Postal Service to launch USPS Ground Advantage service July 9

By Charles Snee

The United States Postal Service announced Feb. 10 that it intends to replace its existing First-Class Package Service with a comprehensive service called USPS Ground Advantage.

The new service will feature two-day to five-day delivery service standards for packages that weigh up to 70 pounds, the Postal Service said.

In a Feb. 10 filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission, the Postal Service said it plans to launch USPS Ground Advantage on July 9.

“The Postal Service has determined that the First-Class Package Service brand name has, over time, become closely associated with ... lightweight [less than 1 pound] packages,” the USPS said in the filing.

“With the upcoming expansion and enhancements to that product, the Postal Service believes a new brand name is needed that better suits a comprehensive ground package offering up to seventy pounds.”

For packages weighing less than 1 pound, there will be four separate USPS Ground Advantage maximum weight categories: 4 ounces, 8 ounces, 12 ounces and 15 ounces. Each category will have its own postage rates.

All commercial and retail postage fees for USPS Ground Advantage will be zone rated, according to the USPS.

Two service options, Certificate of Mailing and Certified Mail, will not be available for USPS Ground Advantage service, the Postal Service said.

According to the USPS, Certificate of Mailing and Certified Mail will be available for alternative products, such as Priority Mail.

“The Postal Service expects USPS Ground Advantage will soon become a powerful brand name in the ground package market,” the USPS said in its filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission.

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