ShipGopher
USPS shipping calculator
See today's USPS prices for your box: Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express at USPS's discounted (commercial) rates. No account needed.
USPS prices for three example boxes
| Box and route | Ground Advantage | Priority Mail | Priority Mail Express |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2 lb box, 10×8×4 in Phoenix, AZ → Chicago, IL |
$10.33 | $16.18 | $66.64 |
|
10 lb box, 16×12×10 in Los Angeles, CA → New York, NY |
$28.93 | $48.45 | $174.70 |
|
20 lb box, 18×18×12 in Dallas, TX → Seattle, WA |
$114.11 | $160.25 | $305.95 |
ShipGopher quotes from October 25, 2026, to a home address, including the $1 + 5% service fee. Your price depends on the box, the route and the day you ship; the calculator above shows yours.
How USPS works out the price
- Weight. Heavier boxes cost more. USPS takes packages up to 70 lb.
- Distance. USPS prices by how far apart the two ZIP codes are, so the same box costs more across the country than across the state.
- Size. Boxes over 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches) are priced by dimensional weight when it's higher than the real weight: length × width × height ÷ 139. The 18×18×12 inch box above works out to about 28 lb, so it's priced as 28 lb, not 20.
- Speed. Ground Advantage is the cheapest (USPS expects 2 to 5 days); Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express are faster and cost more.
Source: USPS Ground Advantage, checked October 25, 2026.
Online price vs the Post Office counter
The calculator shows USPS's online (commercial) prices. At the counter you pay the higher retail price: in our October 2026 price check, a 10 lb box from Los Angeles to New York by Ground Advantage was $40.85 at the counter and $20.37 on ShipGopher, a saving of $20.48 (50%). See the comparison.
Questions
Is this the price I'll pay?
It's ShipGopher's price right now for those ZIP codes and that box, including the $1 + 5% service fee. When you buy, the price is checked again with the full addresses before you pay, and if it changed you see both prices first.
Do I need an account?
No. Not with USPS and not with ShipGopher. Your email gets the label, receipt, tracking number and cancel link.
What's the biggest box USPS takes?
Up to 70 lb. For Ground Advantage, the length plus the distance around the thickest part (girth) can be up to 130 inches.
Why does my big, light box cost so much?
USPS prices boxes over 1 cubic foot by size when that comes out higher than the weight (dimensional weight, explained above). UPS and FedEx often cost less for those boxes; the calculator tells you when another carrier is cheaper.
Do I need a printer?
No. USPS labels come with a QR code: show it at the Post Office counter and the clerk prints the label for you (how it works).