New Year, new shipping rates. USPS has decided to make some VERY aggressive moves on International Shipping Rates, because on average they seemed to have raised most overseas rates by 50%!
And it doesn’t stop there either, domestic shipping is seeing some large rate hikes as well!
According to Endica (the online postage printing service for the USPS), overall USPS rates increased by about 2-3%, which is less that Fed Ex and UPS, but for international shipments and zone based US Priority Mail shipments (the vast majority of smaller gaming orders) they went up very notably.
Keep in mind these price changes go into effect THIS Monday 1/27!!!
Brief Highlights: Domestic US
You can no longer ship “Parcel Post” (now postal select) without going up to the retail counter, and processing packages there. Which will hurt a lot of economy bulk online sellers I’d imagine.
First Class Mail is now “First Class Package Service” for packages weighing 13 oz or less, and will see an increase of 3% which is not to bad IMHO.
Priority Mail is now an expected delivery time of 2-3 days (not guaranteed), and will see an average increase for zone based shipping of $4.53 per package at the counter, and about $1.32 for online shipping. Flat Rate box shipping increased from 3% to 12.3 % as well, depending on the type.
Media Mail (for things like books i.e Codices and Rulebooks) is increasing by 6.3 % as well, but is still a great deal for heavy media items!
Brief Highlights: International Shipping
First Class Mail International Parcel, is now “First Class Package International Service, and is moving to the “competitive market category” (to compete worldwide with other carriers).
FCPIS will see an average increase of 66% per package at the retail counter, or about an extra $6.25 for a package weighing seven ounces or less on average.
So that means what you used to pay for shipping on a like a normal box set, or order of bits from any retailer is about to double in cost if you live outside the US.
Priority Mail International, will be increasing an average of 8.8% at the counter, which comes out to like an extra $5.68 a package on average (which is like say $60-$62 for a 5lb package to Australia for example, up from ~$55-ish).
Unfortunately this is the only way to ship packages over five pounds out of the states, and really directly affects hardcover rulebooks, army sized orders and large starter sets etc..
Now of course I didn’t touch on Express mail, because I think majority-wise, no one really uses it in the gaming community to ship things (except for HUGE orders overseas that require signature confirmation of course- see my eBay fraud alert article). As you can imagine, that is going up as well.
Overall, expect to see some BIG changes to the rates all online retailers will be charging, not just gaming e-tailers, but even the big guys like Amazon, Wal Mart etc.
Here at Spikey Bits, for now the only big change for is that the minimum store order is not $15.00, and shipping on Bits is STILL FREE WORLDWIDE (even though the average bits package will cost ~$5-8 to ship internationally now)
We feel that the minimum order requirement more than makes up for the higher shipping rates that we will be covering starting Monday 1/27.
We may change our shipping strategy after we have more concrete data, but for now we are prepared to still offer all the great products you love, at what we feel is a very reasonable shipping rate.
Keep in mind that things like aerosols still can not be shipped outside the continental US, but other than that, it’s all good baybe!
For more information on our shipping policies, please visit our shipping policies page, here.
So be sure to take advantage of our great new shipping rates US for 2013, shop smart shop Spikey- mart! –MBG
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
