Can adding one sheet of paper to your parcel drastically increase your shipping costs?Yes, if you are shipping via USPS Media Mail.
The USPS Media Mail shipping method can be a very cost-effective way to send books, CDs, DVDs and other educational material. The pricing for Medial Mail shipping starts at $2.53 and therefore this is one of the cheapest shipping methods that USPS offers. However, this method also comes with many restrictions.
Media mail contents are quite often opened and inspected by USPS. For example, if you include a note on your invoice or packing slip saying “Thank you for purchasing from our store”, the USPS will consider that sheet of paper as an advertisement, and thus a violation of Media Mail terms and conditions. According to the eBay shipping guide, including thank you notes is the most common problem with media mail packages. For more details on what qualifies as Media Mail, see here.
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