How To Mail A Bubble Mailer With USPS?

Have you ever wanted to send a bubble mailer with USPS, but not felt sure how to do this? We’re going to explore everything you need to know in this article!

To send a bubble mailer with USPS, you will need to get a mailer envelope, package up your item, and then check how much it weighs and purchase the shipping for it. You can mail it from your local post office, choosing one of the USPS services.

Let’s find out a bit more about sending a bubble mailer and what different services are on offer to you when you send one of these via USPS. It can be a slightly complicated process, so we’re going to unpick every step in this article.

Is A Bubble Mailer A Package Or Envelope?

A bubble mailer can be sent as either a package or an envelope, depending on the size of the item that you are sending.

A bubble mailer is counted as an envelope when it is less than ¾ of an inch thick, and a package when it is thicker than ¾ of an inch.

To tell which you are sending, you need to package up your bubble mailer and then measure its thickest point.

This is easiest to do when you have finished packing the item and sealed the envelope. Make sure you measure the widest part, or you may wrongly calculate the shipping costs.

Are Bubble Mailers Free At USPS?

Bubble mailers can be purchased from USPS, but they are not a free resource unless you ask for Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express bubble envelopes.

These will be free, but you must use them for the kind of shipping specified on the package. You cannot use them to send items at a cheaper rate.

If you don’t want to use Priority Mail, you will need to purchase bubble mailers from USPS. You can buy a pack of 24 small bubble mailers for $35.80, medium ones for $43.80, or large ones for $79.

How To Mail A Bubble Mailer

If your bubble mailer counts as a package, you will need to take it to a post office or purchase your shipping online according to the weight and size.

You will need to decide whether you are sending it via USPS First Class, USPS Media Mail, USPS Priority Mail (or Priority Mail Express), or USPS Retail Ground.

These will all have different costs, so ask the employee to help you if you aren’t sure which you need. Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express will be more expensive than First Class or Retail Ground.

Media Mail is often the cheapest option, but it’s only available for certain items.

How To Mail A Bubble Mailer With Stamps

If your envelope weighs less than 1 oz, you can simply place a $0.55 forever stamp on it and drop it off at the post office without needing to buy a shipping label.

You can use stamps for larger packages too, but you will need to know the cost of your package, and total this cost by adding stamps.

How Much Does It Cost?

The price of your package will depend on how you are trying to send it.

You can send an envelope for $0.55, but bigger packages will cost more. If your package weighs 4 oz, it will cost around $3.74 to send with the First Class service.

If you want to send the item with Priority Mail, you’ll need to pay more, as this is a faster and therefore more expensive service.

Remember that you can get free envelopes if you are using this service, however.

Do You Need A Shipping Label?

You can add a shipping label yourself with the recipient’s name and address (and a return address), and this will be fine if you are sending the package using stamps.

However, you will often want to add the shipping label that USPS gives to you, as this will have the barcode and all the information about how the item needs to be shipped.

This label will be printed by USPS when you give them the information they need to price your package (weight, size, destination, etc.), and it can simply be stuck to the front of your parcel.

Make sure you stick it down firmly, so there is no risk of it coming loose.

You can also print labels yourself at home, and either stick them in place, or use a label machine to get ones with a sticky back.

However, you choose to do it, bubble envelopes must have some sort of shipping label before they enter USPS’s system.

Can You Drop A Bubble Mailer In The Mailbox?

You can drop a bubble mailer into a mailbox as long as:

• It has a clear, legible address for the recipient
• It is small enough to fit
• It has the correct postage already paid for it
• It is not over 13 oz

Dropping your package off this way may be more convenient, but bear in mind that you will not get proof of shipping, and it could take slightly longer to get into USPS’s system than if you personally transport it to a store.

Conclusion

You can mail a bubble mailer in several different ways using USPS’s systems, and the best method will depend on what you are sending.

For larger packages, it’s often best to get them priced in the store and ensure that the correct mailing label is printed out, but you can do this at home if you prefer.