How to Ship Animal Ashes

Who says you have to bury your pet? Now, with the Postal Service’s help, you can ship out your animal’s cremated remains to have them turned into jewelry, or a trinket, or…for whatever reason you like, really. In February of 2020, USPS introduced a box for customers to ship animal ashes and cremated remains called the Cremated Remains Animal Box. This box, much like the regular Cremated Remains Box, allows customers to ship animal ashes with increased security and visibility. The only difference is that it’s a bit smaller than the regular Cremated Remains Box.

Shipping Animal Ashes is No Different than Human Ashes, Except for the Box

Except for the box that USPS provides, the process for shipping animal cremated remains is exactly the same as shipping human cremated remains. We’ve laid out the steps you need to take below:

• You can only use USPS Priority Mail Express service
• Affix Label 139: Cremated Remains to all sides of your box (except when using the USPS cremated animal remains box)

The Benefits of the USPS Cremated Animal Remains Box

Using the Cremated Animal Remains Box is a pretty sweet deal, in our opinion. First of all, they are available to order for free on the USPS website, and you can get up to 5 at a time. Secondly, it already comes with the proper markings on the package as well as sufficient packing material, so all you need to do is buy your Priority Mail Express postage, and then you’re set.

If you don’t want to use this box, you can use your own box instead. However, USPS will still require you to adhere to all the same guidelines. That means you’ll need to buy a Priority Mail Express label, and you’ll need to affix the orange Label 139 to all four sides of the box. Stick one of these label on the top, another on the bottom, the left side, the right side…you get the drift.

Save the Most Money on Priority Mail Express Postage By Using Online Shipping Software

Here’s the thing about shipping out ashes: Priority Mail Express postage can get expensive. Really expensive. So, if you’re an online business shipping out lots of these packages, you would do well to use online shipping software to buy discounted USPS postage.

Shipping software allows you to purchase and print postage from the comfort of your own home, and the best ones hook you up with the deepest discounts that USPS has to offer. In the case of Priority Mail Express postage, online shipping software can end up saving you 17% off of what you’d pay by visiting the Post Office. When you’re buying a lot of these labels, those savings add up!