Shipping via USPS Question

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
les-smith

les-smith

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
1,158
Location
Oklahoma
I just shipped a pen in a small flate rate box. Printed the label here at home. USPS requires insurance so it came to a total of $7.25 ($5.00 shipping, $2.25 insurance)

Is there a cheaper way? Would first class be cheaper? Can you print first class labels at home? Do you have to weigh first class packages?
 
Last edited:
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Small flat rate boxes have been the best option for me as well. (Especially living in AK, flat rate is the same price) USPS just raised their prices, so it isn't quite as cheap.
First Class would be cheaper, however, you cannot print labels from usps.com. I think that you could use another service (for example stamps.com) if you subscribe to one. The other problem with first class is that you can only ship up to 13 ounces.
 
USPS doesn't REQUIRE insurance....but if you want that protection, then it is a pricey addition. Also I don't think first class is insurable. the cool thing about shipping from home is that the delivery confirmation is included for free - if you go to the PO, then that's an extra 70 cents! plus they give a slight discount on online postage.

I'd pass the shipping charges on to the customer.... you could simply add $10 to your pen prices....
 
I use USPS from home extensively. Insurance is NOT required. However, the design of the web site implies that buying insurance is part of the standard workflow.

First class rates are based on weight. So to use first class, the package will be weighed - optionally by you, but certainly by USPS.
 
Insurance is not a requirement, or I am very lucky haven mailed hundreds of packages without it. First class is cheaper and for the most part jsut as fast as priority. But it is only good for packages up to 13 oz. and yes you need to be able to weigh them. I have had a $20 postage scale I bought from the post office for several years now that works just fine.
I also print all my postage at home through pay pal. it is actually faster than doing it directly from the usps site. Plus you still get the discount for online printing of postage.
 
I do all my shipping from home as well. No insurance required on flat rate. First class is cheaper, however, that does not have tracking. I find most people want tracking information. So by the time you end up adding tracking in the price you're pretty close to the same price as flat rate.

If I want to list my shipping at a lower cost I usually split the difference with the price of the product.. Add $2.95 to your pen price and take $2.95 off the shipping. Then shipping seems more reasonable but you don't take a hit on it.

You can print first class at home, along with stamps but it takes a subscription based service like stamps.com there is another one out there I can't recall the name though.
 
Last edited:
I put in rates on my website for shipping that includes insurance... the insurance is more for your protection in case the pen is lost than for the customer... I advertise that I ship USPS insured, so always do... just cover the costs in your shipping charges... most people expect to pay shipping.
 
monophoto said:
I use USPS from home extensively. Insurance is NOT required. However, the design of the web site implies that buying insurance is part of the standard workflow.

First class rates are based on weight. So to use first class, the package will be weighed - optionally by you, but certainly by USPS.
Click to expand...

sgimbel said:
Insurance is automatically "x'd" on flat rate boxes. All you have to do is uncheck the box and it takes it off.
Click to expand...

Very, very sneeky. I made the assumption that is was required. I guess I would have paid it anyways, but is $2.25 normal insurance for a $55.00 item.
 
Les,

Try printing the label with PayPal next time. If the customer paid with PayPal, you can print the shipping label directly from the transaction list (just click "Print Shipping Label"). If not, you can open PayPal Multi-Order-Shipping (look under Merchant Tools), enter the shipping information, and print the label. Options include both First Class Mail (package/thick envelope) and Priority Mail (small flat-rate box). When purchasing either through PayPal, you get free Delivery Confirmation. Insurance is extra.

USPS tracking is the same for First Class and Priority Mail - sometimes you'll get good tracking info, sometimes you won't.

Regards,
Eric
 
If the distance is close you might use Parcel Post. Works from Paypal also. Not much slower if it's not going very far. Shipped 2 packages (2#) this week for $5.09. Would have been close to $10 if Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin
 
Yes it is.

darcisowers said:
USPS doesn't REQUIRE insurance....but if you want that protection, then it is a pricey addition. Also I don't think first class is insurable. the cool thing about shipping from home is that the delivery confirmation is included for free - if you go to the PO, then that's an extra 70 cents! plus they give a slight discount on online postage.

I'd pass the shipping charges on to the customer.... you could simply add $10 to your pen prices....
Click to expand...

Yes it is.
 
Here is the scoop

USPS 1st Class parcel rate ranges $1.41 to $3.11 depending on the weight and it also takes 2-3 days to get delivered. Max weight is 13 ounces.

If you are doing any amount of shipping you might want to check Endicia, you get a 5% postage discount for printing on line, insurance is much much lower than the post office and you get free delivery confirmatioin. You can print customs forms for international shipping

I have found that a padded envelope is usually protection enough for pens particularily if you put them in a tube or pouch
 
I don't know if this is still true, but you used to be able to sign up for an account, get a postal meter and scale at home and weight your packages and print your own postage from home. It pulled the postage off a credit card and you had to be set up as a small business or something, but...... could be worth looking into.
 
Insurance is not required on Flat Rate, and you can send by first class and get delivery confirmation as well , like people have said the time is nearly the same or is the same.
 
Keep in mind that I've been away from handling the transport of U.S. Mail since 1976, and could likely be totally wrong, but back in those days, we had air mail and first class mail... or in the vernacular of the airlines... green mail and airmail... the FC was in green bags and the airmail in orange.(There was also mail in red bags that was another class... don't remember what class it was, but I think it was below the green mail.... may have been bulk mail and magazines, etc...)
I think there was a difference of about 6 cents in the postage between air and first class... more often than not, the FC(Green mail) was on the same flights as the air mail... it paid different rates to the airlines, but still flew along side the airmail.... today a great majority of mail probably goes by truck.. the priority mail, first class mail and what ever the deferred mails are called today are most likely all on the same truck... only difference is, we as patrons of the post office pay different rates for the individual service...

personally, since this is more of a hobby business than any real profit and loss business for me, I'm not overly concerned about a few cents or a dollar on the cost of shipping... I feel that I've built enough into my pricing to absorb a small percentage of error in my shipping charges... for those of you who do this as a real profit and loss business, the shipping costs are much more significant and I understand the concerns.
 
It ain't the same

TellicoTurning said:
Keep in mind that I've been away from handling the transport of U.S. Mail since 1976, and could likely be totally wrong, but back in those days, we had air mail and first class mail... or in the vernacular of the airlines... green mail and airmail... the FC was in green bags and the airmail in orange.(There was also mail in red bags that was another class... don't remember what class it was, but I think it was below the green mail.... may have been bulk mail and magazines, etc...)
I think there was a difference of about 6 cents in the postage between air and first class... more often than not, the FC(Green mail) was on the same flights as the air mail... it paid different rates to the airlines, but still flew along side the airmail.... today a great majority of mail probably goes by truck.. the priority mail, first class mail and what ever the deferred mails are called today are most likely all on the same truck... only difference is, we as patrons of the post office pay different rates for the individual service...

personally, since this is more of a hobby business than any real profit and loss business for me, I'm not overly concerned about a few cents or a dollar on the cost of shipping... I feel that I've built enough into my pricing to absorb a small percentage of error in my shipping charges... for those of you who do this as a real profit and loss business, the shipping costs are much more significant and I understand the concerns.
Click to expand...
Now you have 1st Class Parcel service, priority mail parcel service and parcel post.

Parcel post is almost never the cheapest way and never by more than a few cents...

Ist class parcel service and priority mail are both said by USPS to be 2-3 days for delivery.

One advantage to priority mail is that the boxes, envelopes and padded envelopes are provided free for the asking by USPS. If your local post office does not have everything you want you can go to USPS website and order it. Mostly it is free unless you buy prepaid envelopes.

Insurance is expensive .... but with confirmed delivery I have not found it to be necessary. I've been shipping for 3 years and have no lost shipments in the USA and only one damaged to the point where I needed to replace the items so I self-insure up to $100.00.

Both 1st class and priority mail are trackable with delivery confirmation but you can pay extra and get better tracking. Might be worth it if you are shipping only a few items, but not to me, shipping a fairly large number of parcels.

Priority mail is now zoned, but also has small flat rate boxes, medium flat rate boxes, large flat rate boxes, flat rate envelopes, padded flat rate envelopes, regional rate boxes and a lot of regular priority mail boxes. Sometimes for zones 1 and 2 and possible 3 will go cheaper than the flat rates.

Printing labels on line can save a few pennies but they did not make it as simple as they could have. It's not great for international though, or at least wasn't the last time I tried it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom