OK.  I love this printing postage thing now.  BUT, I would like to decide whether I want to send FC or MM.

My problem is, it only costs a few cents more to send FC for a 7oz package but, because it's cheaper for MM,  it prints out MM.  I would rather pay the few cents and send FC.  Can I?  If not, does anyone know if this will be an option in the future?

Thanks a bunch.

The ones I printed at the 7 oz. mark did come out as First Class. Was that what the weight of the package in the estimate window when you printed the label?

Diane

It sometimes helps just to get some white-out if you need to paint over first class or media mail. Then you can mail it however you want. 

I put a sticker over the Media Mail and write in First Class.  I am happy to pay 2 cents extra to get the book there faster (actually, so I can get my credit faster!)

If the weight you enter on the wrapper setup page is 7 oz or less, then the label will say "First Class" and you'll be charged the $2.15 + DC rate. If the weight is more than 7 oz, then the wrapper will say Media Mail. Remember, if your package is 7.1 oz, then you would have to pay the 8 oz rate for First Class. PBS doesn't currently have a way to charge you First Class rates for packages over 7 oz.

I use to do that when I put my own postage on.  But, now that I have the postage printed from PBS, it doesn't give me a choice of how much I want to use or if I want to use FC or MM.  Actually, that would be a whole lot better.  If it would let us put the amount of postage in instead of the system figuring it out for us.  And, letting us choose between FC or MM.  Hmmmm....maybe I'll put some feedback in about that.

When I have mailed books at the post office and it was cheaper or just a little more expensive to mail first class, the clerks have just used a Sharpie to mark through the "Media Mail" on the wrapper.  I always have a Sharpie in my purse, so now while they are printing out the postage, I mark through on the wrapper myself. 

You can change the weight to 11oz and it will always give you the media mail rate. :->

I don't think I was clear about what I was trying to say.

I'm talking about printing the postage directly onto the wrapper through PBS.  I would prefer to choose whether I want FC or MM for my mailing.  If you haven't used the new PBS wrapper, you may not understand what I'm talking about.  When you print the wrapper with the postage on it, PBS decides whether it will go FC or MM. 

It doesn't matter because, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it.  But, thanks for all of the suggestions anyway.

:)

No, I meant on the PBS wrapper. If you tell it your book is heavier than it is (but less than a pound, where the price changes), it will decide to print it media mail instead of first class.

I know Eloise.  But, I actually want the opposite.  Sometimes I want FC instead of MM.  Oh well.  I gave some feedback on the new postage feature.  We'll see what happens.

I get what your saying barbara and I would like the same. For some books First Class would only be 2 cents more and it would get there faster that way.

I guess I got sidetracked by some of the other responses, so my response wasn't an answer to your question, sorry.  I don't think you can do what you want to do yet with PBS printable postage, but I think it would be a very good suggestion to make for future site upgrades. 

Can't you type in that your book is actually LIGHTER than they think it is and have the price change to first class?

I had one book where just the .2 oz weight of one paper (say... the mailing label?) would switch it from first class to media if I added it --and back to first class if I took it off.

Just be careful if you are planning on mailing from a blue box or your mailbox. I've had a couple of smaller paperbacks returned since using the PBS postage because even though they were light enough to qualify for first class, they were too thick under the new size regulations.

Bren -- there's no thickness regulation for First Class Parcels. If you're putting parcel postage on them and they're returning them to you, then they are wrong. The PBS recommended postage for light weight books is always the First Class Parcel rate. Now, if you're trying to use the First Class Large Envelope rate, that is not going to work for most books. Either the book will be too thick, or it will not bend enough to get through the machinery.

Here are the USPS size regulations:

Packages (Parcels)

• Maximum weight: 13 ounces
• Maximum size no more than 108" in combined length and girth
• $1.13 for the first ounce & $0.17 for each additional ounce

Large Envelopes -- This rate is only applicable for books that have at least 1" of bend in each direction.

• Maximum weight: 13 ounces
• Maximum length: 15"
• Maximum height: 12"
• Maximum thickness: 3/4"
• $0.80 for the first ounce & $0.17 for each additional ounce

Can't you type in that your book is actually LIGHTER than they think it is and have the price change to first class?

No, because then you're postage will be incorrect and it will be returned.