Wonder when this change over in “August” will really happen.
I have a feeling sellers are going to start complaining that their packages are being refused by USPS come sept.
4 Likes
Here’s my entry into the betting pool - it is from “Macbeth”:
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.
It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
4 Likes
Strange (or not) it is that Macbeth’s famed soliloquy was first to my mind when I read this:
1 Like
I just don’t get this move by the USPS. Though I think I do.
So since they can not ship “First Class” on aircraft that normally have extra space (said the pilot and former long time Airport Authority Member) they change the name.
“Ground Advantage”
What the heck, is the advantage to using ground when in the past you used “Air Mail” (First Class) to delivery packages.
I just don’t get why people are excited to see this change.
Though I remember “Air Mail” stamps a long time ago.
1 Like
The ‘excitement’ (very low key and muted) is that I can now ship parcels that weigh 1# and more that are NOT time sensitive, which is almost all my sales, as GA and save a couple bucks (or more).
If it saves ME $2 and the buyer still gets it on time I’m a fan! 
They are now pretty competitive with UPS for a lot of medium weight items so they are positioning themselves for the future which they believe will see parcels, not letters, growing in volume.
Compared to the previous forced Priority it saves a bunch of cash!
3 Likes
And so far, between Ebay, Etsy, Pirate Ship and Shipstation using GA, I am seeing same times as first class and like before, many times the same as Priority.
So far this looks like a win.
4 Likes
We always did that, we used USPS Parcel Post.
2 Likes
That was SLOW to say the least and often did not meet delivery time needs. GA is usually only 1 day slower than Priority as noted by wad eorcas.
1 Like
What the heck, is the advantage to using ground when in the past you used “Air Mail” (First Class) to delivery packages.
It’s only ‘ground’ in name. Many packages are still traveling by plane.
I just don’t get why people are excited to see this change.
@Lost_My_Marbles will probably be along to point out that insurance is included with Ground Advantage now, so if that’s important to you, you’ll be happy it’s included and will see that as a money saver.
It’s probably also due to the built-in perception of Parcel (Post or Select) as a slow-boat-to-China service. It had been that way for years, and I avoided using it for its lack of speed, but then it changed to being comparable to Priority Mail, speed-wise. 
A lot of people probably don’t realize that, so the name change could be an attempt to show people there’s a faster service for 1 lb+ packages that costs less than priority mail.
But one thing I wondered, when GA was first announced, is what the reason would be for keeping PM along with it? The speed is roughly the same, insurance is included with both, but PM costs more. Why would people choose PM? Once they realize that GA is basically the same service, that is.
3 Likes
There is one more component in the difference that most people will not know about. USPS is restricted from opening and inspecting First Class Mail and Priority Mail without having a just cause. With the move of First Class Package mail into Ground Advantage, packages between 1oz to 15.99oz can now be opened and inspected at any time for any reason. First Class Mail and Priority Mail still have protection from this type of random inspection happening to these services.
However, the main reason for USPS to move FCP into GA was to create competition in that size area and therefore attempt to get more market share in the package industry. The package industry is strong and can be a good way of keeping USPS relevant in today’s world where letter mail is increasingly becoming a dinosaur.
4 Likes
It’s beginning to look like (if Amazon is not normal Amazon) that this weekend on Sunday August 27, 2023 at midnight would be a logical choice by Amazon to make the switch to avoid USPS refused package issues.
But the reality might be September 1, 2023 at midnight which will create some issues which Amazon won’t have to deal with until the Tuesday September 5, 2023 after Labor Day. Based on Amazon’s past history of doing changes right before a holiday weekend, this is the most probable time Amazon will make the change.
If the change doesn’t happen this weekend, we will most likely purchase all of our labels through ShipStation starting on August 30, 2023 to avoid any issues with the post office.
1 Like
Agree .
Always wary of anything that’s not “priority mail” remembering back in the day when any package that wasn’t “priority” could be left stashed somewhere until USPS “got around to it”.
Glad things have changed.
Yes, at first blush this looks like a win for sellers.
I had a package take 2 weeks to cross the state. I called to complain as the customer was asking where his package was. I had to explain to them that If I had walked the package at an average speed of 5 mph for 8 hours a day it would have reached him already.
The grace period seems to be until sept 30th, but I can guarantee that it will start creating problems in Sept.
We currently have a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope that has taken 8 days. It spent 5 days bouncing around in Las Vegas NV before going on to the Los Angeles CA area. Priority Mail is suppose to be 3 days and is most of the time but we see this type of thing happen a few times a year. USPS Ground Advantage has been pretty consistent as 3 to 4 days for Zone 5 and Zone 6. The holiday season is just around the corner and that will be the true test.
2 Likes
We currently have a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope that has taken 8 days.
For some odd reason, I have always had worse performance from priority mail than first class. The two different ‘classes’ seem to have separate types of routing to their destinations, and the ones used by PM seem far less reliable.
Interesting though, and based on minimal data, PM performance for me seems to have improved since the switch to GA.
2 Likes
allegedly they finally made the switch over.
Dear Seller,
The United States Postal Service (USPS) Ground Advantage domestic shipping service is now available for your Amazon shipments.
This service consolidates the current First-Class package service, Parcel Select ground, and Parcel Select Cubic shipping methods into the following ship methods:
• USPS Ground Advantage Light: For packages that weigh less than 1lb
• USPS Ground Advantage Heavy: For packages that weigh 1lb to 70lbs
• USPS Ground Advantage Cubic: Cubic prices based on package size and distance rather than weight
USPS has adjusted its shipping service prices with the USPS Ground Advantage launch. These new prices have been reflected in Amazon Buy Shipping.
When you purchase Amazon Buy Shipping labels, you can now choose USPS Ground Advantage. Your existing shipping templates will automatically update to the equivalent USPS Ground Advantage ship method over the coming weeks.
If you use a third-party order management tool, or your own software, to automate order fulfillment, you may need to manually update the ship method name to ensure you can continue to automatically purchase USPS labels.
To learn more, go to USPS Ground Advantage.
Thank you
3 Likes
Note…currently Endicia offers GA cubic from .1 to .5.
Usps website says GA cubic is available from .1 to 1.
They are “working on it” for weeks now.
I wonder if Amazon GA cubic is available over .5?
We have seen the same thing. Though we have “Expedited” set up as a shipping option. They get special handling, they go out same day, they go in a priority envelope, unless UPS is faster.
Even though other options may arrive sooner. We want to “Delight the Customer” and make them feel special getting the item by priority.
2 Likes