In the race to become the cheapest, fastest shipping service while still turning a profit, many companies have begun offering free and discounted shipping supplies, including UPS.
So does UPS give out free boxes, and if so, how do you take advantage of that deal? Here is what I discovered!
Does UPS Give Free Boxes In 2024?
UPS offers free shipping supplies such as boxes, but they’re only available to those with a UPS account if ordered online in 2024. If you don’t have a UPS account, or don’t order your supplies online, you will have to pay for them at your local UPS Store. UPS offers free boxes and envelopes in a variety of sizes.
If you’re looking to cut down on the costs of shipping with UPS, getting free shipping supplies is a great way to do it, so keep reading to learn more and save yourself time and money!
How Do I Order Free UPS Boxes?
UPS boxes, envelopes, and other shipping supplies are available to order for free. However, this deal is only applicable in certain situations.
In order to get free shipping supplies, you must have a UPS account and order the supplies online directly from UPS’ website.
The first step to getting all of the free shipping supplies you need is to sign up for a UPS account.
You can sign up by following this link and filling out all of the requested information, such as your name and email address.
Once you’ve created or logged in to your UPS account, use the drop-down shipping menu to select the “packaging and shipping supplies” tab.
From there, click any of the options on the page to navigate to the “order supplies” page.
Here, you’ll have the option to order a variety of envelopes, packaging, labels, label pouches, stickers, and more!
Just click on the category of items you’re interested in receiving, and select the items you need.
After getting everything you need, all that’s left to do is enter your address and shipping information.
While getting free shipping supplies online is relatively easy, it’s important to keep in mind that UPS shipping supplies are only available for free online.
This means that if you need to pick up shipping supplies in person, such as at your local UPS Store, you need to be prepared to pay for them.
How Much Are UPS Boxes?
UPS shipping supplies are only free to UPS account holders who order them online.
If you want or need to pick up your shipping supplies in person from a local UPS Store, they will end up costing some money.
UPS Stores are franchise businesses, which means that each store is individually owned and operated with minimal standardization.
This means that you can expect the prices and inventory of different shipping supplies to vary from location to location.
While there is some variety, below is a small list of estimated prices for various boxes in standard, easy-to-ship sizes:
- 8”x8”x8”- $1.75
- 11”x11”x11”- $2.50
- 14”x14”x14”- $3.50
- 12”x12”x18”- $3.75
- 16”x16”x16”- $4.00
- 20”x20”x20”- $6.50
- 22”x22”x22”- $7.00
If you’re interested in reading more about UPS boxes and their flat-rate shipping options, you can check out this page of the UPS website.
It’s important to remember that all of the above-listed prices are estimates, not a guaranteed pricing menu for all UPS Stores.
For a more accurate idea of how much shipping supplies will cost in your area, you’ll need to find the store closest to you by using the UPS store locator page of its website, which you can access here.
After you’ve found the store you want to visit, you can call or email and request information about what kind of packaging materials are carried there, and how much those materials cost.
What Are UPS’ Free Boxe Sizes?
There are five different UPS boxes you can order online for free:
- UPS Express Box (32 cm x 8.5 cm x 47 cm)
- Small UPS Express Box (33 cm x 28 cm x 5 cm)
- Medium UPS Express Box (16″ x 11″ x 3″)
- UPS Express Hard Pak – Secure (14.75″ x 11.5″ x 1.75″)
- UPS Express Tube (38″ x 6″ x 6″)
You can also order these free envelopes and paks, or padded envelopes, through the UPS website:
- UPS Pad Pak (14.75″ x 11″)
- UPS Express Pak (16″ x 12.75″)
- UPS Express Hard Pak (14.75″ x 11.5″ x 1.75″)
- UPS Express Reusable Envelope (12.5″ x 9.5″)
- UPS Window Envelope (12.5″ x 9.5″)
- UPS Express Envelope (34 cm x 25 cm)
- UPS Legal Express Reusable Envelope (15″ x 9.5″)
- UPS Legal Window Envelope (15″ x 9.5″)
You can also use the “order supplies” page on the UPS website to order other shipping supplies.
These supplies include pouches for paper label addresses, blank forms and tags such as luggage tags, and labels/stickers for services such as signature services!
To learn more, you can also see our posts on whether or not UPS charges by weight or size, if you can use poly mailers for UPS, and how fast is UPS ground.
Conclusion
UPS does offer free boxes for shipping, but, this offer is only available to those with a UPS account who are ordering their supplies online. If you need to pick up your supplies in person at the local UPS Store, you should be prepared to pay for your boxes.
Prices for shipping supplies at UPS Stores vary due to the fact that UPS Stores are franchises, not chains. However, most of the prices will be reasonable.
