Introduction
Have you ever wondered how to send books, CDs, DVDs, or other educational materials affordably through the mail? If so, Media Mail might be the perfect solution for you. Designed specifically for shipping media items, it offers a cost-effective way to send educational and media materials across the United States. In this blog post, we’ll dive into what it is, what items are eligible, and how you can use it to save on your shipping costs.
What is Media Mail?
Media Mail is a shipping service offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that provides reduced postage rates for sending educational and media-related materials. Introduced in 1938, it was created to promote the distribution of educational materials across the country at a lower cost. This service is ideal for anyone looking to send books, sound recordings, and other media items without breaking the bank.
Eligible Items
Here is a list of items that are eligible:
- Books: Printed books that are at least 8 pages long.
- Sound Recordings: CDs, DVDs, records, and other sound recordings.
- Video Recordings: VHS tapes, DVDs, and other video formats.
- Printed Music: Sheet music and other printed musical scores.
- Educational Materials: Printed educational materials, test materials, and educational reference charts.
- Computer-Readable Media: Disks, CDs, and other computer-readable media containing pre-recorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.
Ineligible Items
Certain items are not allowed to be shipped using Media Mail, including:
- Advertisements: Any media that contains advertising, except for incidental announcements of books.
- Magazines and Newspapers: Periodicals and other printed materials containing advertisements.
- Non-Media Items: Items such as stationery, blank notebooks, coloring books, or any non-media merchandise.
Benefits of Using Media Mail
It offers several advantages for those looking to ship educational and media materials:
- Cost-Effective: Media Mail rates are significantly lower than other USPS services, making it an affordable option for shipping heavy media items.
- No Distance Restrictions: The cost is based on the weight of the package, not the distance it travels, providing predictable and straightforward pricing.
- Tracking: Media Mail includes USPS tracking, so you can keep an eye on your package as it makes its way to its destination.
How to Send a Media Mail Package on Thryft Ship
Available starting August 25th 2024:
After filling out your package details on Thryft Ship, select the the check mark at the bottom that says “this item is eligible for media mail”, then select get rates. This will allow the media mail option to show on your rates page.
