20+ Differences between First Class Mail And Priority Mail (Explained)

It is impossible to imagine a world without mail. Mail has made it possible to buy and sell stuff easily globally. There are different kinds of mail for different kinds of purposes.

The main kinds of mail offered by the United States Postal Services is First Class Mail and Priority Mail. These two terms sound like synonyms and are used interchangeably many times, but both have numerous differences from one another.

Comparison Between First Class Mail And Priority Mail

Parameter	First Class Mail	Priority Mail
Meaning	The United States Postal Services (USPS) offers a Mailing service to ship lightweight parcels nationally and internationally.	The United States Postal Services (USPS) offers a Mailing service to ship heavy and light parcels nationally and internationally.
Rank	It is a better mailing service.	It is the best mailing service.
Weight Type	Only lightweight articles can be shipped through First Class Mail.	Both light and heavy articles can be shipped through Priority Mail.
Weight Limit	Only articles weighing less than or equal to 15.99 ounces can be shipped through First Class Mail.	Articles weighing less than or equal to 70 pounds can be shipped through Priority Mail.
Product Types	Articles such as postcards, letters, bills, invoices, envelopes, correspondences, etc, are sent through First Class Mail.	Anything that weighs less than 70 pounds, such as clothing items in bulk, smartphones, pineapple, small tents, shoes, etc, can be sent through Priority Mail.
Price	It charges a lesser amount in comparison with Priority Mail.	It charges more amount in comparison with First Class Mail.
Time (Domestically)	It takes more time than Priority Mail to deliver nationally, i.e., 2 to 5 days.	Delivering nationally takes less than First Class Mail, i.e., 1 to 2 days.
Time (Internationally)	There is no assured time for First Class Mail to deliver shipment internationally.	It takes around 6 to 10 days to deliver the shipment internationally.
Insurance Coverage	The insurance companies do not provide any insurance coverage on First Class Mail.	Insurance Coverage up to $200 is available in the case of Priority Mail.
Receipt	Users generally do not get the receipt on using First Class Mail.	Authorities mainly provide receipts to customers using Priority Mail.

Major Differences Between First Class Mail and Priority Mail

What exactly is First Class Mail?

First Class Mail is a shipment method provided by the United States Postal Services (USPS). It is generally concerned with the shipment of light-weighted products such as letters, envelopes, postcards, etc.

There is generally a weight limit in the case of First Class Mail, which is currently 15.99 ounces. If your package weighs more than that, you must send it by Priority Mail.

Regarding the delivery time, First Class Mail takes 3 to 5 days domestically, and there is no particular time for international shipments.

Key Differences of First Class Mail

First Class Mail is a top mail category concerned with the shipment of lightweight products.

First Class Mail is a budget-friendly option.

First Class Mail usually takes longer than Priority Mail to deliver the shipment.

First Class Mail generally has more weight-related restrictions than Priority Mail.

Insurance Companies do not provide any coverage for First Class Mail.

What exactly is Priority Mail?

But it is worth every penny cause not only does it deliver heavy-weighted products, but it also delivers the shipment in only a few days.

Priority Mail takes 1 to 2 days in case of domestic shipments and takes around 6 to 10 days in case of international shipments. Priority Mail is a top-notch mailing method the United States Postal Services (USPS) provides.

Unlike First Class Mail, it allows the shipment of light-weighted and heavy-weighted products. The weight limit in Priority Mail is up to 70 pounds; due to this, Priority Mail is generally an expensive option for sending the shipment.

Key Differences of Priority Mail

As the name suggests, Priority Mail is a priority mail that is prioritized and is concerned with the shipment of light and heavy-weight products.

Priority Mail is an expensive option compared to First Class Mail.

Priority Mail takes less time than First Class Mail to deliver the shipment.

There are fewer weight-related restrictions in Priority Mail than in First Class Mail.

Insurance Companies do provide insurance coverage for Priority Mail.

The Contrast Between First Class Mail And Priority Mail

Meaning

First Class Mail – A mail service offered by the United States Postal Service which allows the shipment of light weighted products domestically and internationally.

Priority Mail – A mail service offered by the United States Postal Services, which allows the shipment of light and heavy materials domestically and internationally.

Weight Type

First Class Mail – First Class Mail is concerned with only lightweight products for shipment purposes.

Priority Mail – Priority Mail allows lightweight and heavy products for shipment purposes.

Weight Limit

First Class Mail – First Class Mail allows products weighing up to 15.99 ounces.

Priority Mail – Priority Mail allows products weighing up to 70 pounds.

Package Dimensions

First Class Mail – A package should be 108” long and grith.

Priority Mail – Shipment should be 108” in length and grith altogether.

Product Types

First Class Mail – Articles such as postcards, letters, bills, invoices, envelopes, correspondences, etc., are sent through First Class Mail.

Priority Mail – Anything that weighs less than 70 pounds, such as clothing items in bulk, smartphones, pineapple, small tents, shoes, etc., can be sent through Priority Mail.

Price

First Class Mail – First Class Mail is very affordable or budget-friendly than Priority Mail.

Priority Mail – Since Priority Mail offers better services than First Class Mail, it is more expensive than First Class Mail.

Time (Domestically)

First Class Mail – In the case of domestic shipments, First Class Mail takes 3 to 5 days.

Priority Mail – In the case of domestic shipments, Priority Mail takes from 1 to 2 days.

Time (Internationally)

First Class Mail – In the case of international shipments, there is no fixed or rough idea of how many days First Class Mail takes.

Priority Mail – In the case of international shipments, Priority Mail takes 6 to 10 days.

Insurance Coverage

First Class Mail – There is no insurance coverage in the case of First Class Mail.

Priority Mail – In Priority Mail, there is the insurance coverage of up to $100 in case of domestic shipments and up to $200 in case of international shipments.

Receipt

First Class Mail – People can not receive receipts in First Class Mail.

Priority Mail – Receipts are easily available in the case of Priority Mail.

Conclusion:

First Class and Priority Mail are two methods provided by the United States Postal Services (USPS), which allow people to ship their packages domestically and internationally.

First Class Mail allows people to ship lightweight parcels at a lower rate than Priority Mail but takes longer to deliver than Priority Mail. Priority Mail, on the other hand, allows people to ship light and heavy parcels at a higher rate than First Class Mail and delivers faster than First Class Mail.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Why does Priority Mail charge more than First Class Mail?

Priority Mail not only lets you ship lightweight articles but also allows you to ship heavy-weight articles. Priority Mail takes a very lesser amount of time to deliver shipments in comparison with First Class Mail. One can not claim any insurance coverage in the case of First Class Mail, but it is possible in Priority Mail. Because of all these reasons, Priority Mail seems to be better than First Class Mail and, thus, charges more.

Q2. When should we choose First Class Mail over Priority Mail?

When someone wants to send postcards, letters, envelopes, etc. and is okay with a late delivery, First Class Mail seems better than Priority Mail.

Q3. What are the major differences between First Class and Priority Mail?

The major differences between First Class Mail and Priority Mail are:

1. First Class Mail offers shipment of only lightweight products, whereas Priority Mail offers shipment of light and heavy products.
2. First Class Mail offers its services at affordable prices, while Priority Mail offers them at a high price.
3. First Class Mail takes many days to deliver the shipment, whereas Priority Mail delivers the shipment in a few days.
4. There is no insurance coverage in the case of First Class Mail, while there is the availability of insurance coverage in the case of Priority Mail.