Cheap Shipping Labels: 2025 Guide to USPS, UPS & FedEx Rates

• 9 min read

Paying full price for shipping is a thing of the past. Whether you’re an Etsy seller, a small business owner, or just mailing a gift, you can access deep discounts on postage. The secret lies in knowing how to find and print cheap shipping labels online instead of waiting in line at the post office.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know. We’ll cover where these discounts come from, how to compare carriers to find the lowest price, and the tools that make getting cheap shipping labels a breeze.

What Are Cheap Shipping Labels Anyway?

A cheap shipping label isn’t a lower quality product. It’s the exact same official shipping label from carriers like USPS, UPS, or FedEx, just purchased at a discounted rate. Instead of paying the retail price you see at a physical counter, you’re accessing commercial pricing that carriers offer to businesses and online shippers.

These discounts are significant. For example, USPS Commercial Pricing is always cheaper than what you pay at the Post Office. Some services, like First Class Package Service, can be over 50% cheaper when you print the label online. By getting cheap shipping labels, you’re simply shipping smarter, not cutting corners.

Understanding Discounted Shipping Rates

Every cheap shipping label is made possible by a discounted shipping rate. This is any price that’s lower than the carrier’s standard public rate. These discounts come from a few key sources:

  • Online Postage Providers: Simply buying postage online, even directly from USPS, often grants you an automatic commercial discount.
  • High Volume Agreements: Large companies negotiate lower rates directly with carriers based on the huge number of packages they ship.
  • Third Party Platforms: Shipping software companies pool the volume of all their users to negotiate enterprise level discounts and then pass those savings on to you.

High shipping costs can be a deal breaker for customers, with nearly 70% of online shoppers abandoning their carts because of extra fees. Using discounted rates allows you to lower those costs and keep your customers happy.

How to Find the Cheapest Shipping Option Every Time

No single carrier is the cheapest for every package. USPS is typically the most affordable for lightweight parcels (under two pounds), while UPS and FedEx often become more cost effective for heavier or larger boxes (see our comparison on which is cheaper, UPS or USPS).

Step 1: Use a Carrier Rate Comparison Tool

The most efficient method is to perform a carrier rate comparison. If you’re new to this, here’s how to calculate shipping costs. This involves evaluating rates from multiple carriers side by side for the exact same package. Doing this manually by visiting each carrier’s website is time consuming.

A far better approach is using a multi carrier shipping rate calculator. Tools like the Online Shipping Calculator let you enter your package’s details once to see instant quotes from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and others. This immediately highlights the cheapest courier option without the guesswork, helping you avoid overspending.

Step 2: Print Your Labels from Home

Once you’ve found the best rate, the next step is home shipping label printing. This means using your computer and a standard printer to generate the official label. You can simply print it on regular paper and tape it securely to your package.

Printing labels at home is not just convenient, it’s a primary way to unlock savings. Carriers reward you for doing the work yourself with lower rates. Plus, you can often schedule a free package pickup from USPS, meaning you can handle the entire shipping process without ever leaving your house.

Where Do All These Shipping Discounts Come From?

The savings you get on cheap shipping labels aren’t random. They come from specific agreements and programs designed to incentivize shippers.

Pre Negotiated vs. Carrier Negotiated Discounts

There are two main types of discounts you’ll encounter:

  • Pre Negotiated Discount: This is the most common type for small businesses and individuals. A third party, like a shipping software platform or an e commerce marketplace, has already done the hard work of negotiating low rates with carriers. When you use their service, you automatically get access to these powerful discounts. Platforms like Pirate Ship, for example, pass on savings of up to 87% by leveraging these pre negotiated deals.
  • Carrier Negotiated Discount: This is a custom discount a business obtains by negotiating directly with a carrier representative. Traditionally, these were reserved for very high volume shippers, but the market has grown more competitive. In 2024, analysts noted that even small and medium sized businesses began receiving “exceptional discounts” as carriers competed for their business.

For most people, leveraging pre negotiated rates through software is the simplest and fastest path to saving money.

Shipping Software Discounts: Your Easiest Path to Savings

The most powerful way to access cheap shipping labels is through shipping software. These platforms offer what’s known as a shipping software discount, which are the pre negotiated rates they pass on to their users.

Many of these software solutions are free to use for certain volumes, giving you access to huge savings at no upfront cost. For example, some free plans let you ship up to 50 packages a month while unlocking discounts like:

  • Up to 89% off USPS
  • Up to 90% off UPS 2nd Day Air
  • Up to 46% off USPS Priority Mail

These platforms streamline your entire workflow. Besides providing cheap shipping labels, they can import orders, print labels in batches, and send tracking notifications to your customers.

Business Rate Card Discounts

For businesses with consistent shipping volume, a business rate card discount is a more formal version of a negotiated rate. The carrier provides a customized pricing sheet with lower rates for various services. These discounts are based on your shipping volume, but programs like the FedEx Advantage Program offer pre set discounts to small businesses without strict volume requirements, providing savings up to 50% on certain Express services.

Making Shipping Efficient: Tools and Special Services

Getting cheap shipping labels is the first step. These tools and services help you manage the entire process more efficiently.

Bulk Shipping Label Printing

If you’re shipping more than a few orders at a time, bulk shipping label printing is a massive time saver. Instead of creating labels one by one, shipping software allows you to select multiple orders and print all the labels in a single batch. This improves efficiency and reduces errors, as address information is pulled directly from your order data.

Managing Returns with Ease

A return label is a prepaid, pre‑addressed label that allows a customer to send a product back. A simple and free returns process is crucial for customer satisfaction, as reports show 92% of consumers will buy from a merchant again if returns are easy. Most shipping software can generate these labels for you, often only charging you if the label is actually used.

Don’t Have a Printer? No Problem.

Recognizing that not everyone has a printer, USPS offers clever solutions:

  1. USPS Label Broker® Service: This free service lets you take a QR code to a participating Post Office. The clerk scans the code and prints the label for you on the spot. It’s a perfect solution for handling online returns when the customer can’t print the label you send them.
  2. USPS Label Delivery™ Service: For a small fee, USPS will physically print and mail a shipping label directly to an address. While slower, it ensures that a lack of equipment is never a barrier to shipping a package.

The USPS Click N Ship Automatic Discount

Even if you don’t use third party software, you can still get a discount directly from the source. The USPS Click N Ship automatic discount means that anyone who buys postage on the USPS website automatically receives Commercial Rates. This change made it so that casual online shippers no longer pay the higher retail prices, guaranteeing a better rate than you’d get at the counter.

Shipping Abroad: International Flat Rate Labels

An international flat rate shipping label is for sending a package overseas for a single, predetermined price, as long as it fits in USPS Flat Rate Boxes (for USPS) and is under the weight limit (usually 20 lbs for USPS). This simplifies international shipping costs, making it a popular choice for sending heavier items to other countries. You can even get small commercial discounts on these labels when purchasing them online.

Your Questions About Cheap Shipping Labels Answered

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the easiest way to get cheap shipping labels?
The simplest method is to use a free online shipping platform or a rate comparison tool. These services provide immediate access to pre negotiated discounts with major carriers like USPS and UPS without requiring any monthly fees or shipping volume.

2. Are cheap shipping labels from third party websites legitimate?
Yes, absolutely. Reputable shipping software platforms are authorized partners of the carriers. The labels they generate are official, scannable, and include valid tracking numbers. You’re simply benefiting from their bulk volume discounts.

3. Can I get cheap shipping labels without a subscription or monthly fee?
Yes. Many excellent shipping software providers offer completely free plans that give you access to the deepest discounts available for USPS and UPS. Additionally, using a tool like the Online Shipping Calculator to compare rates is always free.

4. Is USPS always the cheapest carrier?
Not always. While USPS is often the cheapest for packages under 2 pounds, UPS and FedEx frequently offer better rates for heavier and larger shipments. The only way to know for sure is to compare rates for each specific package.

5. How much can I really save with discounted shipping rates?
The savings can be substantial, often ranging from 20% to over 80% off retail prices. For USPS Priority Mail, online discounts are commonly 15% to 30% cheaper. For UPS, discounts through software can reach 85% or more off daily rates.

6. Do I need a special thermal printer for home shipping label printing?
No, a special printer is not required. You can print a perfectly valid shipping label on regular paper using any standard inkjet or laser printer and attach it with clear packing tape. While thermal printers are more efficient for high‑volume sellers, they are not necessary to get started.