Label adjustments
USPS shipping label adjustment explainer.
Type the weight and size on your label and the weight and size USPS measured. The page reprices both and names the published rule that changed the price.
Label against measured
Result
What this page answers
When a label is corrected after it ships, the new charge is not arbitrary: the price came from two different sets of numbers. USPS prices a Ground Advantage parcel from weight, size and zone using published rules, so the gap between the label and the correction can be traced to a specific rule. This page reprices both versions and lists which rules moved the price.
It explains direction and size. It cannot see what USPS actually measured, and a correction on your account may be priced from a different table than the retail list used here.
How it is calculated
Weight tiers. Notice 123 prices Ground Advantage retail parcels by weight not over a tier: 4, 8, 12 and 15.999 oz, then each whole pound up to 70. A parcel that weighs 3.4 lb is priced as 4 lb.
Dimensional weight. Over 1,728 cubic inches, postage uses the greater of actual and dimensional weight (each dimension rounded up, divided by 139, rounded up; DMM 133 section 1.4).
Fees and oversize. Longest side over 22 in adds $4.50, over 30 in adds $10.00, over 2 cubic feet adds $21.00, certain characteristics add $4.50, and length + girth over 108 in and up to 130 in pays the oversized price.
Worked example: two ways a label changes
Weight only: a 12 x 9 x 6 in parcel labelled at 3 lb but measured at 3.4 lb, zone 5. The 3 lb tier is $15.70 and the 4 lb tier is $17.80, so the correction is +$2.10. Nothing else in the price rules changed.
Size: a parcel labelled 14 x 10 x 8 in at 4 lb (1,120 cubic inches, no dimensional weight, $17.80 at zone 5) but measured 18 x 12 x 10 in (2,160 cubic inches). 2,160 / 139 = 15.54, which rounds up to 16 lb, now above the 4 lb actual weight. The 16 lb zone 5 price is $32.95, a difference of +$15.15.
Where this stops
This is Ground Advantage retail list pricing from Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026. Labels bought through a marketplace, a shipping platform or a commercial account can be priced from commercial or cubic tables, and any correction follows USPS measurements this page cannot see. Priority Mail and other services have their own tables. The page does not read or cite any specific seller complaint about corrections; it applies only the published rules.
Sources
- USPS Notice 123 Price List, effective October 4, 2026: USPS Ground Advantage Retail parcels table and its notes (retrieved 2026-10-26)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 133, section 1.4 Dimensional Weight Price for Low-Density Parcels; steps marked [7-12-26] (retrieved 2026-10-26)
Carriers revise prices and rules during the year. Confirm against the live documents before relying on a figure for a contract or a dispute. This is a calculator, not a carrier quote.
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedA parcel that weighs 3.1 pounds is priced like a 3 pound parcel.
What the source saysNotice 123 lists Ground Advantage retail prices by weight not over each tier. A parcel just over 3 pounds falls in the 4 pound row, which in zone 5 is $17.80 against $15.70 for 3 pounds. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
FAQ
Why did USPS charge more after I printed the label?
The label was priced from the weight and size you entered. If USPS measured a higher weight tier, a volume over 1 cubic foot that makes dimensional weight higher than actual weight, or a length, cube or characteristic that adds a fee, the price under the published rules is higher. This page shows which of those moved.
Is a weight of 3.1 lb priced as 3 lb or 4 lb?
As 4 lb. Notice 123 lists Ground Advantage retail parcels by weight not over each whole-pound tier, so any fraction of a pound moves the parcel to the next tier.
How do I avoid an adjustment?
Weigh the packed parcel, not the product, and round each dimension up to a whole inch before you buy the label, since USPS rounds dimensions up for dimensional weight. Check the longest side against 22 in and 30 in, and the volume against 1,728 and 3,456 cubic inches.
Does this show the exact amount USPS will charge?
No. It reprices two sets of numbers with the retail list, which shows why a price moved and by roughly how much. The actual correction depends on USPS measurements and on the price table your account uses.