Wondering which postage type best suits your shipment? In this article we’ll help you determine which services your shipment will qualify for based on its size and weight. As carriers often enforce strict weight limits, it’s important to measure your shipment correctly and select an appropriate postage type for your shipment. This can help you to:
- Prevent delays to your shipment
- Avoid underpaying for postage
- See all of the postage options available for your shipment
Notes on Shipment Dimensions
Declaring accurate weights and dimensions while creating your shipments gives you access to the best pricing for your shipment. The tables below outline the maximum weight and dimensions for each of our services, organized by destination. If your shipment exceeds the limit for a particular service, you will not be able to receive a postage rate for that service.
We recommend following these guidelines for how to accurately measure your shipments for a smooth shipping experience.
Additionally, it is not well known but the dimensions of your shipment can also cause issues with generating postage like when a shipment’s dimensional weight exceeds a service’s weight limit. To learn more about dimensional weight please, visit our helpful support article.
US Shipments
Adding dimensions gives you access to the best pricing and may be required in order to receive a postage rate.
| Carrier | Maximum Dimensions | Maximum Weight |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | May vary by service and package type | Shipments must not exceed 70 lbs |
| Chit Chats U.S. Tracked | L + (2* W + 2* H) < 108 in For thick envelopes, any one dimension must not exceed 18" when weight is greater than 1 lb |
See here how to calculate the dimensional weight of your U.S. shipments.
International Shipments
Weight and dimensional limits vary by destination country and can change without notice. Please refer to the USPS International Mail Manual as a guideline for the requirements of each destination. Shipments must be less than the maximum dimensions and maximum weights listed in order to receive a postage rate for the service.
| Carrier | Maximum Dimensions | Maximum Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | May vary by country | Shipments must not exceed 70 lbs | First Class International shipments limited to 4 lbs |
| Asendia International Priority Tracked | May vary by country but typically: (L + W + H) < 900 mm Where: L <= 27, W <= 15, H <=15 in L <= 42.5, W <= 4, H <=4 in | Shipments must not exceed 30 kg | Shipments < 1 oz (the starting rate) must be rounded up to 1 oz. Otherwise the rate may not be displayed. |
| Chit Chats International Tracked | Shipments < 4.4 lbs: L < 24” or L+W+H < 36" Shipments >= 4.4 lbs: (x <= 15" and y <= 15" and z <= 27") OR (x <= 4" and y <= 4" and z <= 42.5") x = smallest, y = middle, z = largest | Shipments must not exceed 66 lbs |
Canadian Shipments
Very light shipments must be rounded up to 100 g as all shipments less than this amount are charged the same starting postage rate.
| Carrier | Maximum Dimensions | Maximum Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chit Chats Slim | 7.5 in x 12 in x 1 in | Shipments must not exceed 450 g | Minimum weight 10g Minimum dimensions 4 in x 6 in x 0.2 in |
| Chit Chats Select | No singular dimension greater than 22 in | Shipments must not exceed 20 lbs | Minimum weight 0.1 lb |
| Chit Chats Canada Tracked | Maximum dimensions, L, W, & H in cm L < 2 m L + (2 x H + 2 x W) < 3 m | Shipments must not exceed 30 kg | Shipments <100 g (the starting rate) must be rounded up to 100 g. Otherwise the rate may not be displayed. |
| Chit Chats Collect | 34 cm x 42 cm x 20 cm | Shipments must not exceed 11 lbs |
See here how to calculate the dimensional weight of your Canadian shipments.
*Service availability may vary. Irregular parcels should be measured as if they were enclosed in a rectangle. Surcharges may apply for oversized and irregular shipments.