | 20 lb | $46.95 | $14.53 |
| 11 x 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 in | 10 lb | $29.95 | $17.66 |
| 11 x 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 in | 20 lb | $46.95 | $17.66 |
| 12 x 12 x 5-1/2 in | 20 lb | $46.95 | $23.76 |
The first two rows are the flattening that a printed grid hides. Ten pounds and twenty pounds in the same small box returned the same $14.53, because a box that small stops being priced by the scale once it is full.
How to use the grid without being caught out
Four things decide whether the cell you looked up is the price you pay.
- Find your zone first. Zones run from the origin ZIP, so the same destination is a different zone from a different warehouse.
- Round the weight up. The grid is published in steps, and a fraction over a step buys the next one.
- Check the cube. Over one cubic foot, USPS bills actual or dimensional weight, whichever is greater, under DMM 223.1.4.
- Mind the ceilings. Seventy pounds everywhere, 130 inches of length and girth for Ground Advantage, 108 inches for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express.
Prices in the October tables were copied from Notice 123 on 2026-10-06 and those in the July tables on 2026-07-28, each with the effective date USPS printed on it. When USPS files the next change, this page goes stale the same day, which is the honest fate of every rate chart on the internet.
The chart is a floor, not a quote
Surcharges, residential delivery and dimensional billing all sit outside these cells. A quote for the finished carton includes what the grid leaves out.
Zone 5 is where Priority bites
Between Zone 4 and Zone 5 the 20 lb Priority retail price jumps from $32.35 to $51.25 in the October 4 edition, and from $31.10 to $46.95 in July. Long-zone heavy parcels are where the service choice earns or loses real money.
Print it with the date on it
If you pin a rate chart to a packing bench, pin the effective date with it. An undated chart is how last year prices end up on this year invoices.
Reading the chart
What is the current USPS rate chart?
It is Notice 123, the USPS price list. The edition in force carries an effective date of October 4, 2026, with temporary holiday prices until 12 a.m. CT on January 17, 2027, and the July 12, 2026 edition is what applied before. Both are reproduced on this page for USPS Ground Advantage and Priority Mail at 1, 5, 10 and 20 lb, in both columns.
Did USPS raise prices for the 2026 holidays?
Yes. From 12 a.m. CT on October 4, 2026 until 12 a.m. CT on January 17, 2027, USPS charges temporary prices on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, retail and commercial alike. One pound of Ground Advantage to Zone 1 went from $9.55 to $10.05 at the counter.
Why does Notice 123 print two prices?
One is the retail price charged at a Post Office counter, the other is the commercial price for labels bought electronically. At 20 lb to Zone 5, Ground Advantage reads $37.90 and $26.68 in the October 4 edition.
How heavy can a USPS parcel be?
Seventy pounds is the ceiling for every service on this chart. Ground Advantage also allows up to 130 inches of length and girth combined, while Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stop at 108 inches.
Does the chart cover a big light box?
Not on its own. USPS bills parcels over one cubic foot on actual or dimensional weight, whichever is greater, so a large carton can be charged at more pounds than the scale shows before you even find the right cell.