USPS Non-Standard Fees and Dimension Noncompliance Fees will go into effect on April 3, 2022.
What are the USPS Non-Standard Fees?
The USPS Non-Standard Fees are new fees that will be assessed on packages that incur manual handling costs, such as when the dimensions exceed the automated sortation requirements.
The table below shows the fees that will be added to parcels that exceed certain dimensions. “Length” refers to the longest dimension of the parcel.
| Dimension |
Fee |
|---|---|
| IMpb Noncompliant Fee or eVS Unmanifested Fee | 0.25 |
| Nonstandard Length fee > 22"<=30" | 4.00 |
| Nonstandard Length fee > 30" | 7.00 |
| Nonstandard Volume fee > 2 cu. ft. | 15.00 |
| Dimension Noncompliance Fee | 1.50 |
A package may be assessed both a Length fee and the Cube fee, but will not be assessed multiple Length fees. For example, a package 31” long and over 2 cubic feet, will be assessed $30.00 (>30” fee of $15 and >2 cu. ft. fee of $15).
Services affected: Domestic retail and commercial Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail pieces, First-Class Package Service-Retail, USPS Retail Ground (including USPS Retail Ground LOR), and Parcel Select (Destination Entry, Ground, PSLW, USPS Connect Local) pieces
What are the Dimension Noncompliance Fees?
The Dimension Noncompliance Fee is a new fee of $1.50 that will be assessed on commercial parcels that are greater than one cubic foot or have a length greater than 22 inches, if the dimensions provided in the electronic manifest file are missing or inaccurate.
Services affected: Commercial Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail, and Parcel Select (Destination Entry, Ground, PSLW, and USPS Connect Local) mailpieces.
When will these fees take effect?
The new fees were proposed in November as part of the January 9, 2022 shipping rate changes. The USPS delayed the implementation of these fees. Both the USPS Non-Standard Fees and the Dimension Noncompliance Fees will take effect April 3, 2022.
Why were the new fees delayed?
The USPS delayed the implementation of the new fees to provide the industry with additional time to plan and adjust for the proposed changes. This aligns with USPS declared intent to be judicious in their pricing decisions and responsive to the needs of their customers.
How can you avoid the new surcharges?
Keep your packaging as small as possible. When it comes to shipping, smaller is almost always better. A good start is to make sure that the longest dimension of your box or envelope doesn’t exceed 22 inches in length. And, remember to measure your packaging accurately.
Leverage free USPS Priority Mail packaging
This one is pretty simple. Take advantage of the free Priority Mail boxes that you can have delivered right to your door, and you can avoid the new surcharges. You can order free Priority Mail packaging from the USPS website or order a Priority Mail Starter Kit here. Using these boxes for your shipping and mailing helps you automatically avoid the non-standard fees. You can also order free Priority Mail Express packaging on the USPS website.