Since July 12, 2026, commercial Ground Advantage dropped its ounce tiers under a pound. What it costs card, jewelry and accessory sellers, and how to adjust.
Updated October 7, 2026
Before you start
Since July 12, 2026, commercial Ground Advantage dropped its ounce tiers under a pound. What it costs card, jewelry and accessory sellers, and how to adjust.
On July 12, 2026, USPS commercial pricing for Ground Advantage stopped charging less for lighter packages under 1 lb. You now pay the 15.99 oz rate for your zone on every package under a pound.
If you ship tiny items, your label costs went up by a dollar or more on some packages. Check the current USPS price list before relying on any figure.
Kit for this
The products this guide uses, with typical US prices.
500 g precision pocket scale
Card orders often sit a fraction of an ounce from a postage price break. A precise small scale tells you whether a mailer stays in the cheaper weight step.
Typical price$8 to $15
See on Amazon
Kraft bubble mailers, #0, 100 pack
Enough padding for a lipstick, a small figure or a sealed booster pack, with no box to fold.
Typical price$16 to $28
See on AmazonGray poly mailers, 10 × 13 in, 100 pack
Self-seal poly mailers add almost no weight, so one garment usually ships at the lightest Ground Advantage tier. The film is opaque gray, so it hides the contents, and a 4 × 6 label sits flat on it.
Typical price$8 to $15
See on Amazon
Prices and size limits
Published prices for each service, with the size and weight it takes. Prices checked October 7, 2026.
| Service | Max size | Max weight | Tracking | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Standard Envelope | 6.1 × 11.5 × 0.2 in | 3 oz | Tracked | $0.82 to $1.40 |
| USPS First-Class letter (stamped envelope) | 6.1 × 11.5 × 0.2 in | 3 oz | Not tracked | $0.82 to $1.60 |
| USPS Cubic via Pirate Ship | 12 × 12 × 6 in | 20 lb | Tracked | $6.00 to $15.00 |
| USPS Ground Advantage, under 1 lb | 1 lb | Tracked | $6.93 to $8.95 | |
| USPS Ground Advantage, 1 to 2 lb | 2 lb | Tracked | $7.61 to $13.42 | |
| USPS Ground Advantage, up to 3 lb | 3 lb | Tracked | $8.64 to $16.30 | |
| FedEx Home Delivery, up to 5 lb | 5 lb | Tracked | $12.00 to $25.00 | |
| UPS Ground, up to 5 lb | 5 lb | Tracked | $12.00 to $25.00 | |
| USPS Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box | 8.6 × 5.4 × 1.6 in | 70 lb | Tracked | $12.10 to $14.65 |
| USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box | 11 × 8.5 × 5.5 in | 70 lb | Tracked | $21.17 to $25.80 |
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
What changed
Before July, commercial Ground Advantage had separate prices for up to 4 oz, 8 oz, 12 oz and up to 1 lb. Now one price covers everything under a pound in each zone, set at the old top tier.
Retail prices at the Post Office counter stayed the same and still step up at 8 oz, but the commercial labels most platforms and label sites sell use the flat sub-pound price.
Who it hits hardest
If you sell single trading cards, earrings, phone cases or patches, this hits you hardest. A 3 oz package that used to price at the lowest tier now costs the same as a 15 oz one.
If you sell clothing, you'll notice less: most tops and jeans already weighed 8 to 15 oz packed. Heavier packages over a pound are priced as before.
Raise shipping or build it into price
Update the shipping charge on listings where buyers pay a set amount. An old $4.50 shipping price on a 3 oz item may now lose money on far zones.
On platforms with free shipping, add the difference to the item price. Check a zone 8 label for your heaviest sub-pound item to see the worst case.
Cheaper options for flat items
Raw cards under $20 on eBay can go by eBay Standard Envelope, a tracked letter service priced well under a package rate. Check eBay's rules on size, weight and value.
A plain stamped envelope is cheaper still for low-value cards, but it has no tracking, so you lose more buyer protection claims.
Kit for this step
Bundle to use the full pound
The price is flat up to 15.99 oz, so a second or third item in the same package adds nothing to your shipping cost. Offer bundle discounts and combined shipping.
On Whatnot, bundling all of a buyer's wins from one show into one package already does this.
Kit for this step
Weigh right around the 1 lb line
A package at 16.1 oz jumps to the 1 lb rate. Weigh every packed item near the line and trim the packing if it goes over.
Use a pocket scale accurate to a tenth of an ounce to catch a package over 1 lb before you print the label.
Kit for this step
Checklist
Run through it before each one goes out.
- 1Find your listings that ship under 1 lb
- 2Check a zone 8 label price for each
- 3Raise flat shipping charges where they lose money
- 4Use eBay Standard Envelope for eligible cards
- 5Offer bundle discounts on light items
- 6Weigh packages close to 16 oz
Setups
Complete kits for one kind of seller, costed and laid out.
Questions
Straight answers to what sellers ask about this.
When did the under-1-lb change start?
July 12, 2026, with the USPS summer price change. Check usps.com for the current price list.
Does it affect retail postage at the Post Office?
No. USPS left retail prices unchanged. The change applies to the commercial prices label platforms use.
Do Poshmark labels change?
Poshmark sets its own label price for buyers. Check Poshmark's help center for the current amount.
Is Priority Mail affected?
No. This change concerns Ground Advantage commercial pricing only.
How do I ship single cards cheaply now?
eBay Standard Envelope for eligible eBay sales, or a stamped envelope for low-value cards you are willing to risk without tracking.
Will the tiers come back?
USPS hasn't said. Check its price change notices each January and July.