Zone 1 (Local, <50 miles)
Zone 2 (51-150 miles)
Zone 3 (151-300 miles)
Zone 4 (301-600 miles)
Zone 5 (601-1000 miles)
Zone 6 (1001-1400 miles)
Zone 7 (1401-1800 miles)
Zone 8 (1801+ miles)
Zone 9 (US Territories)
Billable Weight:–
Base Postage Rate:–
Dimensional/Oversize Surcharges:–
Total Estimated Cost:–
*These are estimated Retail rates. Commercial rates (Pirate Ship, Stamps.com) may be 20-40% cheaper.
USPS Ground Advantage™ is the consolidated ground shipping service that replaced First-Class Package Service and Parcel Select Ground. It offers a cost-effective way to ship packages up to 70 lbs within 2-5 business days across the United States. This calculator helps you estimate retail shipping costs based on weight, dimensions, and distance (Zone).
How Rates are Calculated
The cost of shipping via Ground Advantage depends on three primary factors:
Actual Weight: The scale weight of your package (up to 70 lbs).
Dimensional (DIM) Weight: For larger, lightweight packages, USPS charges based on the space the box occupies. If the package volume exceeds 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches), the billable weight is calculated as (Length × Width × Height) / 166.
Shipping Zone: The distance the package travels, measured in Zones from 1 (local) to 9 (farthest US territories).
Pro Tip: Packages weighing less than 15.999 oz are significantly cheaper because they fall into the "Lightweight" tier, formerly known as First Class Package.
Oversize Fees and Surcharges
Be aware of additional fees that can dramatically increase your shipping cost:
Non-Standard Length Fee: If the longest side of your package exceeds 22 inches, an additional fee applies (approx $4.00). If it exceeds 30 inches, the fee jumps to approx $15.00.
Dimensional Non-Compliance: If your package measures more than 2 cubic feet in volume, a large surcharge (approx $25.00) is added to the postage.
Ground Advantage vs. Priority Mail
While Priority Mail includes insurance up to $100 and ships faster (1-3 days), Ground Advantage is the budget-friendly champion. It includes $100 of insurance embedded in the price and free returns for undeliverable items. It is ideal for e-commerce sellers shipping items like clothing, shoes, or small electronics that are not time-sensitive.
Zone Guide
Zones are determined by the distance between your origin Zip Code and the destination Zip Code:
Zone 1 & 2: 0 – 150 miles
Zone 3: 151 – 300 miles
Zone 4: 301 – 600 miles
Zone 5: 601 – 1000 miles
Zone 6: 1001 – 1400 miles
Zone 7: 1401 – 1800 miles
Zone 8: 1801+ miles
function calculateShipping() {
// Clear previous results/errors
document.getElementById("errorMsg").style.display = "none";
document.getElementById("resultBox").style.display = "none";
// Get Inputs
var wLbs = parseFloat(document.getElementById("weightLbs").value) || 0;
var wOz = parseFloat(document.getElementById("weightOz").value) || 0;
var len = parseFloat(document.getElementById("length").value) || 0;
var wid = parseFloat(document.getElementById("width").value) || 0;
var hgt = parseFloat(document.getElementById("height").value) || 0;
var zone = parseInt(document.getElementById("zone").value);
// Validation
if ((wLbs === 0 && wOz === 0) || len === 0 || wid === 0 || hgt === 0) {
document.getElementById("errorMsg").innerText = "Please enter valid weight and dimensions.";
document.getElementById("errorMsg").style.display = "block";
return;
}
// Calculate Total Actual Weight in Oz and Lbs
var totalActualOz = (wLbs * 16) + wOz;
var totalActualLbs = totalActualOz / 16;
if (totalActualLbs > 70) {
document.getElementById("errorMsg").innerText = "Maximum weight for USPS Ground Advantage is 70 lbs.";
document.getElementById("errorMsg").style.display = "block";
return;
}
// Calculate Volume and Cubic Feet
var volume = len * wid * hgt;
var cubicFeet = volume / 1728;
if (len + (2 * wid) + (2 * hgt) > 130) {
document.getElementById("errorMsg").innerText = "Package exceeds maximum size (Length + Girth > 130 inches). Cannot ship via USPS.";
document.getElementById("errorMsg").style.display = "block";
return;
}
// Dimensional Weight Calculation (Retail Divisor 166)
// Only applies if volume is greater than 1 cubic foot (1728 cubic inches)
var dimWeightLbs = 0;
if (cubicFeet > 1) {
dimWeightLbs = volume / 166;
}
// Billable Weight logic
// If DIM weight > Actual, use DIM.
// USPS rounds up to the nearest pound (or ounce for <1lb).
var billableLbs = Math.max(totalActualLbs, dimWeightLbs);
// Rounding logic for pricing
// If under 1lb (15.99 oz), we price by ounce tiers.
// If over 1lb, we round UP to nearest full pound.
var finalBillableWeightDisplay = "";
var pricingWeightLbs = 0;
var isUnderPound = (billableLbs < 1);
if (isUnderPound) {
var billableOz = billableLbs * 16;
// Round to typical tiers: 4, 8, 12, 15.99
if (billableOz <= 4) billableOz = 4;
else if (billableOz <= 8) billableOz = 8;
else if (billableOz <= 12) billableOz = 12;
else billableOz = 15.99; // Treat as full 1lb pricing tier usually, but let's separate for clarity
finalBillableWeightDisplay = billableOz.toFixed(1) + " oz";
pricingWeightLbs = billableOz / 16; // Normalize to fraction of lb for array lookup
} else {
pricingWeightLbs = Math.ceil(billableLbs);
finalBillableWeightDisplay = pricingWeightLbs + " lbs";
}
// — SIMULATED RATE TABLE (Approximation of 2024 Retail Rates) —
// Structure: Base price + (WeightMultiplier * ZoneMultiplier)
// This is a simplified matrix to generate realistic estimates without a 5000-line JSON object.
var baseRate = 0;
if (pricingWeightLbs <= 0.25) { // 4 oz
var rates4oz = [5.00, 5.10, 5.20, 5.30, 5.40, 5.50, 5.60, 5.70, 5.80];
baseRate = rates4oz[zone – 1] || 5.00;
} else if (pricingWeightLbs <= 0.5) { // 8 oz
var rates8oz = [5.60, 5.70, 5.80, 5.90, 6.00, 6.20, 6.40, 6.60, 6.80];
baseRate = rates8oz[zone – 1] || 5.60;
} else if (pricingWeightLbs <= 0.75) { // 12 oz
var rates12oz = [6.40, 6.60, 6.80, 7.00, 7.20, 7.50, 7.80, 8.10, 8.40];
baseRate = rates12oz[zone – 1] || 6.40;
} else if (pricingWeightLbs < 1) { // 15.99 oz
var rates16oz = [7.50, 7.80, 8.10, 8.40, 8.70, 9.10, 9.50, 9.90, 10.30];
baseRate = rates16oz[zone – 1] || 7.50;
} else {
// Over 1 lb logic
// Base + (PricePerLb * ZoneFactor)
var lbs = pricingWeightLbs;
// Approximate Retail Matrix Logic
var zoneFactors = [0, 0.5, 0.75, 1.10, 1.50, 2.00, 2.40, 2.80, 3.50]; // Cost increase per lb per zone
var startRates = [8.50, 9.00, 9.50, 10.25, 11.50, 12.75, 13.50, 14.50, 16.00]; // 1lb rate per zone
// Calculation: StartRate + ((Weight – 1) * Increment)
var increment = [1.10, 1.20, 1.30, 1.50, 2.10, 2.80, 3.40, 4.00, 4.80]; // Cost per additional lb
var zIndex = zone – 1;
if (zIndex 30) {
surcharges += 15.00;
surchargeDetails.push("Length > 30\" fee (+$15.00)");
} else if (len > 22) {
surcharges += 4.00;
surchargeDetails.push("Length > 22\" fee (+$4.00)");
}
// Cubic Fee
if (volume > 3456) { // > 2 cu ft
surcharges += 25.00;
surchargeDetails.push("Volume > 2 cu ft fee (+$25.00)");
}
var totalCost = baseRate + surcharges;
// Display Results
document.getElementById("billableWeightDisplay").innerText = finalBillableWeightDisplay;
document.getElementById("baseRateDisplay").innerText = "$" + baseRate.toFixed(2);
if (surcharges > 0) {
document.getElementById("surchargeDisplay").innerText = "+$" + surcharges.toFixed(2) + " (" + surchargeDetails.join(", ") + ")";
document.getElementById("surchargeDisplay").style.color = "#d9534f";
} else {
document.getElementById("surchargeDisplay").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("surchargeDisplay").style.color = "#333";
}
document.getElementById("totalCostDisplay").innerText = "$" + totalCost.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resultBox").style.display = "block";
}