Having written a whole guide about Etsy Shipping, I get so many questions from readers about how to best use Flat Rate boxes in their business! Please note :: I often recommend resources, some I receive an affiliate commission for at no additional cost to you! check out my policies here If you are starting an online shop, shipping may be one of your biggest questions! The one thing that is most confusing is how to use USPS Flat Rate Boxes for your Etsy, Shopify, Ebay or any other kind of online store! If you require faster delivery, we suggest Priority Mail Express (1 – 2 day delivery). During this time, it should not come as a surprise if your Priority Flat Rate mail takes longer than 3 days. Certain times of the year are expected to be busier than others.Ĭhristmas (December), for instance, is a time where (literally) millions of mail pieces are processed.

Variables – or causes for a delay – may include slow traffic, processing errors, or more generally busy mailing periods.īusy mailing periods can be random, but some you can predict. It will often change hands along the way – one truck will take it to another post office, where it will be scanned, and then another driver will take it to the next. But the farther away the zone is, the more unpredictable variables the mail will confront.įrom its starting point to its destination, mail rarely goes in one trip. USPS pledges to have all Priority Flat Rate mail delivered within the 1 – 3 day time frame, regardless of what zone the mail’s destination is in. These range from a ‘zone 1’ (local) to a ‘zone 9’ (far away). The majority of mail pieces sent through Priority Flat Rate shipping will arrive at their destination within this time frame, but some may not.įrom the starting point and ending point – where the mail is sent and where its destination is – are shipping zones. All flat rate shipping will be processed as USPS Priority Mail.ġ – 3 days is the estimated delivery date.

Flat Rate shipping typically takes one to three days to arrive at the destination – excluding Sundays or certain holidays.

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