The post office has rolled out USPS Connect eCommerce, a next day delivery service with discounted delivery rates aimed primarily for marketplace operators, other shipping companies and small businesses.

The U.S. Postal Service is not slow to act on the gathering momentum and business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C)marketplaces.

The Postal Service has rolled out USPS Connect eCommerce, a next-day delivery service with discounted delivery rates aimed primarily for marketplace operators, other shipping companies and small businesses.

In February, the post office introduced USPS Connect as a program to introduce faster delivery services for small businesses, including more options for next-day delivery.

The postal service rolled out USPS Connect Local next-day service in all locations. It includes same-day delivery, Sunday delivery and pickup options in select locations, and USPS Connect Regional for next-day regional delivery of parcel select packages and parcel select lightweight packages.

Two additional programs provide delivery for businesses to receive packages through the first-class service. Furthermore, USPS Connect National and USPS Connect Returns provide parcel select ground and retail ground, and free returns and free returns by mail carrier or drop-off at a nearby post office.

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“We are increasing next-day deliveries,” says USPS chief commerce and business solutions officer Jakki Krage Strako. “We’re also giving smaller businesses big-business rates and all businesses more user-friendly ways to interact with us.”

With USPS Connect eCommerce, ecommerce platform providers, merchants, B2B sellers and others are eligible for a range of services. They include discounted rates through participating platforms, no minimum volume, and free packaging, pickup, and Saturday delivery among other features.

“As small and medium businesses grow and their shipping needs become more complex, they look to online marketplaces and shipping platforms for solutions,” Strako says.  “A majority of ecommerce businesses are already working with online marketplaces and shipping platforms, and we expect that trend to continue.”

To access the delivery program, companies fill out a form online. Next, they talk with a postal rep and receive approval on their account application. Pricing and terms were not immediately available.

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The postal service says it generated $77 billion in revenue in 2021. It also says it shipped 7.7 billion packages last year, an increase of 5.5% from 7.3 packages in 2020.

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