Published by Sarah Hass, Dec. 18, 2023
When shipping books through USPS, it can sometimes feel daunting to ensure that your package has the right postage and will arrive in good condition to its recipient. But the right knowledge about how USPS and Media Mail work can do a lot to alleviate the stress of shipping books. Find the answers to your questions about shipping books via the US postal service here.
USPS Media Mail began as the “book rate” in 1938. This rate for books was designed to promote the spread of educational materials across the United States. Over time, as technology has advanced and learning materials have expanded to other forms of media, the scope of the rate was expanded to include DVDs, play scripts, test materials, and more, with the name being changed to “Media Mail” to reflect this expansion. This service has become an essential part of how folks exchange books and other media within the US and to US territories served by the postal system.
Like other popular tracked mail rates like Ground Advantage and Priority Mail, Media Mail offers real-time tracking with a unique tracking number. While Priority Mail boasts a shipping time of 1-3 days and Ground Advantage 2-5 days, Media Mail has a longer shipping time of 2-8 days. This reflects its status as an economy class of mail. Due to Media Mail’s narrow scope of acceptable items with books and other educational materials, these packages are subject to inspection by USPS. Media Mail packages are not automatically insured, but if you are selling books through Pango, we provide extensive protection services on all your sales and shipments.
USPS states that their Media Mail service’s delivery speed is 2-8 days. Packages may take longer when being shipped to or from Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and during the busy holiday season. Unlike Priority Mail, Media Mail does not offer a delivery date guarantees.
Media Mail rates on PangoBooks begin at $3.99. For a full breakdown, check out our help center article on Shipping Rates.
Yes! You can ship books through popular rates such as Ground Advantage or Priority Mail. However, Media Mail provides the lowest rates for books. Some booksellers consider opting for higher-end services to ensure the best experience for their buyers.
If the recipient needs the package quickly, Priority Mail may be a better option than Media Mail. On PangoBooks, sellers can opt into a Priority Mail shipping program for orders over $100 to insure their high-dollar orders through USPS and create great experiences by getting pricier items to buyers more quickly than Media Mail!
If your package appears to be lost, you can place an inquiry with USPS. On PangoBooks, we have a lost shipment policy to protect both buyers and sellers. If you are concerned about the location of your package, feel free to reach out to us at any point. We typically give a package 30 days to arrive before considering it lost in transit.Read more about how PangoBooks protects your purchase on our Trust and Safety page.
The most important thing to remember when packing your book is to ensure that the packaging you have is the right size for the book, regardless of whether it is a bubble mailer or a box. This ensures that the book isn’t moving all over the place inside a package, or ready to burst out of a package!
For more information on best practices, click here.
The easiest way to ship your package is to drop it off in any USPS blue box! Additionally, you can bring it to the Post Office to drop either in their self-service bins inside the office or hand it to a Postal Worker at the counter. Media Mail packages are not eligible for a scheduled pickup.
Once you have shipped your order, you’ll want to mark it as shipped in the app to let the buyer know that the package is on its way. You can also send the buyer a personalized message to let them know as well. Messaging the buyer can help create an excellent order experience!
