Topic Wiki

Shipping Domestic

WeightUSPSUPSFedEx
13oz and UnderItems under 13oz are usually able to be shipped USPS First Class Mail. By far this is the cheapest option.
Weekly Pickup CostUPS charges $22 for weekly pickups - if you are not shipping with your own UPS account (e.g. Amazons account) If you ship with your own account at least $75 weekly then the fee is $11.It is about the same rates as UPS.
Who Pays When Refusing a packageNo oneShipperShipper
Ship to a PO box?YesNoNo

Need to ship a package with tracking?
Login to paypal and then click this link https://www.paypal.com/shiplabel/create/
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_bulk-ship

Knowing which shipping service to use and when could be tricky. It depends on items weight, how fast needed to be delivered, contents value.

Here are 2 free tools I found that can answer many of the pricing questions on this thread:
1. Fitshipper is for when you know the delivery address, size & weight.    2. Fitshipper for listings is when you are not your sure of the destination (eBay etc.).



Items 1-5lbs is when it gets tricky.

For Fedex and UPS there is a Home Delivery charge of about $3 for all shipments that are delivered to a residential address.  This is what will usually make the rates with Fedex or UPS a lot higher than USPS Priority (on low weight packages)

The base rate - commercial address for shipping zone 1, 1lb with Fedex is $6.65, with USPS it's $5.05

With Fedex or UPS the rate increased much less per additional lb

Shipping Insurance with Fedex/UPS is a lot cheaper than USPS. This will be a key factor on deciding when to use USPS over Fedex

Direct Signature Requirement comes standard with $300 of USPS Insurance, and $500 of Fedex insurance

•°•°For Decently priced USPS labels see this post  Or this updated 8/2/21.•°•°

Latest 1/10/22 the best labels so far.
For insane rates.
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=28357.msg2538377#msg2538377


Q: Under 1lb what is the best service to use?
Typically USPS Priority Mail

Q: What is flat rate? When will it give you the best price?
Flat Rate is a specific size box that does not have a weight limit, and has the same rate for most of USA. Usually this will be the cheapest when shipping to the farthest zone.

Do all companys offer flat rate?
USPS has the best flat rate service. Fedex offers "One Rate" but that will only be a savings on Express shipments. If you have discounted rates with Fedex, the "One Rates" will not be cheaper, unless the box is heavy.

Q: If you don't have a shipping scale available, what would be the best website to find out the weight of a specific product?
Amazon has the shipping weight for most items. Add an additional lb or 2 for the weight of the box.

Q:When shipping to an apt building, will the package gets left in the hallway of by the recipients door?
A:It depends on the delivery driver. I would recommend requiring a signature when shipping to an apartment so that it will not get left outside.

Q:If USPS loses a package that wasn't insured, has tracking code. Can I get money from them?
A:$100 of insurance is included in Priority Mail Express service.
$50 insurance is included in Priority Mail service.
https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-and-extra-services.htm

Q:What Carrier is the cheapest to send packages 1LB - 5LB NY to Canada?
USPS Priority likely will be the cheapest. If you have discounted rates with Fedex or UPS they may be cheaper.

Q:Items that I am shipping that the item is packaged in a box; is it necessary to put it in a shipping box or a shipping bag is good enough?
A:Depends what you are shipping. A bag is fine for items that wont get damaged in a bag. I use a bag all the time for such items.

I buy small boxes at Uline, its about $0.30 for a 7x4x4 - which in dimensional weight its 1lb.

You could also consider bubble envelopes ...

Q:How well priced is amazon shipping?
For having inventory shipped to Amazon using their UPS account, by far that is the cheapest option. For having an item shipped to a customer using Amazons shipping rates, they are not the best rates. If you ship enough to get discounted rates with UPS of Fedex you will be bettor off using your own account.

Q: How much does it cost for UPS Pickup?
UPS charges $22 for weekly pickups - if you are not shipping with your own UPS account (e.g. Amazons account) If you ship with your own account at least $75 weekly then the fee is $11.
It is about the same rates with Fedex.

How Much is pickup for one package?

Q: How can I get around it? Flag down a driver
Flagging a driver down not necessarily is the best way around the daily pickup fee. If you are shipping daily for the convenience it should be worth to have a daily pickup.
With Fedex if you do not have an daily pickup and give the packages to a driver you will be charged $3 per box.
Additionaly many drivers do not like accepting packages from people that do not have a daily pickup, as they have to save room on their truck for their daily pickup customers.


Q: What Are the flat rate sizes?
« Last edited by myi on January 10, 2022, 02:13:34 AM »

Author Topic: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When  (Read 235903 times)

Offline ayman

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #200 on: February 25, 2014, 10:41:53 AM »
Where can I get one box to ship an item 14x21x1?
Buy discounted gift cards from me.
www.simplifyshopping.com

Offline Yeki89

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #201 on: February 25, 2014, 10:42:30 AM »
Grocery store?

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #202 on: February 26, 2014, 01:01:54 AM »
Hmm, just old cardboard boxes flattened out and then reshaped around my package?
Buy discounted gift cards from me.
www.simplifyshopping.com

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #203 on: February 26, 2014, 10:35:13 AM »
Hmm, just old cardboard boxes flattened out and then reshaped around my package?
Should work fine.

Offline Jkhein

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #204 on: March 10, 2014, 06:20:04 PM »
When one refuses a package from UPS/USPS/FEDEX etc who ends up paying for that return shipment?

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #205 on: March 13, 2014, 03:17:52 PM »
I got a USPS return label to return an item. It says First Class Package on it. Can I put it in an envelope, or does it need to be specifically a box?

Offline Mark F

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #206 on: March 13, 2014, 03:27:58 PM »
I got a USPS return label to return an item. It says First Class Package on it. Can I put it in an envelope, or does it need to be specifically a box?

You can put it in an envelope. A $0.49 stamp is First Class Mail.

Offline AnonymousUser

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #207 on: March 17, 2014, 02:35:17 PM »
Whats the cheapest way to mail United Club passes with tracking?

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #208 on: March 17, 2014, 02:43:57 PM »
Whats the cheapest way to mail United Club passes with tracking?
First Class Mail - via Stamps.com - $1.93


Offline AnonymousUser

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #209 on: March 17, 2014, 04:08:56 PM »
First Class Mail - via Stamps.com - $1.93
How did you get that? They told me there's no such thing as tracking on a FC letter, unless you do Certified Mail which is $. 49+$3.30=$3.79.

ETA: I realized afterwards you meant FC parcel, but for that you need minimum 3/4 inch thickness, so I crumpled up an paper and put it in. BTW, you can buy postage at the online rates from PayPal, besides for FC envelopes.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2014, 06:04:10 PM by AnonymousUser »

Offline zale

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #210 on: May 11, 2014, 12:20:45 AM »
Need to ship a large printer sold on Ebay. Is it ok to use Media Mail?

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #211 on: May 11, 2014, 12:28:15 AM »
Need to ship a large printer sold on Ebay. Is it ok to use Media Mail?
see post # 48
^^^

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #212 on: May 13, 2014, 07:45:55 PM »
 I ordered something is being shipped with FedEx. I want to refuse the shipment. How do I do this? The guy usually just leaves it at the door

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #213 on: May 13, 2014, 09:03:58 PM »
I ordered something is being shipped with FedEx. I want to refuse the shipment. How do I do this? The guy usually just leaves it at the door
Even if its delivered, you could bring it back to Fedex to have it returned to the sender

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #214 on: May 13, 2014, 09:26:22 PM »
Even if its delivered, you could bring it back to Fedex to have it returned to the sender
can I drop it in a FedEx dropbox?

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #215 on: May 14, 2014, 12:49:16 AM »
Would the USPS cause me any problems if I ship Something With a priority mail label in an Express Mail or flat rate envelope/Box? (When the weight/size matches the label, of course.)


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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #216 on: May 30, 2014, 03:33:24 PM »
What's the best way to send domestic from Los Alamitos, CA to Jackson, WY and Los Alamitos, CA to Cedar Rapids, IA?  My wife already packed them in USPS Medium Flat Rate and Large Flat Rate boxes respectively.  Anything cheaper?

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #217 on: June 01, 2014, 12:43:21 AM »
What's the best way to send domestic from Los Alamitos, CA to Jackson, WY and Los Alamitos, CA to Cedar Rapids, IA?  My wife already packed them in USPS Medium Flat Rate and Large Flat Rate boxes respectively.  Anything cheaper?
What is the weight and value of the item.

USPS Priority Flat rate should be the cheapest option if its over 13oz.

Using UPS and Fedex is usually cheaper on heavier items, or if they need to be insured at a higher value.

Offline ilherman

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #218 on: June 01, 2014, 01:03:21 AM »
What is the weight and value of the item.

USPS Priority Flat rate should be the cheapest option if its over 13oz.

Using UPS and Fedex is usually cheaper on heavier items, or if they need to be insured at a higher value.

Or if you have a really good UPS account.
FTFY.

I know people who pay under $2 using UPS up to 1 lb (not 13 oz like USPS)

You can say what you think when you think what you say.

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #219 on: June 01, 2014, 01:37:58 PM »
FTFY.

I know people who pay under $2 using UPS up to 1 lb (not 13 oz like USPS)
True, but that probably is smart post. And most people here do not have accounts with good rates, I was saying for the typical person.

Although domestically with Fedex on light boxes my rates are not "amazing" but for international shipping to most countries my Fedex Express rate is cheaper than USPS Priority.