What is the differance between PRIORITY MAIL & FIRST CLASS AIRMAIL USPS

[MultiMat]

Dealing with US Ebay sellers , often there is a choice between Priority mail (more expensive) & First class air mail (cheaper) by USPS. Looking at USPS website is the difference , Priority mail will get to me quicker than first class mail ?
Thanks.
Mat.

[PyroJames]

I think Priority mail also provides a tracking number.

[Splat]

I think Priority mail also provides a tracking number.

Right, plus it's quicker. IIRC FCA is akin to regular mail. Priority Mail is supposed to be delivered within 3-4 business days, within the CONUS.

[Leatherman123]

I think Priority is 2-3 mate..

[jzmtl]

In my experience first class, priority, express all have more or less the same delivery time when international is concerned.

[AJ]

I know when I ship to Canada from the US Global priority mail is faster then the standard postal shipping.

Plus like the above poster said you get a delivery confirmation number with any priority mail.

[AndyTiedye]

Delivery confirmation is an extra-cost service (+65¢) you can get with priority mail.
You can't get delivery confirmation with First Class mail, though you can send it Certified (+$2.70)
which wipes out most of the savings from using First Class instead of Priority.

[Leatherman123]

That's weird, because I have gotten DC with First Class loads of times!

[AJ]

Delivery confirmation is an extra-cost service (+65¢) you can get with priority mail.

Delivery confirmation is free when you do the online postage thing.

[MultiMat]

I believe tracking is limited to US deliveries , so I guess I am trying to work out the advantage of using Priority mail in receiving goods here in Australia 

[Splat]

I think Priority is 2-3 mate..

USPS claims this but in reality it's usually 2-4 days, and it's not guaranteed. If you want delivery confirmation then it's extra and will only work for US deliveries. I always ship either Priority Mail or UPS, never "regular" mail because it can take forever for regular mail to get where it's going. I've had regular packaged same-state mail take two weeks to arrive here and that was in the summer when mail traffic is usually lower.

[MultiMat]

I think Priority is 2-3 mate..

USPS claims this but in reality it's usually 2-4 days, and it's not guaranteed. If you want delivery confirmation then it's extra and will only work for US deliveries. I always ship either Priority Mail or UPS, never "regular" mail because it can take forever for regular mail to get where it's going. I've had regular packaged same-state mail take two weeks to arrive here and that was in the summer when mail traffic is usually lower.

Splat when you say regular mail do you mean First Class  . I find USPS endless options with out clear differences between them quite a mystery   

[ptolemy]

Dealing with US Ebay sellers , often there is a choice between Priority mail (more expensive) & First class air mail (cheaper) by USPS. Looking at USPS website is the difference , Priority mail will get to me quicker than first class mail ?
Thanks.
Mat.

here are the differences:

1. first class mail has maximum weight of 13oz (400grams) 2-5 days delivery (usualyl between large cities, it's 2 days)  - price based of weight only.
2. priority mail delivered 2-3 days but it's price is based of 3 different things: 1 weight, 2 location (diffeerent areas of the usa), 3 size
3. priority mail started at $4.25 i think and goes up. first class started a $1 or so.

similarities: if you doit online, both provide tracking #

ideally, you always want to chose first class as it's much cheaper and speed often same. if you live i some smaller town in rural area (like montana, etc) chose priority mail.

[jzmtl]

I believe tracking is limited to US deliveries , so I guess I am trying to work out the advantage of using Priority mail in receiving goods here in Australia 

You can use the same tracking number on your own postal office's website, quite a few country's PO can do that with each other.

[ptolemy]

I believe tracking is limited to US deliveries , so I guess I am trying to work out the advantage of using Priority mail in receiving goods here in Australia 

it is not. i sent 50 packages around the world and all were trackable.

[Splat]

ideally, you always want to chose first class as it's much cheaper and speed often same. if you live i some smaller town in rural area (like montana, etc) chose priority mail.

Speed is often not the same. Priority is generally quicker. First Class ("regular mail") can take weeks(even within the same state) depending on mail traffic/amount and what the carrier can handle (mounted vs walking route).

Multimat, yes I meant First Class. 

[ptolemy]

first class is not regular mail:)
turn around is 2-3 days for priority and 2-5 for first class...

there is other types of mail, and yes, that can take weeks.

my longest with first class was 7 days but iot was because it was in some rural town is idaho

[Whoey]

I believe it has something to do with the speed at which they will lose or misplace your package... 

[MultiMat]

I believe it has something to do with the speed at which they will lose or misplace your package... 

  I think USPS was using Lance Armstrong to deliver my MIA Juice . Lance is doing the tour down under in Jan 09, maybe he is going to hand deliver it to me 

[Leatherman123]

I have First Class take two days on numerous occasions..

[Splat]

Priority Mail is a subset of First Class mail. Standard Mail is mailable items that aren't required to be mailed First-Class and are not entered as Periodicals.

turn around is 2-3 days for priority and 2-5 for first class...

While in reality Priority can take anywhere from 2-4 days and 2-to-weeks for First Class. While the benies were good I'm glad I no longer work for the USPS.
--
Splat

[ptolemy]

Priority Mail is a subset of First Class mail. Standard Mail is mailable items that aren't required to be mailed First-Class and are not entered as Periodicals.

turn around is 2-3 days for priority and 2-5 for first class...

While in reality Priority can take anywhere from 2-4 days and 2-to-weeks for First Class. While the benies were good I'm glad I no longer work for the USPS.
--
Splat

u are the man, i shall shutup now and eat my own hand:)

 

[N_N_R]

Something from eBay was shipped to me on 2nd April. Do you think I can expect it to arrive this/next week? For the first time I get a tracking number when someone sends me something via USPS and the actual tracking info has been the same since the very shipping date:   

First-Class Mail International

Dispatched to Sort Facility
   
April 02, 2012, 5:28 pm
   
CONCORD, NH 03301
   
International Letter


I thought the info would change, following the actual package (that's what happens when I use couriers inside my country), but it doesn't.

[Carlos]

N_N_R, that issue had been covered here a few times. It turns out that each country's mail system creates their own tracking number when the package arrives there. That way your USPS reference only gives you tracking until the package leaves US. Now, as the new national tracking number is unknown either by you or the sender, you actually lost track of the package!

See also: http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,35398.msg571389.html#msg571389

As for priority mail vs first class, my rule of thumb is that priority mail arrives here in 3 working days, while first class usually takes 5 or 6.

[N_N_R]

your USPS reference only gives you tracking until the package leaves US. Now, as the new national tracking number is unknown either by you or the sender, you actually lost track of the package!

Thanks, that's one thing I needed to know! Because when once I sent something from a European country to another European country, the tracking number was still the same.

[Ashley]

It being stated as international letter is weird if its an actual package.

Sent from Ash forum mobile

[N_N_R]

It being stated as international letter is weird if its an actual package.

Sent from Ash forum mobile

Yeah, I wondered about the same. It's actually the Leatherman Micra I've been expecting. Could the sender have tried to pay less by claiming it's a letter?

[Nikos]

your USPS reference only gives you tracking until the package leaves US. Now, as the new national tracking number is unknown either by you or the sender, you actually lost track of the package!

Thanks, that's one thing I needed to know! Because when once I sent something from a European country to another European country, the tracking number was still the same.

Actually it all depends on the destination postal service. When items enter Greece, USPS First Class translates to First Class "standard" mail (i.e., your standard run-of-the-mill postal service), while USPS Priority translates to First Class registered/signed-for. The difference for us is huge, as the latter allows for tracking using the USPS tracking no, and tracking is the single most important deterrent against "accidental loss"...