Discount Shipping Labels 2026: Save Up to 89% Today

Shipping costs can feel like a moving target, especially with carriers raising their rates every year. For businesses and individuals, finding ways to save on postage isn’t just a nice bonus, it’s a critical part of managing a budget. The good news is that paying full retail price at the post office or a carrier store is no longer your only option. The solution lies in using shipping discounts and discount shipping labels, which are most easily accessed through online shipping platforms.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about securing lower shipping rates. We will explore how these discounts work, where to find them, and how they can significantly impact your bottom line, whether you ship one package a month or a thousand a day.

Why Discounted Shipping Rates Are a Game Changer

The benefits of discounted shipping rates are straightforward and powerful. At its core, it means you spend less money sending packages, which directly boosts your profitability and helps you stay competitive.

High shipping costs are a major pain point for businesses and a huge turnoff for customers. Studies show that about 60% of online shoppers abandon their carts because of extra costs like shipping. In today’s market, customers almost expect cheap or free shipping. In fact, 75% of consumers anticipate free shipping, even if it requires a minimum order amount. Using discount shipping labels makes it possible to meet these expectations without sacrificing your profit margins. By saving money on each shipment, you can pass those savings on to your customers through promotions, building loyalty and increasing sales.

What Exactly Is a Discounted Shipping Label?

A discounted shipping label is a regular shipping label that you purchase for less than the standard retail price. It’s the same official postage, with the same tracking and delivery service, but you get it at a lower cost through special pricing programs or online platforms.

Instead of paying full price at a carrier’s counter, you can access these cheaper rates online. The savings can be substantial, often ranging from 5% to over 50% depending on the carrier and service. For example, a USPS Priority Mail label printed online can be up to 35% cheaper than the one you would buy at the post office. These discount shipping labels are 100% legitimate and your package is treated no differently in the mail stream. The only difference is what you paid.

How to Buy a Discounted Shipping Label

Getting your hands on discount shipping labels is easier than you might think. You generally have two options.

1. Negotiate Directly with Carriers: High volume shippers can often negotiate custom rates directly with carriers like UPS and FedEx. This usually requires consistent and substantial shipping activity.
2. Use an Online Shipping Platform: This is the easiest and most accessible method for everyone, from individuals to small businesses.

Online shipping software and marketplaces have pre negotiated massive discounts with carriers by pooling the shipping volume of all their users. They then pass these savings directly to you, often with no monthly fees or volume minimums. Platforms like ShipStation, Pirate Ship, and Shippo allow you to sign up for free and instantly access savings of up to 89% on USPS and 85% on UPS rates.

The process is simple: you create an account, enter your package details, and the platform shows you discounted rates from multiple carriers. You choose the best option, pay for the label online, and print it from home, ideally with a shipping label printer. To see which service offers the best deal for your specific package, using a free tool like the Online Shipping Calculator can instantly show you side by side prices.

Understanding Where the Discounts Come From

The world of shipping discounts can seem complex, but most savings come from a few key pricing structures. Understanding these will help you find the best deals.

USPS Commercial Pricing

USPS Commercial Pricing is the discounted rate structure the postal service offers to anyone who buys postage online. If you have ever printed a label from a service like Stamps.com or even eBay, you have benefited from these rates. This pricing is always cheaper than what you would pay at the post office counter. For a deeper overview of services and price factors, see our USPS shipping guide.

Commercial Base Pricing (CBP) is the standard online rate that requires no minimum shipping volume. You can get savings of up to 52% on Priority Mail and 26% on First Class Package Service compared to retail prices.

The Click N Ship Discounted Rate

A Click N Ship discounted rate is a specific example of USPS Commercial Pricing. Click N Ship is the USPS’s own free online tool for printing labels. When you use it, you automatically pay the lower commercial rates for services like Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and USPS Ground Advantage. This allows you to save money and skip the line at the post office.

UPS Discounted Rates

UPS also offers significant discounts, especially through its Digital Access Program, which partners with online shipping platforms. Through these partnerships, small businesses and individuals can access savings of up to 82% off standard UPS Daily Rates. Some programs even waive common fees like residential surcharges, adding to the savings. These pre negotiated discount shipping labels make UPS an affordable option for many shippers.

Pre Negotiated Carrier Discounts

This is the “group discount” model mentioned earlier. Shipping software companies leverage the combined volume of all their customers to secure deep discounts from carriers. A single small business might not ship enough to qualify for great rates, but by using a platform, it gets to share in the savings negotiated for millions of packages. For example, Shopify merchants can save up to 88% on USPS services because of Shopify’s pre negotiated deal.

Business Rate Card Discounts

For companies that ship in very high volumes, negotiating a business rate card discount directly with a carrier is common. Carriers publish standard rate cards, but large shippers can get a custom contract with a set percentage off those list prices. For instance, the FedEx Advantage Program offers 5% to 50% off services based on a shipper’s activity. These agreements help offset annual rate increases and keep costs predictable.

Finding the Absolute Cheapest Way to Ship a Package

There is no single “cheapest” shipping service because the best option always depends on your package’s weight, dimensions, and destination.

• For lightweight packages (under 1 lb), USPS is generally the most cost effective choice.
• For heavier or larger parcels, UPS or FedEx Ground often offer better rates; here’s how to decide which is cheaper, UPS or USPS for your box.

The key is to compare your options for every single shipment. For dense, small loads, don’t forget to price USPS Flat Rate Boxes alongside variable-rate services. Manually checking each carrier’s website is time consuming; if you’re unsure what drives price, this primer on how to calculate shipping costs can help. A much faster approach is to use a multi carrier rate comparison tool. A resource like the Online Shipping Calculator helps you find the cheapest way to ship by showing you discounted rates from USPS, UPS, and FedEx all in one place.

A Secret Weapon: Priority Mail Cubic Rates

One of the best kept secrets for saving money with USPS is Priority Mail Cubic. This special commercial only rate is based on the package’s volume (its dimensions) instead of its weight, as long as it weighs 20 pounds or less.

To qualify, a package must be 0.50 cubic feet or smaller and have no side longer than 18 inches. For small, heavy items like books, machine parts, or jars, Cubic pricing can offer massive savings over standard weight based rates. While USPS once required shippers to send 50,000 packages annually to access these rates, many online shipping platforms now offer Priority Mail Cubic pricing to all their users, regardless of volume.

Frequently Asked Questions About Discount Shipping Labels

Are discount shipping labels only for businesses?

No, anyone can get them. Online shipping platforms make commercial rates available to both individuals and businesses without any volume requirements.

Is a discounted shipping label legitimate postage?

Absolutely. It is a 100% valid shipping label that provides the exact same service, tracking, and insurance as a label purchased at full retail price. The carrier treats your package the same way.

Do I need to pay a subscription to get discount shipping labels?

Often, no. Many popular shipping services let you create an account and print discount shipping labels with no monthly fees. You simply pay for the postage on each label you buy.

How do I use a discounted shipping label?

After purchasing the label online, you print it on regular paper or a self adhesive sticker and attach it securely to your package. Then, you can drop the package off at a carrier location or schedule a free USPS pickup. You get to bypass the retail counter, saving both time and money.