I have shipped quite a few International sales in the past using Printed Matter Rate but since the PO rate change-I havent been able to locate this rate anymore. Global Priority seems to be the most economical rate for a 3lb book but I now have a customer that is saying he has received books from the US for $3-$4(bookrate)?? I asked the "friendly" PO clerk and of course she didnt know. I usually go online get the rate-print it out and carry to the PO and fight until they hit the right button sequence and find that rate. All I can find now is Economy Parcel and Letter Rate and Global but Global is cheaper than the economy rate for this weight???? Anyone know? Your help will be greatly appreciated. PS-my customer is in Canada. Thankyou
posted on March 26, 2001 05:33:23 PM
Your customer is a few months behind the times. No more nice, cheap, international book rate/printed matter mail. He'll have to pay for either Global Priority or Letter-whatever-they-call-it-now or Economy whatsis. I haven't learned all the names just yet, but I sure do miss that inexpensive book shipping option.
posted on March 26, 2001 06:35:28 PM
Yes, prior to January you could mail up to 4 lbs to Canada for $4.00 (up to 1 lb for $1.37; 2 lbs for $1.85, etc.). But, sadly, those days are gone!!
You can mail up to 4 lbs to most countries under "Global Priority Letter Post" (with choices for Airmail or Economy). For a handy link that summarizes the postage up to 4 lbs (includes Canada, and county codes 3 (i.e., England, Germany) and 4 (Australia, Japan, New Zealand) see http://www.members.home.net/wordstar/USPS_GP.html.
The USPS raised the rates in January and changed categories. What used to be Small Packet is now Global Priority Letter Post and encompasses all packages (including books) mailed out of the USA. There is a limit of 4 lbs to every country before Parcel Post rates kick in. Insurance is not available with Letter Post UNLESS you use U-PIC insurance.
Another option for BOOKS is the M-Bag (Direct Sacks of Printed Matter to a Single Addressee), which can be useful when the books are over 4 lbs. For information on this go to the Postal Explorer (http://pe.usps.gov/) and click on "International Rates and Fees", which will open up an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Click on "Categories of International Mail". For example, you can mail 11 lbs of books to the UK for $27.50 Airmail OR $9.90 Surface.
posted on March 26, 2001 07:52:03 PM
M-Bag is cheapest way to go. For the first 11 pounds, I believe it is $8.80 to Canada and $11 to rest of world. Also, no longer a minimum weight requirement. You can send less than 11 pounds using M-Bag. I am not sure about the $9.90 rate quoted by engelskdansk. That may be a special rate for U.K.
Also, there are some funny rule changes with M-Bags. I seemed to have read that up to 4 lb can be non-media material as long as it is related in some way to the media mail in the bag.
Also, if you are planning to use M-Bag, be sure to ask your local post office to have ready for you. Not all post offices stock them.
posted on March 26, 2001 09:07:43 PM
You can mail up to 66 lbs in the M-Bag (although each package has to be no more than 4 lbs). And each country has different rates, depending on the Country Code. Canada's printed matter is $8.80; England is $9.90 (for the first 11 pounds).
Thanks for the info. I just went to the USPS calculator and check some of the rates. I thought I read the November 2000 postal bulletin and there was only 2 international M-Bag rates. Now I see at least 3. Guess I have to check for each country whenever a request comes up.
Question about the 4lb per package rule - does this mean even that if you are sending books of let say 10 lbs, they have to be in 3 packages even though they are going into the same bag?
Also, I noticed on the calculator there are 2 different kinds of surface M-bags. Are they both for media or can one send non-media material in M-Bags? Not sure of the difference between the 2 categories besides rates.
posted on March 26, 2001 10:38:22 PM
LAUM1--I just looked at the m-bag regs. They state:
All categories of printed matter can be enclosed in an M-bag..... Articles that meet the printed matter definition include newspapers, magazines, journals, books, sheet music, catalogues, directories, commercial advertising, and promotional matter.
Certain categories of merchandise can be combined with printed matter in an M-bag provided that all of the following criteria are met: (a) The merchandise items being sent are limited to disks, tapes, and cassettes; commercial samples shipped by manufacturers and distributors; or other non-dutiable commercial articles or informational materials that are not subject to resale. (b) The merchandise items are related to the printed matter with which they are being mailed. (c) The merchandise items are affixed to or are otherwise combined with the accompanying printed matter. (d) The weight of each mailpiece or package that contains merchandise in combination with printed matter does not exceed 4 pounds.
===
So, the 4-lb package only applies if one is COMBINING printed matter with other merchandise. Books can be packaged as required!
From the rate tables it looks like there is only one rate for airmail {which allows for both printed matter and "merchandise"}.
The Surface rates are split into two rates: 1) Regular Printed Matter (Advertising Matter, Promotional Items, Catalogues, and Directories) and 2) Books and Sheet Music and Publishers’ Periodicals. The "book" rate is less expensive, i.e., you can mail up to 11 lbs of books to Canada for $8.80 vs. $11.55 if one is combining materials.
Make sense?!
[ edited by engelskdansk on Mar 26, 2001 10:39 PM ]
That is the way I interpreted it prior to tonight. However, when I went to the USPS calculator, under volume shipments, they show two M-Bag surface rates. The calculator does not indicate the difference between the two rates.
Based on your post, it seems that a possible explaination is the difference between regular printed matter with combination of other material and books/publications. I think I got it.
By the way, I had used the M-Bag to Canada and it got there within 2 weeks. Problem was with the customs form. The postal employee did not know if it should be on the bag or inside with the parcel. Ended up putting inside with parcel. However, you need to scan in the customs form. So before closing the bag, make sure that the customs form has been scanned.
No more nice, cheap, international book rate/printed matter mail. He'll have to pay for either Global Priority or Letter-whatever-they-call-it-now or Economy whatsis. I haven't learned all the names just yet, but I sure do miss that inexpensive book shipping option. 
, which will open up an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Click on "Categories of International Mail". For example, you can mail 11 lbs of books to the UK for $27.50 Airmail OR $9.90 Surface.