Price note: USPS prices below are as of October 2026 (USPS Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026, including temporary increases through January 17, 2027). FedEx prices are its 2026 retail rates. Check a live quote before you ship.

How to Ship a Package: Step-by-Step for Beginners

Shipping a package comes down to a few steps:

Make sure the item is allowed.
Pack it in a sturdy box with cushioning on every side.
Weigh and measure the packed box.
Pick a carrier and service.
Pay for postage and attach the label.
Drop the package off or schedule a pickup.

Buying the label online is usually cheaper than paying at the counter. In October 2026, a 5 lb USPS Ground Advantage package going to Zone 5 (a mid-distance shipment) cost $18.85 at a Post Office counter and $14.53 with an online commercial label.

This guide walks through each step, with the rules each carrier publishes so you avoid returned packages and surprise fees.

Key Takeaways

Check restrictions first. USPS prohibits items such as ammunition, fireworks, alcoholic beverages and items containing liquid mercury, and it restricts lithium batteries.
Use the smallest sturdy box that leaves room for cushioning. FedEx recommends 2 to 3 inches of cushioning on all six sides.
Dimensional weight now works the same at all three carriers. USPS, UPS and FedEx all divide length × width × height by 139 to price large, light boxes. USPS made the change on July 12, 2026, and applies it only to boxes over 1 cubic foot.
Free boxes come with conditions: USPS Priority Mail boxes are free, but you must pay for Priority Mail service if you use one.
Stamped USPS packages over 10 oz or thicker than half an inch must be handed to a Post Office clerk. Packages with printed labels can go in a collection box or out for pickup.

Step 1: Make Sure You Can Send It

Every carrier publishes a list of prohibited and restricted items. USPS prohibits:

ammunition, explosives and fireworks
items containing liquid mercury
alcoholic beverages

Other items are allowed only under conditions. New lithium batteries installed in devices are usually acceptable, but USPS says used ones can travel only by ground. Perishables such as food, plants and live animals need special packaging and an extra handling fee. Check USPS’s shipping restrictions page, or the UPS or FedEx equivalent, before you pack anything unusual. Breaking the rules can mean fines or criminal penalties.

USPS also caps packages at 70 lb. For anything heavier, up to 150 lb, use UPS or FedEx.

Step 2: Choose the Right Box or Envelope

The box affects both protection and price. Carriers charge for whichever is greater, the actual weight or the dimensional weight, so an oversized box can cost more than the item inside.

Where to get boxes:

USPS Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes and envelopes: free at a Post Office or ordered online. If you use one, you must pay for that service, and you can’t use free Priority packaging for restricted hazardous materials or live animals.
FedEx packaging: free for FedEx Express shipments when you have an account. FedEx Office also sells boxes and supplies.
Boxes you already have: fine to reuse if they’re still rigid. USPS says to cover or black out every old label, barcode, logo and address, because boxes weaken with each trip.
Padded or poly mailers: good for soft goods that don’t need a rigid box.

Sizing: FedEx’s packing guidance calls for a box large enough to allow 2 to 3 inches of cushioning on all six sides of the item. If the item can shift when you shake the box, add more fill. If you can’t fit cushioning on every side, go up a size.

Step 3: Pack the Item

Wrap the item in bubble wrap, foam or packing paper. Wrap multiple items separately so they don’t touch.
Center it in the box and fill every gap so nothing moves.
Put a packing slip with the recipient’s name and address inside, as USPS suggests, in case the outside label is damaged.
Seal every seam with packing tape. USPS asks for tape at least 2 inches wide. FedEx recommends tape at least 3 inches wide applied in an “H” pattern across the top and bottom seams.
Don’t tie the box with string, cord or twine, which can catch in USPS sorting machines.

Packages go through automated equipment and share space with others that can weigh as much as 70 lb, so pack as if the box will be dropped. For glass, ceramics and electronics, see How to Ship Fragile Items Without Breakage.

Step 4: Weigh and Measure the Package

Weight: USPS recommends a kitchen or postal scale, not a bathroom scale, and says to include all packing materials. You can also have the package weighed at the Post Office. Weights round up. A Priority Mail package weighing 5 lb 2 oz pays the 6 lb price.

Dimensions: Measure length, width and height in inches at the widest points. USPS and FedEx both round any fraction of an inch up to the next whole inch.

Dimensional (DIM) weight:

DIM weight = (Length × Width × Height) ÷ 139

UPS and FedEx use 139 for daily-rate shipments. USPS adopted the same divisor on July 12, 2026 for Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, and applies it only when the box is larger than 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches). For example, an 18 × 14 × 12 inch box has a volume of 3,024 cubic inches, which gives a DIM weight of 22 lb. If it actually weighs 5 lb, you pay the 22 lb price.

Giving USPS wrong or missing dimensions can add a $3.00 dimension-noncompliance fee. Carriers measure packages in their networks and can bill adjustments later.

Step 5: Choose a Carrier and Service

Compare prices for your actual weight, size and ZIP Codes. For a 5 lb box going to Zone 5:

Carrier / service	Price	Delivery estimate
USPS Ground Advantage, Post Office counter	$18.85	2-5 days
USPS Ground Advantage, online commercial label	$14.53	2-5 days
USPS Priority Mail, Post Office counter	$24.20	2-3 days
USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box, counter (any distance)	$25.80	2-3 days
FedEx Ground, FedEx retail rate (includes surcharges)	$19.77	1-5 business days

All USPS package services above include tracking and up to $100 of insurance. UPS Ground also delivers in 1-5 business days, and its prices are posted on ups.com. For a fuller side-by-side, see FedEx vs UPS vs USPS: Complete Comparison.

For most one-off packages that aren’t urgent, Ground Advantage is the cheapest USPS choice. Priority Mail makes sense when you need it there sooner. A Flat Rate box wins when a heavy item fits and is going far.

Step 6: Pay for Postage and Print the Label

Option A: At the counter or a kiosk (simplest, highest price)

A Post Office clerk will weigh the package, help you choose a service and print the postage. USPS self-service kiosks do the same with a card payment. Counter (retail) prices are the highest. Some services must be bought at the counter: USPS says Media Mail and live-animal shipments have to be brought to a Post Office counter.

Option B: On the carrier’s website (lower prices)

USPS Click-N-Ship sells Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and Ground Advantage labels at lower commercial prices. You can print the label on plain paper and tape it on with clear packing tape. With no printer, you can use USPS Label Broker, which gives you a QR code to scan at a participating Post Office. USPS will also print and mail you the label for $1.65. UPS and FedEx sell labels on their own websites too.

Option C: Through a shipping-label service

PC Postage and multi-carrier services also sell discounted labels:

Pirate Ship: advertises no monthly fees or markup, with USPS and UPS labels.
Stamps.com: charges a subscription, with plans listed from $14.99 a month in October 2026.

See Stamps.com vs PirateShip vs ShipStation for a comparison. If you ship often, a thermal label printer saves time. Our thermal label printer guide covers the options.

Addressing and label placement

Place the label, or the written address, parallel to the longest side of the box. Put all labels on the same side, and don’t fold them over an edge or overlap them. The return address goes in the top left, the delivery address in the center, and postage in the top right. Use full names, apartment or suite numbers, and ZIP+4 Codes where you know them.

Step 7: Drop It Off or Schedule a Pickup

USPS:

If the package uses stamps and is thicker than half an inch or heavier than 10 oz, it must be handed to a clerk at a Post Office counter. Put it in a mailbox and the carrier will leave it. Drop it in a blue collection box and it will be returned to you.
Packages with printed postage from Click-N-Ship or a kiosk can go any way: in your mailbox, a collection box if it fits, the Post Office, or a pickup.
Free pickup during your regular mail delivery is available for eligible packages, including Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express. Schedule it on usps.com. Pickup On Demand sets a 2-hour window for a fee, which is $26.50 per pickup as of October 2026.

FedEx: FedEx accepts drop-offs at no additional fee at FedEx Office, FedEx Ship Center and authorized ShipCenter locations, Walgreens, Dollar General and participating grocery stores. FedEx Drop Boxes take packages up to 20 × 12 × 6 inches.

UPS: You can drop packages at The UPS Store, UPS Access Point locations and UPS drop boxes, or schedule a pickup at ups.com. Pickup fees depend on your account and the type of pickup.

Keep your receipt or tracking number until the package is delivered. If something goes wrong, you’ll need it to file a claim. See how to file a shipping claim.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Using a box that’s too big. Above 1 cubic foot, dimensional weight can cost more than the item weighs.
Paying counter prices for routine packages. For Ground Advantage, online commercial labels were 16% to 44% cheaper than counter prices in October 2026 for packages from 1 to 20 lb.
Putting a heavy stamped package in a collection box. Over 10 oz or half an inch thick with stamps, it comes back to you.
Underpaying postage. USPS says an underpaid package may be returned, or the recipient may have to pay the difference.
Leaving old barcodes visible on a reused box. Cover or black out every old label.
Using a free Priority Mail box for Ground Advantage. Priority Mail packaging requires Priority Mail postage.
Skipping the restricted-items check. Lithium batteries, perfume with alcohol and perishables all have special rules.

Next Steps

Gather a sturdy box, cushioning and 2-inch or wider packing tape.
Weigh and measure the packed box.
Price it in the USPS calculator and on ups.com and fedex.com.
Buy the label online and drop it off, or schedule a free USPS pickup.
Shipping regularly? See our small business shipping guide and our USPS rate guide.