Getting the lowest cost shipping
You can cut your postage and supply costs without shipping in bulk or negotiating rates. Here is how.
USPS Discounts
For small packages inside the US, USPS is the easiest discount to get—no negotiation, no volume minimum. You just need an account with software that sells USPS postage at the Commercial Rate, up to 90% below the post office counter. It’s a strong default, but not automatically the cheapest—UPS often undercuts it, even on light boxes. Our calculator compares every carrier in one search, so you can see the lowest price before you buy a label.
Start with Stamps.com. It’s the simplest way in: sign up through this link for a $100 value in sign-up offers—no coupon code to enter, and much of it arrives as postage coupons by mail. You get USPS Commercial Rates, a clean label-printing interface, a free four-week trial, and no business required. It prints discounted UPS and FedEx labels too, so you compare every carrier in one place—then schedule a free pickup and skip the post office entirely. 
What commercial pricing actually saves. The same 9″ × 6″ × 3″ box, Los Angeles → New York—retail straight from USPS’s calculator, commercial from ours:
| USPS Priority Mail | Post office (retail) | Online (commercial) | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-pound box | $36.90 | $13.74 | 63% |
| 20-pound box | $109.40 | $13.74 | 87% |
Look at the online column: the same $13.74 at 5 pounds and at 20. USPS Cubic pricing charges by size, not weight, so a heavy box ships for the price of a light one—$109.40 at the counter, under $14 online. Cubic is unbeatable for small, heavy things: tools, auto parts, canned goods. The only catch is the dimensions—the longest side under 18 inches (22 in 2026), the weight under 20 pounds. A Stamps.com account applies it for you.
Two things worth knowing. USPS Ground Advantage is the cheapest tracked service for most parcels—up to 70 lb, two to five days, with tracking and $100 insurance. And even without software, USPS’s Enhanced Click-N-Ship now gives every account commercial pricing—about 20% below the counter, no subscription—since USPS retired its loyalty program in 2023. Full software saves far more and adds Cubic.
Compare the platforms
Any of these platforms gets you discounted rates without a carrier contract or a volume commitment. Here is how the main options stack up:
| Service | Monthly fee | Carriers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stamps.com | Free trial, then paid plan | USPS, UPS, FedEx | Occasional shippers who want the $100 sign-up offer |
| Shippo | Free plan | USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL | Comparing all four carriers in one place, plus API access |
| Pirate Ship | Free plan | USPS, UPS | A no-frills free option for USPS and UPS only |
| ShipStation | Free trial, then paid plan | USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL | Multi-carrier shipping for multi-channel e-commerce stores (US, UK, AU/NZ) |
| EasyShip | Free plan | USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL | International sellers (expect KYC: a selfie and photo ID such as a driver’s license) |
UPS Discounts
Don’t assume USPS is the cheapest. It’s a myth that USPS always wins on small packages—at commercial rates, UPS Ground Saver usually undercuts it. The same 9″ × 6″ × 3″ box, Los Angeles → New York:
| 9″ × 6″ × 3″ box, LA → NY | USPS Ground Advantage | UPS Ground Saver | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-pound box | $9.54 | $8.76 | UPS |
| 5-pound box | $9.54 | $8.72 | UPS |
| 10-pound box | $9.54 | $9.03 | UPS |
Where UPS wins big: heavy boxes. Those small-box gaps are pennies; on heavy boxes they become real money. The same 12″ × 10″ × 8″ box, LA → New York, at commercial rates:
| Box weight | USPS (cheapest) | UPS Ground | You save with UPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 lb | $96.60 | $46.35 | $50 (52%) |
| 50 lb | $150.27 | $67.88 | $82 (55%) |
| 70 lb | $191.31 | $106.87 | $84 (44%) |
On a 50-pound box that’s $82 saved every shipment—no UPS contract or volume required. The easiest way to print these UPS rates is Stamps.com, which sells discounted UPS labels at deep savings off daily rates right alongside USPS.
No software? Two alternatives. You can’t combine these with each other or with software rates—pick the one that fits:
Promo codes on UPS.com. If you’d rather not sign up for a shipping platform, UPS publishes online promo codes: up to 20% off Ground, 45% off Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, and 3-Day Select, and 50% off Worldwide Services, plus 25% off the residential and delivery-area surcharges. Enter code
DeliverorUPSAMEXin the promo field when you pay on UPS.com. The codes don’t work at The UPS Store or on Simple Rate packages.UPSAMEXreflects a partnership with American Express, which extends UPS discounts to targeted Business cardholders—check your Amex offers first.Membership discounts. AAA and AARP members save at The UPS Store. Many professional associations also offer UPS account discounts, including IEEE, the APA, AMTA, the American Bar Association, the ADA, and SEMA. Check any organization you belong to.
FedEx Discounts
FedEx offers several ways to save, often through partner companies, so it pays to check which you qualify for. Open a free FedEx account and you get up to 30% off FedEx Express services right away. For deeper discounts, take one of these steps.
FedEx Advantage saves up to 50% on Express shipping. You reach it through a membership or card you may already hold—not through shipping software:
- Associations enroll members directly, including USAA, AFS, Associated Builders and Contractors, the AICPA, and the US Chamber of Commerce. Check yours.
- American Express extends FedEx Advantage to its cardholders.
FedEx Platform accounts (the shipping-software route). This is how platforms like Stamps.com and ShipStation discount FedEx: a FedEx Platform Account with pre-negotiated rates up to 90% off Express, Ground, and International Connect Plus, with no volume requirement. Bring your own FedEx account or ship straight on the platform’s rates; the account also unlocks FedEx Ground Economy and Ground Returns.
Free Shipping Supplies
If you have a thermal label printer that takes non-proprietary labels, you can use the free 4” x 6” labels carriers give their account holders. You are not required to buy their branded labels. Our guide can help you choose the best shipping label printer for your needs.
Free FedEx labels. Order free FedEx labels once you are logged in to a FedEx account.
FedEx offers several electronic label types, including fanfold, thermal, laser, and Zebra. You can order FedEx boxes and pouches from the same page.Free UPS labels. UPS also gives account holders free labels and supplies.
Sign in to order supplies, then open “Packaging and Shipping Supplies” and choose “Labels and Stickers.”For a laser or inkjet printer, search for the “WorldShip Peel and Stick Label.” Instead of a 4” x 6.25” roll, you get 50 letter-sized sheets, each holding two self-adhesive 8.5” x 5.5” labels.
The labels ship free, but you still need a UPS account number with a credit card on file.
Free USPS boxes and labels. USPS provides free boxes, envelopes, and labels for Priority and Express Mail, including its flat-rate boxes.
Your local post office usually stocks a few varieties. For the shoe box, mailing tube, cremated-remains kit, or board-game box, you may have to order online. All of it ships free, and you can use it only with USPS postage; a FedEx or UPS label won’t do. Order free USPS shipping supplies here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a business to get commercial shipping rates?
No. Commercial rates are about how you buy postage, not who you are. A free Shippo account or a Stamps.com trial gives you USPS commercial pricing with no business license and no minimum volume — you can ship a single package and still pay the discounted rate.
What is the difference between retail and commercial rates?
Retail rates are the prices posted at the post office counter. Commercial rates are the discounted prices USPS gives shippers who print labels online or through approved software. The savings range from a few percent on flat-rate packages to as much as 89% on Priority Mail Cubic.
Is USPS Click-N-Ship cheaper than the post office counter?
Yes. Every USPS.com account now prints at up to 20% below counter prices through Enhanced Click-N-Ship, with no subscription and no minimum volume. Full commercial software such as Stamps.com or Shippo goes deeper still, and unlocks Cubic pricing that Click-N-Ship does not.
Can I get UPS or FedEx discounts without shipping in volume?
Yes. Open a free UPS or FedEx account and you save right away, and printing labels through Stamps.com, Shippo, or ShipStation gives commercial UPS, FedEx, and DHL rates with no contract. UPS also publishes online promo codes, and many memberships and credit cards extend UPS and FedEx Advantage discounts.