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USPS Media Mail rates by weight.
Price a book, music or recording shipment by the pound, with the full Media Mail table and the official list of what qualifies.
Media Mail retail is $4.39 for the first pound, $5.13 for 2 lb, $7.34 for 5 lb and $11.02 for 10 lb. It is not zone-based and only qualifying contents (books, printed music, recordings) are eligible.
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USPS Media Mail rates by weight
Media Mail is charged per pound or fraction of a pound; any fraction counts as a whole pound and the minimum is 1 lb (DMM 173.1.2). Prices do not depend on zone. The maximum in the table is 70 lb.
| Weight | Retail price |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 lb | $4.39 |
| Up to 2 lb | $5.13 |
| Up to 3 lb | $5.86 |
| Up to 4 lb | $6.60 |
| Up to 5 lb | $7.34 |
| Up to 6 lb | $8.08 |
| Up to 7 lb | $8.81 |
| Up to 8 lb | $9.55 |
| Up to 9 lb | $10.29 |
| Up to 10 lb | $11.02 |
| Up to 11 lb | $11.76 |
| Up to 12 lb | $12.50 |
| Up to 13 lb | $13.23 |
| Up to 14 lb | $13.97 |
| Up to 15 lb | $14.71 |
| Up to 16 lb | $15.44 |
| Up to 17 lb | $16.18 |
| Up to 18 lb | $16.92 |
| Up to 19 lb | $17.65 |
| Up to 20 lb | $18.39 |
| Up to 21 lb | $19.13 |
| Up to 22 lb | $19.86 |
| Up to 23 lb | $20.60 |
| Up to 24 lb | $21.34 |
| Up to 25 lb | $22.07 |
| Up to 26 lb | $22.81 |
| Up to 27 lb | $23.55 |
| Up to 28 lb | $24.29 |
| Up to 29 lb | $25.02 |
| Up to 30 lb | $25.76 |
| Up to 31 lb | $26.50 |
| Up to 32 lb | $27.23 |
| Up to 33 lb | $27.97 |
| Up to 34 lb | $28.71 |
| Up to 35 lb | $29.44 |
| Up to 36 lb | $30.18 |
| Up to 37 lb | $30.92 |
| Up to 38 lb | $31.65 |
| Up to 39 lb | $32.39 |
| Up to 40 lb | $33.13 |
| Up to 41 lb | $33.86 |
| Up to 42 lb | $34.60 |
| Up to 43 lb | $35.34 |
| Up to 44 lb | $36.07 |
| Up to 45 lb | $36.81 |
| Up to 46 lb | $37.55 |
| Up to 47 lb | $38.28 |
| Up to 48 lb | $39.02 |
| Up to 49 lb | $39.76 |
| Up to 50 lb | $40.49 |
| Up to 51 lb | $41.23 |
| Up to 52 lb | $41.97 |
| Up to 53 lb | $42.71 |
| Up to 54 lb | $43.44 |
| Up to 55 lb | $44.18 |
| Up to 56 lb | $44.92 |
| Up to 57 lb | $45.65 |
| Up to 58 lb | $46.39 |
| Up to 59 lb | $47.13 |
| Up to 60 lb | $47.86 |
| Up to 61 lb | $48.60 |
| Up to 62 lb | $49.34 |
| Up to 63 lb | $50.07 |
| Up to 64 lb | $50.81 |
| Up to 65 lb | $51.55 |
| Up to 66 lb | $52.28 |
| Up to 67 lb | $53.02 |
| Up to 68 lb | $53.76 |
| Up to 69 lb | $54.49 |
| Up to 70 lb | $55.23 |
What can you mail at the Media Mail price?
DMM 173.4.1 lists the only items that qualify:
- Books of at least eight printed pages, made up of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, with no advertising other than incidental announcements of books.
- 16-millimeter or narrower film (positive prints in final form) and catalogs of such films.
- Printed music, bound or sheet.
- Printed objective test materials and accessories used by or for educational institutions.
- Sound recordings (video recordings and player piano rolls are classed as sound recordings).
- Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals and music.
- Printed educational reference charts, certain loose-leaf medical information, and computer-readable media with prerecorded information.
Media Mail is not sealed against postal inspection, and USPS does not guarantee delivery within a specified time (DMM 173.2). Items that do not qualify must go by Ground Advantage or Priority Mail. Compare on the Ground Advantage page. Read the full list at DMM 173 before relying on this price.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Media Mail for a 2 lb book?
A 2 lb package costs $5.13 at retail; 1 lb is $4.39 and 3 lb is $5.86 (Notice 123 effective October 4, 2026).
Can I send anything by Media Mail?
No. Only the items listed in DMM 173.4.1 qualify: books, film, printed music, test materials, sound and video recordings, playscripts and manuscripts, educational charts, certain medical loose-leaf pages and prerecorded computer-readable media. Items that are not on that list, such as clothing or candles, do not qualify.
Is Media Mail slower?
USPS does not guarantee delivery of Media Mail within a specified time (DMM 173.2.1), and the package may be opened for inspection (DMM 173.2.2).
How is Media Mail weight rounded?
Per pound or fraction of a pound. A 1.1 lb package is billed as 2 lb, and nothing is billed under 1 lb (DMM 173.1.2).
When do USPS prices change?
USPS usually updates its prices in January and July and can also change them at other times. This page is built from Notice 123 effective October 4, 2026. Check the effective date at the top of the official Notice 123; if a newer one is in force, use its figures.
Sources
Checked
- USPS Notice 123, Price List (HTML), effective October 4, 2026
- USPS Notice 123, Price List (PDF)
- DMM 173: Media Mail and Library Mail (retail) prices and eligibility
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Prices change: check the date
These figures are USPS list prices from Notice 123 (Price List), effective October 4, 2026, read on 18 October 2026. USPS usually updates prices in January and July and can change them at other times, so if today is after a newer Notice 123 took effect, the official notice wins. Extra services (insurance, tracking add-ons, signature, pickup) and taxes are not included.