Sorry guys I printed another label this time for a smaller book that say's its going 7oz First Class PKG Rate. I used the weight on the wrapped book and it only charged me 2.39 plus my .55 fee = 2.94 total.  Why did it print so cheap when it says in the help thread between 6 and 7 ounces is supposed to be 2.43 with the printable postage discount?  My book weights 6.4oz and I'm pretty sure I put in 6.5 oz weight.  Should I be worried about popping this in a blue box tomorrow?   

Current USPS First-Class Parcel rates:
Effective Jan 27, 2013
*Note USPS discount for printing First Class postage!
rates in red are less expensive than 1-lb Media Mail rate

1 - 3 ounces..............................$2.07.... 1.76 with Printable Postage
Between 3 and 4 ounces..............................2.24....1.93 with Printable Postage
Between 4 and 5 ounces..............................2.41..2.10 with Printable Postage
Between 5 and 6 ounces............................2.58 ..2.27 with Printable Postage
Between 6 and 7 ounces.............................2.75....2.43 with Printable Postage**

OK, I have no explanation why it would charge $2.39 as that is not one of the listed rate breaks.  However, if your book weighs 6.5 ounces and your wrapper only has $2.39 in postage on it, then there would be a problem if USPS weighs the package.  If it was weighed and delivered, it could arrive to Requestor with postage due.   Not sure how USPS would handle it, because it would only be .04 due so they may overlook it and deliver it as normal, but it is possible that they'd deliver it with .04 postage due on it.

Chances are that this would not be weighed and it would be delivered without incident, but it is possible that there could be a problem.  If you had some .01 or .02 stamps (perhaps leftover from the time of the last postal increase) you could add them to the package.  It is allowable to add stamps to an electronic postage label to correct/adjust the postage amount on it.

I used PayPal (Endica) to mail a 7 oz. book first class this morning and the charge was $2.39.  Perhaps PBS has the wrong rate structure.

We pay the commercial prices - which are generally 0.04-0.05 cheaper than the counter rates.

Here are the rates for Commercial Base Pricing

Hum ok.  Thanks Mary!  I was assuming that the rate I posted above was (2.43) the discount based not the counter rate.  Its all just a little confusing though for someone just starting this.  I didn't want to have a postage due so I was trying to make sure there wasn't a problem.  I'll mail like this but if it comes back postage due does pbs do anything? 

If it comes back postage due, you can take it to your Postmaster and show them that it is CBP not counter.  I've been doing printed postage since it started and I've never had an issue as long as I used the correct weight.

Elizabeth, please make sure to send in Feedback via the Contact Us link in the lower right about the Help Document information not matching with how the label prints. They should and it is confusing and should be fixed.

i just printed two labels using mail to a friend, both in the 6-7oz range, and they also printed incorrectly.

the help doc says:

Between 6 and 7 ounces.............................2.75....2.43 with Printable Postage**

so i have to assume that 2.43 is *already* the discounted rate.  it even said it was going to print 2.43, and then actually printed 2.39.  i'm thinking that 2.39 is the old cost and something didn't get updated, and i'm going to try adding 4 cents extra in stamps and hope they go through.  i did do a 'Contact the PBS Team' form about it.

ETA: hmm, looking at the table Mary included, that is the current one downloading from usps, and it does say it's as of 1/27.  so maybe the help docs and the place where you fill in the postage to print it are just wrong, and what's printing is correct.  either way, it needs fixing, but maybe i won't add the extra stamps.

Ellen I didn't contact pbs about the problem after mary posted the chart.  I will now as I'm still a little confused why the prices are not the same.  All the one's I'm printing off are coming up with the prices on the charts that mary listed.  Also I took all of my packages into the post office to mail had them accepted scanned there and asked if the prices were right.  My postal clerk reweighted the packages for me and told me they were fine.  So Ellen you probably don't need to add extra stamps if you weighted them and you know its correct.  One of my packages already reached its desitnation and no postage was due so its probably fine.  I will contact pbs and let them know that when I'm printing printable postage its coming up with different prices than the help doc says : )  Hopefully they can correct it.

ETA: Ok Melanie I sent feedback in a long lengthy discription of the problem with refrences on where I was getting information and what the system is doing so hopefully they will understand my problem and be able to tell where the inconsistency is coming from : )  maybe we can find out why the help doc is giving different prices then the printable postage is printing!

I'm having the same problem. The rate on the PBS help doc for my book, which weighs less than 6 ounces, says $2.27, but it's printing out as $2.21, which is the same price as on the chart  Mary S. posted. I've never used PBS postage before and I'm very confused. Last week, after having PBS DC issues at my post office, I tested out how much the book I mailed would have cost if I used PBS postage and it also wanted to charge me a completely different rate than what is in the help doc.

Jennifer I've mailed several of the discounted first class now and none have had postage due problems.  I believe that pbs has a problem with the help doc.  I sent them feedback about it but have not heard back on it yet.  I'd mail it how it prints as long as you are weighing the wrapped book and putting that weight in when you get the label.  I even had my post office worker double check mine to see if they were right and they were, you can always take them if to get an acceptance scan and have the po worker make sure its right. 

Thanks Elizabeth, I'm taking the book to mail today and I have a few books to mail for another site too, so I'll just take the PBS postage book to the window too and have them double check it for me.