USPS Media Mail is a lower-cost USPS service limited to educational and recorded media, such as books of at least 8 pages, CDs, DVDs, printed music and computer-readable media, priced by weight rather than distance. USPS estimates delivery at 2 to 8 days, includes USPS Tracking and accepts packages up to 70 lb, but it may open any Media Mail package to confirm the contents qualify.
The savings come with rules: no advertising in the contents, no video games or computer drives, and no delivery guarantee. This guide covers what qualifies, what doesn’t, how inspection works and how to ship it.
What Items Qualify for Media Mail?
The Domestic Mail Manual (section 173) lists the only items that can go at Media Mail prices. Anything outside this list doesn’t qualify, even if it’s educational:
| Eligible item | USPS requirement | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
| Books | At least 8 printed pages of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, with no advertising other than incidental announcements of books | Novels, textbooks, hardcovers, paperbacks |
| Sound and video recordings | Recordings, including related announcements and guides | CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, vinyl records, cassettes |
| Printed music | Bound or sheet form | Sheet music, songbooks, scores |
| Films | 16 mm or narrower, positive prints in final form (not to or from commercial theaters) | Archival or educational film reels |
| Printed test materials | Objective tests and accessories used by or for educational institutions | Standardized test booklets, answer sheets |
| Playscripts and manuscripts | For books, periodicals or music | Author manuscripts sent to a publisher |
| Educational reference charts | Single sheets conveying information mainly through graphs, diagrams or tables | Periodic tables, anatomy charts |
| Medical loose-leaf pages | Pages and binders of medical information for distribution to doctors | Clinical reference binders |
| Computer-readable media | Media containing prerecorded information, plus related guides | Software or data on CD-ROM or DVD |
What Can’t You Send by Media Mail?
USPS specifically excludes video games, computer drives and digital drives, even though they hold recorded content. Anything with advertising also fails the test, which rules out most magazines and catalogs.
- Video games and game consoles: Excluded by name on USPS’s service page.
- Hard drives, USB flash drives and memory cards: Computer and digital drives are excluded.
- Magazines, catalogs and periodicals: They aren’t on the eligible list and usually contain advertising.
- Calendars, posters, greeting cards and blank notebooks: None of them appear on the DMM 173 list.
- Personal letters: Personal correspondence pays First-Class postage, though DMM 173 allows certain incidental First-Class matter, like an invoice for the enclosed books, to ride along.
Hazardous or restricted items are governed separately by USPS mailability rules; our guide to USPS shipping restrictions covers those limits.
Can USPS Open a Media Mail Package?
Yes. Media Mail “is not sealed against postal inspection,” and paying Media Mail prices counts as consent to inspection under DMM 173. USPS says all Media Mail packages are subject to opening and inspection.
If inspectors find ineligible contents, the sender or the recipient has to pay the higher postage for the correct service before the package moves on. Packages that can’t be resolved may come back, which our guide to USPS return to sender explains. Including an ineligible item can cost you all of the savings and add days to delivery.
How Long Does Media Mail Take, and Is It Tracked?
USPS lists Media Mail delivery at 2 to 8 days, and service to or from places outside the contiguous U.S. can be slower because of limited transportation. Media Mail travels by ground with lower priority than Priority Mail or USPS Ground Advantage, and USPS doesn’t guarantee a delivery time.
USPS Tracking is included at no extra charge, so the label carries a standard USPS tracking number you can follow online, as our USPS tracking ID lookup guide explains. If a Media Mail package stops moving, the steps in our guide to a lost USPS package apply as they would for any other service.
What Are the Media Mail Size and Weight Limits?
| Limit | Media Mail |
|---|---|
| Maximum weight | 70 lb |
| Maximum size | 108 inches in combined length and girth |
| Pricing basis | Weight, per pound or fraction of a pound, with no zones |
| Included tracking | Yes, USPS Tracking |
| Delivery estimate | 2–8 days, not guaranteed |
| Where it goes | Domestic U.S. addresses only |
Because the price doesn’t change with distance, Media Mail saves the most on heavy boxes of books going across the country. For the current price at each weight, our Media Mail rates guide explains how the per-pound steps work, and the USPS shipping calculator guide compares Media Mail with the other USPS services.
Can You Combine Items in One Media Mail Package?
Yes, as long as every item in the box qualifies. A mix of books, DVDs and sheet music can travel together at Media Mail prices. One ineligible item, such as a video game tucked in with books, makes the whole package ineligible if it’s inspected.
DMM 173 allows a few extras: an invoice for the enclosed items, printed matter that could be mailed as USPS Marketing Mail and certain incidental First-Class matter, such as a bill or a personal message, as long as the postage is based on the combined weight.
How Do You Ship Media Mail From Home?
- Confirm every item qualifies. Check the list above, and leave out games, drives and anything with advertising.
- Pack it well. Books shift and corners crush in transit, so use a snug, sturdy box with padding on all sides; our USPS packaging guidelines cover box strength and sealing.
- Weigh it. Postage is charged by the pound or fraction of a pound, so round up.
- Buy postage. Pay at a Post Office counter, or print a label from a shipping platform that offers Media Mail, with the full delivery address, ZIP Code and your return address.
- Hand it off. Drop it at a Post Office or give it to your carrier. Our guide to scheduling a USPS pickup explains when pickup is free.
Free USPS shipping supplies are Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express packaging, which USPS reserves for those services, so pack Media Mail in your own plain box.
Does UPS Have Media Mail?
No. Media Mail is a USPS-only service, and UPS has no content-restricted book rate. UPS Ground prices by weight, size and distance, accepts any legal contents without an eligibility check and usually moves faster than Media Mail.
For a heavy box of qualifying books going far, Media Mail is usually cheaper. When the contents don’t qualify or speed matters, compare USPS Ground Advantage and UPS Ground in the ParcelPath rate calculator. ParcelPath is free to use and offers up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS.
Can You Ship Calendars by Media Mail?
No. Calendars aren’t on the Media Mail list, even when they contain educational or historical content, and a calendar sent as Media Mail can be charged the difference in postage after inspection. USPS Ground Advantage is the usual choice for a calendar in a rigid mailer or tube. For bulk mailings of bound printed material, check the Bound Printed Matter requirements on USPS’s mail and shipping services page before you buy postage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are DVDs and CDs eligible for Media Mail?
Yes. USPS lists video and sound recordings, including CDs, DVDs, tapes and albums, as eligible for Media Mail, along with related guides. The discs must be prerecorded, so blank media doesn’t qualify. Video games are excluded by name even though they come on discs, so ship games with USPS Ground Advantage or another standard service instead.
What is the Media Mail weight limit?
Media Mail packages can weigh up to 70 pounds, the same limit as Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage, and can measure up to 108 inches in combined length and girth. Postage is charged per pound or fraction of a pound with no zones, so a heavy box of books costs the same to send across town or across the country.
Does Media Mail include tracking?
Yes. USPS includes USPS Tracking with Media Mail at no extra charge, so the label carries a standard tracking number you can follow on USPS.com or in the USPS Mobile app. Tracking doesn’t make it faster: USPS estimates 2 to 8 days, with no guarantee, and longer times to or from areas outside the contiguous United States.
What happens if Media Mail contains ineligible items?
USPS can open any Media Mail package, since paying Media Mail prices counts as consent to inspection. If it finds ineligible items, such as a video game or a magazine with advertising, the sender or the recipient must pay the higher postage for the correct service. Unresolved packages can be delayed or returned to the sender.
Can Media Mail be sent internationally?
No. Media Mail is a domestic USPS service only. For books going abroad, compare USPS international services such as First-Class Package International Service for light parcels up to 4 pounds, or Priority Mail International when you need tracking, and check the destination country’s customs rules before shipping.
Sources
- USPS: Mail and Shipping Services (Media Mail)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 173: Media Mail
- USPS Notice 123: Price List (size limits and included tracking)
- USPS: International Mail and Shipping Services
Our USPS shipping hub with rates, tracking and services covers every USPS service, and our roundup of shipping services and solutions compares other ways to ship.
Part of our USPS Packaging Guidelines guide. Related: USPS Free Shipping Supplies, Does USPS Have Free Boxes, USPS Flat Rate Boxes.
