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Where To Get Shipping Boxes

You can get shipping boxes free from your carrier, buy them cheaply in bulk from suppliers like Uline, or pick them up from retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot. The right source comes down to volume: free carrier boxes work for the occasional Priority shipment, bulk suppliers pay off once you ship every day.

Free boxes from carriers

USPS gives you free boxes and envelopes for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express. Order them online and they ship to you at no cost. The catch: you can only use them for those services. Pack a USPS Priority box and send it Ground Advantage and you risk a postage-due charge. UPS and FedEx also stock free supplies for their express and international branded services.

Cheapest places to buy

  • Uline: the go-to for bulk. Huge catalog, low per-unit pricing, fast regional shipping. Best once you are ordering boxes by the hundred.
  • Amazon: convenient for small runs and odd sizes, with quick delivery on Prime.
  • Walmart and Home Depot: easy in-store pickup and moving boxes that double as shippers.
  • Local stores: many grocery and retail stores give away clean used boxes if you ask.

Pick the right box, not just the cheapest

A box that is too big costs you twice: more dunnage to fill the void, and higher dimensional weight that carriers bill you for. Match the box to the product, keep a small range of sizes, and you cut both material and postage.

When it makes sense to stop sourcing boxes yourself

Buying, storing, and stocking boxes is real overhead once volume climbs. With Simpl, packaging is included in the per-order price that starts at $7, so you stop ordering boxes and managing a supply closet. See pricing.