Don't Overstuff Priority Mail Envelopes, Says USPS

It may be very tempting during the holidays to overstuff your Priority Mail® envelopes, as after all the Post Office™ says “if it fits it ships”, right? That is quite a bit of a stretch of the Priority Mail catchphrase. The U.S. Postal Service® is reminding holiday shippers to resist the urge to turn Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes into “kangaroo pouches” by overstuffing them – even if the envelope can be sealed.

The USPS is encouraging employees to remind customers that manipulating or reconfiguring a Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope by exceeding its capacity won’t help them save money. Although the packages can be accepted, they will be weighed and zoned accordingly using the regular Priority Mail price instead of the flat-rate charge.

The Postal Service’s regulations note that tape may be used on the flaps and seams to reinforce the container “provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way.” This simply means that a small bulge is ok, but an overstuffed envelope isn’t.

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