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Deciding
how to send out your merchandise does not have to be long and
laborious. Wondering what your options are? Or what's the best
choice if you sell large or small items? Before you make that
trip to your local post office, check out these tips on how to
pick your postage. From First Class and Priority Mail to Book
Rate--it's all here. You can find very useful resources in our shipping
resources page
First
Things First
Of course, by the time you're considering what type of postage
to use, you should already have determined who will be paying
for shipping expenses: you or the buyer. You also might consider
providing buyers with multiple postage options. If they're
willing to pay more (or less), then it's really no skin off your
nose. One last prefatory note: Postage expenses can be tax
deductible (for more information, consult our Reporting
Auction Income tip).
First-Class
Mail
This isn't applicable for your merchandise per se, but rather
for your invoices, bills, personal correspondence, etc. Any
mailable items may be sent as First-Class Mail. Pieces over 13
ounces must be sent as Priority Mail. Find specific rate
information here.
Priority
Mail
Offering two-day service to most domestic destinations, Priority
Mail items must not exceed 70 pounds or 108 inches in combined
length and girth. Pickup service is available for $8.25 per
stop, regardless of the number of pieces. For starters, a
package weighing up to 2 pounds will run you $3.20. Rates for
items over 5 pounds are based on the weight of the piece and the
zone (the distance from the package's origin to the destination
zip code). Check out the USPS's
Web site for more specific rate information. The Priority
Mail Flat-Rate Envelope costs $3.20, regardless of weight or
destination.
Express
Mail
This is the USPS's fastest service, with next-day delivery by
noon to most destinations. Delivery is offered 365 days a year,
with no extra charge for Saturday, Sunday, or holiday delivery.
Items must not exceed 70 pounds or 108 inches in combined length
and girth. Features include merchandise and document
reconstruction, tracking and tracing, delivery to post office
boxes and rural addresses, money-back guarantee, C.O.D., and
return receipt service. Insurance is provided at no additional
cost up to $500. Additional merchandise insurance is available
up to $5,000. Pickup service is available for $8.25 per stop,
regardless of the number of pieces. In terms of cost, items up
to 3 pounds will run you $18.50, while packages up to 10 pounds
cost $33. For merchandise over 10 pounds, check out the Domestic
Rate Calculator. An Express Mail Flat-Rate Envelope costs
$15.75, regardless of weight or destination.
Parcel
Post
Less expensive but slower than Priority or Express Mail, this
type of postal service is used for mailing items--general
merchandise, books, circulars, catalogs, and other printed
matter--weighing 1 pound or more but not exceeding more than 70
pounds. According to the USPS, Parcel Post items are typically
delivered within seven to ten days. They must not exceed 130
inches in combined length and girth. For more specific rate
information, consult the Domestic
Rate Calculator.
Bound
Printed Matter
For this service, items must weigh at least 1 pound but no more
than 15. Rates are based on the weight of the piece and the
zone. Packages must not exceed 108 inches in combined length and
girth. Bound Printed Matter has some pretty rigid guidelines. It
must consist of advertising, promotional, directory, or
editorial material (or any combination of the above) and be
securely bound by permanent fastenings such as staples, spiral
binding, glue, or stitching (loose-leaf binders and similar
fastenings are not considered permanent). The item's sheets must
also be 90 percent imprinted by any process other than
handwriting or typewriting with words, letters, characters,
figures, or images (or any combination). Finally, Bound Printed
Matter may not be personal correspondence or stationery, such as
pads of blank printed forms. In general, service takes seven to
ten days, depending on the destination zip code. Get more
specific rate information here.
Special
Standard Mail (Book Rate)
Like Bound Printed Matter, Special Standard Mail (or Book Rate)
is one of your cheaper options. It's generally used for books
(at least eight pages), film (16mm or narrower), printed music,
printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed
educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders, consisting of
medical information, and computer-readable media. Packages must
not exceed 108 inches in combined length and girth. The range is
as follows: up to 2 pounds, $1.58; up to 20 pounds: $7.47; and
up to 70 pounds, $21.47. Click here
for specific rate information. Also like Bound Printed Matter,
Special Standard Mail usually takes 7 to 10 days, depending on
the destination zip code.
Special
Services
There are a number of added services you should know about, too.
Here are a few:
Certificate of Mailing: Provides evidence of mailing (but not
evidence of receipt); fee: 60 cents.
Certified Mail: Provides the sender with a mailing receipt;
available only with First-Class Mail and Priority Mail; fee:
$1.40.
Collect on Delivery (COD): Allows mailers to collect the price
of goods and/or postage on merchandise ordered by addressee when
it is delivered; can be used for merchandise sent by
First-Class, Express, Priority, and Standard Mail; fee: varies
depending on the amount to be collected or insurance desired.
Money Order: A valid form of payment for merchandise obtained
from the USPS. Available in amounts up to $700; fee: 80 cents.
Insured Mail: Provides coverage against loss or damage. Coverage
up to $5,000 for Standard Mail as well as Standard Mail matter
mailed at Priority Mail or First-Class Mail rates; fees: varies
depending on the amount of coverage desired.
Registered Mail: Provides protection and security for valuables;
available only for Priority and First-Class Mail; fee: depends
on declared value with postal insurance.
Restricted Delivery: Permits a mailer to direct delivery only to
the addressee or addressee's authorized agent; available only
for Certified Mail, C.O.D., mail insured for more than $50, or
Registered Mail; fee: $2.75.
Return Receipt: Provides a mailer with evidence of delivery;
available only for Express Mail, Certified Mail, C.O.D., mail
insured for more than $50, or Registered Mail; fee: $1.25 if
requested before mailing, $7 after.
Visit the USPS's Web site for more
specific information on these special services.
E-Postage
Lastly, e-postage, or online postage, is now a viable option for
sellers. Obviously, the great advantage here is that you don't
have to leave your home and deal with those notoriously long
post office lines. Companies such as Stamps.com
allow you to print out postage from your very own home. All you
need is a computer, printer, and Internet access. There is, of
course, a fee for this convenience. But for high-volume sellers
who make too many trips to their local post office, it's worth
it.
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tactics
by Vendio Services
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