How to Get Free USPS Boxes and Shipping Supplies
Yes, USPS boxes are free. USPS gives away boxes, envelopes, labels and forms for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, at home and abroad. You pay nothing for the box or for the delivery of your order. You only pay postage when you ship.
There is one catch. A free box may only carry the mail class printed on it. Ship anything else in it and USPS charges the Priority Mail price. So there are no free boxes for USPS Ground Advantage or Media Mail.
Everything below comes from two USPS pages: the free supplies FAQ (updated September 29, 2026) and the Free Shipping Supplies list in The Postal Store, checked October 13, 2026.
Three ways to order free USPS boxes
- Online at The Postal Store: go to usps.com/shop, choose Supplies, then Free Shipping Supplies. Add packs to your cart. The total is $0.00.
- Inside Click-N-Ship: add a label to your cart, then click Add Shipping Supplies under it. Handy if you already buy postage there.
- By phone: call the USPS Package Supply Center at 1-800-610-8734. It is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. It is closed on Sundays and holidays.
ℹ️ Need one box today? Most Post Offices keep free Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes in the lobby. Take what you need. Stock varies by office.
How long free USPS boxes take to arrive
USPS ships free supply orders within one business day. They travel by USPS Ground Advantage, which takes 2 to 5 business days, at no cost to you. If you are in a hurry, you can pay a fee to have them sent by Priority Mail in 1 to 3 business days.
Most items come in packs of 10 or 25. A few, such as the Flat Rate boxes and the Flat Rate Envelope, also come as singles. If you need one item and only a pack is offered, USPS suggests you order the smallest pack. You can also pick up a single at the Post Office.
Which free USPS boxes and envelopes you can get
The Postal Store listed 47 free items on October 13, 2026. They fall into two groups, and the group decides how you pay postage.
Flat Rate packaging has one price to any US address, up to 70 lbs. Weight and distance do not change the price.
- Flat Rate Envelope: 12-1/2 x 9-1/2 in (also Padded, Window and Legal 15 x 9-1/2 in)
- Small Flat Rate Envelope: 10 x 6 in, and Small Window Envelope: 10 x 5 in
- Small Flat Rate Box: 8-11/16 x 5-7/16 x 1-3/4 in
- Medium Flat Rate Box, top-loading: 11-1/4 x 8-3/4 x 6 in
- Medium Flat Rate Box, side-loading: 14-1/8 x 12 x 3-1/2 in
- Large Flat Rate Box: 12-1/4 x 12 x 6 in (an APO/FPO version is the same size)
Free Priority Mail boxes that are priced by weight
The second group says Priority Mail but not Flat Rate. You pay by weight and zone, the same as if you used your own box. The box is still free.
- Priority Mail Small Box: 9-7/16 x 6-7/16 x 2-3/16 in
- Priority Mail Medium Cube-Shaped Box: 7-1/4 x 7-1/4 x 6-1/2 in
- Priority Mail Shoe Box: 14-7/8 x 5-1/4 x 7-3/8 in
- Priority Mail Large Box: 12-1/4 x 12 x 8-1/2 in
- Side-loading Medium (13-11/16 x 12 x 2-7/8 in) and Large (15 x 12 x 3-1/8 in) boxes
- Poly envelopes (15 x 11-5/8 in) and a Small Tube Box (25-9/16 x 6 x 5-1/4 in) for posters and plans
- Priority Mail Express boxes and envelopes, for the overnight-to-2-day service
💡 Check the box before you price it. A Flat Rate box says Flat Rate on it. A plain Priority Mail box does not, and it is priced by weight and zone.
Free labels and forms
These are stickers and forms, not postage. A free Priority Mail label is a blank address sticker. It does not pay for shipping. You still need a postage label from the Post Office, Click-N-Ship or a postage service.
- Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express labels, in packs and in rolls of 250 or 1,000
- Certified Mail labels and receipt forms, and Domestic Return Receipt forms
- Registered Mail labels, Collect on Delivery forms and Caution Heavy labels
- Small and large customs form pouches, for sticking a customs form to an international parcel
The rules for free USPS boxes
- Use it only for the class printed on it. A Priority Mail box is for Priority Mail. A Priority Mail Express box is for Priority Mail Express.
- Turning it inside out does not help. USPS says the Priority Mail price applies however the box is folded and even if the markings are covered.
- Priority Mail tape counts too. Seal a Ground Advantage or Parcel Select box with it and the Priority Mail price applies.
- Misuse may break federal law, USPS says. It is not a gray area.
- Priority Mail boxes may go to other countries. Use them with Priority Mail International or Priority Mail Express International.
- A Flat Rate box lid must close along its normal folds. Do not tape a bulging box shut.
Is it cheaper to use your own box or a USPS box?
It depends on weight and distance. Here are three real cases at USPS retail prices for October 4, 2026 to January 17, 2027. Online prices are lower.
- 1 lb item, zone 5 (about 600 to 1,000 miles): Ground Advantage in your own box is $11.70. Priority Mail in a free box is $14.05. Your own box wins by $2.35.
- 2 lb item, zone 2 (nearby): Ground Advantage is $12.00. Priority Mail by weight is $13.15. The Small Flat Rate Box is $14.65. Your own box wins again.
- 10 lb item that fits a Medium Flat Rate Box, zone 8 (coast to coast): Ground Advantage is $40.85 and Priority Mail by weight is $63.40. The Medium Flat Rate Box is $25.80. Here the free box saves $15.05.
💡 Rule of thumb: for light parcels, use your own box with Ground Advantage. For heavy, dense items going far, a free Flat Rate box often wins. Price both before you pack.
Flat Rate prices right now
USPS holiday prices run from October 4, 2026 to January 17, 2027. At the Post Office counter: Flat Rate Envelope $13.90, Padded Flat Rate Envelope $15.00, Small Flat Rate Box $14.65, Medium Flat Rate Box $25.80, Large Flat Rate Box $36.10.
Online prices are lower: Small $12.95, Medium $22.02 and Large $32.75. Before October 4 the counter prices were $12.90, $14.00, $13.65, $24.80 and $34.00. All figures come from the USPS Notice 123 price files.
Why does USPS give away free boxes?
USPS gives the boxes free only when they carry Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express. Its own words are "no charge for this packaging when used as intended." In practice, the box comes with the paid service. That is also why misuse is charged at the Priority Mail price.
Are there free boxes for USPS Ground Advantage?
No. None of the 47 free items is for Ground Advantage. Use any plain box or poly mailer. Old boxes from your own deliveries work fine once you cover or remove the old labels and barcodes.
Can I get free USPS boxes at the Post Office?
Yes. Most Post Offices offer free Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes for pick-up. Stock differs from office to office. For a full pack, order online or by phone.
Can I print my own label for a free USPS box?
Yes. Buy Priority Mail postage on Click-N-Ship or a postage service and print the label at home. Tape it flat on the largest side of the box.
ShippingLabel.co makes printable address and shipping label PDFs for free. It does not sell postage. So use it for the address label, and buy the postage from USPS or your postage service.