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For a long time I used the USPS Shipping Calculator to check shipping prices, but there is a more efficient way to see what your shipping will cost–the USPS Shipping Rate Charts–even more so now that USPS redesigned the calculator to hide all but the highest priced services unless you know how to make it show the rest of the options. You can see the USPS Shipping Rate Charts from this page–just click the link on the left side of the Shipping Charts page to check prices for the service you want–both domestic & international, plus extra services: USPS Shipping Rate Charts http://www.usps.com/prices/welcome.htm You’ll need to know if your packages meet the size requirements for the service & the weight limits, each of the shipping option pages has that info right on it. USPS Shipping Discount If you are printing your labels with postage through an online service or using the USPS Shipping Assistant with postage stamps to cover the cost (see here for help with labels: Shipping Basics), you get a discount. Labels with postage through online services like Paypal get “Commercial Base Prices” for USPS shipments which are better than the retail chart rates you’ll see if you click the “USPS Shipping Rate Charts” link above, plus they get free Delivery Confirmation. Labels printed using the downloadable USPS Shipping Assistant using stamps for postage get the regular retail rates for postage but you still get Delivery Confirmation free. Quick Charts for First Class Package Service (Updated for 01/12 rates) ~~~ Click images for a larger view–opens in a new tab or window ~~~ *DC = Delivery Confirmation, 85 cents when purchased at the retail level. Please be sure to confirm all info you get online with official sources to be sure they are up-to-date & accurate. See here for First Class Retail Prices on the USPS website to easily compare them to the First Class Commercial Base Prices. See here for Priority Commercial Base Prices. For International First Class, curiously they changed it so that all 1 oz packages are the same rate–even ones going to N. American destinations which used to be less expensive: You can also confirm those rates–as you should all info you get from unofficial sources–in this PDF download from USPS: http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/Notice123.pdf

Go To Great Panes, Kathryn Maloney ©2011
This post is copyrighted–you do not have permission to repost this content elsewhere but you are welcome to link to it if you’d like to share the information.

USPS First Class rates changed this week–if you are feeling overwhelmed by the change, perhaps this will help.

If you are shipping domestic via First Class, there’s good news, there’s bad news, and then there’s more good news.

The good news: Shipping packages that weigh 3 oz or less is easier now.
The bad news: Packages that are 1 or 2 oz pay the same shipping rate as 3 oz packages.

So all First Class parcels up to 3 oz to US destinations will cost you the same amount.

More good news …for folks using Paypal for shipping:

We are now getting commercial rates instead of retail rates!
(More on what that means below–see charts.)

So if the mandatory 19-cent Delivery Confirmation (DC) on Domestic First Class packages has put you off, there’s no longer a reason to avoid using Paypal labels. (I hear the same is true for Endicia shipping, I don’t know about Stamps.com.)

The cost of commercial First Class Mail is 15 cents less than retail First Class Mail (for domestic packages), so it neutralizes of nearly the entire 19 cents that Paypal charges for DC on First Class Mail. (DC is free on Priority & faster services when you pay online.)

See all the rates in charts right on the USPS website yourself here:
First Class Domestic: usps.com/ship/first-class.htm
First Class International: usps.com/ship/first-class-international.htm

or download them as a PDF file here:
http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/Notice123.pdf

Go To Great Panes, Kathryn Maloney ©2011
This post is copyrighted–you do not have permission to repost this content elsewhere but you are welcome to link to it if you’d like to share the information.

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If you are having trouble using the USPS Shipping Assistant to print your labels after this week’s upgrade, you are not alone.

While many have contacted USPS about the issue, as far as I can tell it hasn’t been fixed yet but there is a work-around for international packages using the program itself while we wait:

1. Include everything in the label as you normally would except don’t include the destination zip code.
2. Click the button to calculate the shipping cost.
3. Add the destination zip code and print as usual.

Thanks so much to jbavarian who apparently signed up for Etsy just to help us out.

Go To Great Panes, Kathryn Maloney ©2011
This post is copyrighted–you do not have permission to repost this content elsewhere but you are welcome to link to it if you’d like to share the information.

Visit our Etsy shop: GoToSupplies

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One of the most common shipping questions is whether or not jewelry can be shipped via International First Class Mail.

So long as the destination country allows jewelry to be imported, you can send it International First Class Mail if it is of “nominal value”. The US Postal Service website doesn’t define nominal value exactly–here’s what they do say…

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For some sellers shipping internationally means careful checking of import restrictions. Plant & animal products, food products, precious jewelry, leather and more are restricted or prohibited from being imported into in certain countries. Often when customs finds a prohibited item, it is confiscated without notice.

To help minimize your risk, use the USPS website’s list of countries on the following page, each has a link to their prohibited and restricted items:

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First & foremost: Insurance protects the seller, not the buyer:

Not all packages need shipping insurance–I find that the vast majority of our shipped goods make it to their destination just fine. If you ship fragile, expensive or irreplaceable goods though, buying insurance might be a good idea. When to insure is a decision you need to make for yourself. Every business will have different price points at which purchasing insurance is the way to go–some insure everything over $50, some over $100…

If you insure a lot of packages, the fees can add up. If you ship internationally, you can’t even insure some of your through packages USPS and that is a problem for many sellers, but you can insure international First Class Mail! (details below)

It’s easy to add USPS insurance for most packages while you are paying for postage whether you are buying postage online or at the post office:

USPS insurance rates:

Domestic–available for all services

International–available for Priority & faster services only

When shipping internationally, the prices for Priority Mail International shipping is often cost-prohibitive–add insurance and the high prices might keep buyers from purchasing.

First Class International & the small flat rate Priority Mail International boxes are a more affordable shipping method but USPS doesn’t offer insurance for these services, which can be risky if you are sending items that are pricy/fragile/irreplaceable.

That’s a tough hurdle for lots of folks who want to sell internationally, until they learn you can purchase insurance through third-party shipping insurance companies.

Not only is third-party insurance available for International First Class Mail, it less expensive than USPS’ insurance to boot–even for domestic shipping, less than $2 for $100 in coverage.

The two companies I’ve learned about and tried have different restrictions–one doesn’t cover jewelry, the other doesn’t cover stained glass. Since we sell both, I made a point of bookmarking each of them, including the pages where they list their rates and restrictions–each allow you to purchase insurance on a per package basis or to set up an account so all packages are covered for a monthly fee:

I haven’t needed to file a claim with either company, but purchasing the insurance through their websites was easy enough. I read about a few sellers who needed to file a claim with these companies–they said the claims process went well.

How was your experience with these companies?

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You need to choose what service works best for your business, I can only speak to what works for us. We use First Class whenever possible–it’s fast and inexpensive.

When a domestic package is over 13 oz (the First Class rate cut-off), we generally ship Priority Mail. International First Class goes up to 4 lbs, we rarely have an international package that goes over that, but when it does the package has to go Priority.

First Class is generally handled the same as Priority Mail, except during the busiest seasons when Priority Mail is put on the truck first, and if they run out of room for slower service packages, the non-Priority packages have to wait for the next truck. The only other time I hear that Priority is handled better than first class is when it is being shipped to APO/FPO addresses, Alaska and Hawaii.

If you don’t ask for First Class at the post office, the clerks are supposed to just give your Priority Mail, so be sure to ask about your options.

First Class Mail Domestic: Up to 13 oz
The rate is the same across the US no matter how far the destination. It is the least expensive you can ship, even less than Parcel post–and yet the service is much faster than Parcel Post.

First Class Mail International: Up to 4 pounds
The rates are variable but they don’t change much except for Canada and Mexico being much less expensive than anywhere else–we’re neighbors after all. See here for more: International Shipping

Priority Mail for domestic shipping is covered here: Priority Mail
You can get boxes free when using Priority Mail, but we can still ship most items cheaper in our recycled boxes or in bubble mailers using First Class Mail. They have great “flat rate” boxes–same price no matter what shipping US zone your package is going to but it’s only a good deal for heavier items, that’s covered in the link above. There are different prices for the Priority International Flat Rates, though you use the same boxes.

Parcel Post
We don’t often use Parcel Post because it is significantly slower, and usually not much less expensive than Priority Mail–especially if you pay for postage online.

Once you’ve got your items shipping figured out, you’ll probably want to use shipping labels you print from home–once you start you’ll wonder how you ever did without it! See the “Shipping” page for links to posts for help with printing labels and even more shipping help.