Shipping often isn’t just a matter of “package well and drop in the mail.” Other important considerations include choosing a shipper, obtaining packaging materials at a cost that won’t break you, and finding ways to avoid spending all of your waking hours shipping if you’re selling in increasingly high volumes.
Choose a Shipper
This may just be the first step in the shipping process. The answer to the question of which carrier makes sense for you depends on the types of items you sell. In the U.S. There are really three major carriers from which most sellers choose:- United States Post office (USPS). The least expensive of the three for domestic shipments of smaller and less bulky items, but service is slightly worse in some ways—lines at shipping desks are generally longer, pickups aren’t as easy to schedule or work with, and the tracking and recovery services (in the case of problems covered by insurance) are cumbersome and thin at best. Delivery is reliable, but a little unpredictable in terms of time frame. USPS offers its own line of free, identically-sized, flat-rate, and (in some cases) self-sealing boxes for the Priority Mail service, available at any location.
- United Parcel Service (UPS). Price-wise, UPS is a better choice for heavy or large items than USPS, though for very small items they may be slightly more expensive. Delivery and tracking are more robust and reliable than they are through USPS, as is recovery in the case of problems with insured items. UPS has clear and stringent rules about packaging, and may open your package to inspect it on the suspicion that it isn’t packed up to standard. If they find that it isn’t, they may refuse to ship it or require that you purchase a larger and/or stronger box and/or additional padding.
- Federal Express (FedEx). FedEx is generally more expensive than either USPS or UPS but their service is also generally the most reliable of the three, since their computerized tracking system is much more robust—your package is monitored at virtually every stage of its journey. FedEx also offers a line of standard-sized and special item boxes available for free at FedEx locations.
Don’t simply choose your shipper at random. Weigh your needs—check the shipping costs for item(s) that you most commonly sell and consider extra costs like packaging, insurance, and the potential for trouble in your decision. Note that none of these shippers will ship boxes that clearly bear the labeling of the others, so don’t expect to be able to use free USPS boxes at UPS or the more interestingly-shaped FedEx boxes at USPS, etc.
Once you think you've decided on a shipper, read on for tips on packing supplies and the tools you need to get started with online payment and shipping label preparation.
