Postal Letter

how do i calculate u.s. postal insurance rates?

I'm trying to ship one or a few packages that will be around 5000 dollars in value. The USPS website offers no definitive answer as to how they calculate their insurance rates. I'm assuming because it's an outrageous cost.

Public Comments

1. ~~Just go through the steps of creating a shipping label and it will take you through the steps. When you reach the insurance cost, you can take the amount and mathematically calculate what percentage it comes out to. It's the only way I can figure out how to find your answer. You can cancel before you pay, so there is no problem it getting the calculation.~~
2. This USPS website does offer a definitive answer as to how they calculate their insurance rates. The definitive answer as to how they calculate their insurance rates is at http://www.usps.com/prices/insurance-prices.htm and says that for $600.01 to $5000 of coverage, the cost is "$7.70 plus $1.00 per $100 or fraction thereof over $600 in declared value." $5000 is $4400 over $600. Therefore, the cost is $7.77 plus $44, which comes to $51.77.
3. You can't buy that much insurance through USPS. You have to buy private coverage, through your business, or use a different vendor like UPS or FedEx.
4. you'll have to go into a PO, I hate to tell you. bring something to read while you wait in line.