USPS Ground Advantage™
Priority Mail®
Priority Mail Express®
Media Mail (Educational Only)
Zone 1 (Local)
Zone 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)
Zone 9 (Freely Associated States)
*Rates are estimates based on standard 2024/2025 Commercial Base pricing logic. Actual Endicia rates may vary based on specific account volume and negotiated contracts.
Understanding Endicia and Commercial Shipping Rates
Using Endicia software allows businesses to access USPS Commercial Pricing, which is significantly cheaper than the Retail rates you pay at the Post Office counter. This calculator helps you estimate shipping costs based on service class, weight, and delivery zone.
How the Endicia Rate Calculator Works
Shipping rates are determined by four main factors:
Service Class: The speed of delivery (e.g., Ground Advantage vs. Priority Mail Express).
Weight: Measured in pounds (lbs) and ounces (oz). USPS rounds up to the nearest ounce for First Class and nearest pound for Priority.
Zone: A value from 1 to 9 representing the distance between the origin and destination zip codes. Zone 1 is local, while Zone 8 is cross-country.
Dimensions (Dimensional Weight): Large but light packages may be charged based on their volume rather than actual weight.
Retail vs. Commercial Pricing
The Retail Rate is what an individual pays at the Post Office. The Endicia (Commercial) Rate includes discounts typically reserved for high-volume shippers.
Endicia users can often save:
Up to 40% on Priority Mail®
Up to 15-20% on Priority Mail Express®
Significant savings on First-Class Package Service (now Ground Advantage™)
Optimizing for Zones
Understanding zones is critical for cost reduction. If you ship from New York (Zone 1) to California (Zone 8), the rate is higher. Endicia software automatically calculates the correct zone based on the recipient's zip code, ensuring you never overpay for postage or face "insufficient postage" returns.
What is USPS Ground Advantage™?
In 2023, USPS consolidated First-Class Package Service and Parcel Select Ground into a single service called USPS Ground Advantage. This is the most economical way to ship packages up to 70 lbs within 2-5 business days. Endicia fully supports this service class with commercial discounts applied.
function calculateEndiciaRate() {
// 1. Get Input Values
var lbs = parseFloat(document.getElementById('weightLbs').value) || 0;
var oz = parseFloat(document.getElementById('weightOz').value) || 0;
var zone = parseInt(document.getElementById('zoneSelect').value);
var service = document.getElementById('serviceType').value;
var packageType = document.getElementById('packageType').value;
// 2. Validate Input
if (lbs === 0 && oz === 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid weight (Lbs or Oz).");
return;
}
// 3. Calculate Total Weight in Lbs for Math
var totalOz = (lbs * 16) + oz;
var weightInLbsRounded = Math.ceil(totalOz / 16); // USPS rounds up to next lb for Priority
// For display logic
var displayLbs = Math.floor(totalOz / 16);
var displayOz = totalOz % 16;
document.getElementById('displayWeight').innerHTML = displayLbs + " lbs " + displayOz + " oz";
// 4. Define Base Rates (Simulated for 2024/2025 Context)
// These are approximations of the pricing curves, not exact API calls.
var retailPrice = 0;
var commercialPrice = 0;
// Logic Switch based on Service
switch (service) {
case 'ground':
// Ground Advantage Logic
// Under 1lb is priced by oz, over 1lb by weight+zone
if (totalOz 20lbs, assume heavy, otherwise calculate)
// For this calculator, we use weight-based calculation
retailPrice = pmBase + (weightInLbsRounded * pmWeightFactor) + (zone * pmZoneFactor);
// Endicia Savings for Priority: ~30-40% depending on weight/zone
// Heavier/Farther usually has deeper discounts
var discountRate = 0.70;
if (zone >= 5) discountRate = 0.62; // Deep discount for long distance
commercialPrice = retailPrice * discountRate;
break;
case 'express':
// Express Logic (Very expensive)
var expBase = 30.00;
var expWeightFactor = 4.50;
var expZoneFactor = 3.00;
retailPrice = expBase + (weightInLbsRounded * expWeightFactor) + (zone * expZoneFactor);
// Endicia Savings for Express: ~10-15%
commercialPrice = retailPrice * 0.87;
break;
case 'media':
// Media Mail is not zone based usually, purely weight
var mediaBase = 4.00;
var mediaWeightCost = 0.75;
retailPrice = mediaBase + (weightInLbsRounded * mediaWeightCost);
// Media Mail has very little commercial discount, sometimes none.
commercialPrice = retailPrice * 0.95; // 5% commercial discount (approx)
break;
}
// Adjust for Package Type (Parcels cost more than flats)
if (packageType === 'flat' && service !== 'priority' && service !== 'express') {
retailPrice = retailPrice * 0.6; // Flats are cheaper
commercialPrice = commercialPrice * 0.6;
}
// 5. Calculate Savings
var savings = retailPrice – commercialPrice;
var savingsPct = (savings / retailPrice) * 100;
// 6. Update DOM
document.getElementById('retailRate').innerText = "$" + retailPrice.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('endiciaRate').innerText = "$" + commercialPrice.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('savingsAmount').innerText = "-$" + savings.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('savingsPercent').innerText = Math.round(savingsPct) + "% Off";
// Show results
document.getElementById('results').style.display = "block";
}