Hi everyone,

Thank you for joining our online workshop on Shipping Tips and Best Practices. We would like to use this hour to talk about some of the shipping tools available on eBay and PayPal.

We look forward to an interactive session, and we welcome your feedback and questions. We'll open up this thread at 1:00 Pacific time.

Getting Started

Just getting started with shipping can sometimes be the hardest part, but it doesn’t have to be! You can avoid shipping headaches by being prepared:

Use a shipping scale: Knowing the weight of your item is crucial to being able to accurately determine shipping costs. In most cases, items under 13 oz need to be weighed to the next highest ounce, and items over 13 oz need to be weighed to the next highest pound.

If you don’t own a shipping scale, you still have a few options:

1) Use a bathroom or kitchen scale
2) Shop on eBay for shipping scales! There are lots of great deals to be had
3) The U.S. Postal Service offers Flat Rate Priority Mail shipping boxes, which are the same rate, regardless of weight, to any state. You can ship anywhere in the U.S. for a flat rate of $8.95, but you must use the Flat Rate packaging. Two sizes of flat rate packaging are available at this site: ebaysupplies.usps.com
4) Obviously actually weighing your package is ideal, and the best way to ensure an accurate shipping rate. However, if you have no access to a scale, often the manufacturer’s web site will contain the weight information on an item. Just be sure to add the appropriate ounces for your packaging materials to the weight.

Measure your shipping box: If your package has a large size-to-weight ratio, you may need to consider your package's dimensional weight when you calculate your shipping rates. Some items can be subject to something called “dimensional weight”, which means the dimensions of the box will be factored into the shipping cost.

USPS Dimensional Weight for Priority Mail packages: You can learn more about USPS Dimensional weight at this page.

UPS Dimensional Weight:
Learn more about measuring your package and UPS Dimensional Weight at this page.

Helpful hints:

• If you are shipping USPS Priority Mail® you can order free Priority Mail shipping supplies, none of which are not applicable to dimensional weight pricing.
• The new Priority Mail shipping boxes have the dimensions already printed right on the outside of the box
• UPS packaging is provided free of charge to UPS account holders for selected Air and Worldwide Express services. You can order supplies at this site. Other packaging supplies are sold at The UPS Store®


Visit the eBay Shipping Center: The eBay Shipping Center contains information on shipping tips, frequently asked questions, U.S. Postal Service, UPS, PayPal shipping labels, calculating shipping costs, and more! Be sure to visit the Shipping Center for important shipping information.

Printing Shipping Labels on PayPal

Printing shipping labels on PayPal is convenient, easy, and best of all…free! There are no fees to print shipping labels on PayPal; you pay only the actual cost of shipping.

You can print U.S. Postal Service® and UPS® shipping labels right from your PayPal account, using a standard printer and regular paper.

How does it work?

After your item sells, you can generate a PayPal shipping label from your My eBay page, the View Item page of the item you’ve sold, or from your PayPal Account Overview page.

Because PayPal knows your address, your buyer’s address, and the information you entered about shipping at the time you listed your item on eBay, almost everything is pre-filled for you. You simply verify the information, print the label, attach to the package, and take it to your local Post Office or UPS drop off location. You can also contact USPS or UPS for package pickup options.

Why use PayPal shipping labels?

• The cost of shipping is paid for right from your PayPal account
• You will receive automatic online discounts on USPS Priority Mail International and Express Mail International shipping labels purchased through PayPal
• You may be eligible to receive special savings on UPS shipping labels purchased through PayPal for eBay transactions
• Your buyer will be automatically notified by e-mail and in their My eBay that you have generated a shipping label
• You can print domestic and international shipping labels, including customs forms.
• Visit the shipping label page of the eBay Shipping Center to learn more

Additional shipping tools and resources

Now that you know how to package your item, calculate shipping costs, specify shipping in your listing, and print shipping labels, we’d like to give you a few more tips to consider when shipping on eBay:

Offer Expedited Shipping, especially around major shopping holidays: If you commit to a 1-day handling time and offer at least one overnight shipping service option, you can elect to flag your item as a Get it Fast listing. Your listing will have a Get it Fast icon so last minute shoppers will know they can buy from you confidently. This is especially important around major holidays. There is no additional fee to list using the Get it Fast icon.

Consider Offering Free Shipping: Free Shipping has become an e-commerce standard during holiday shopping times. You can offer Free Shipping by selecting the Flat shipping option and checking the “Free” box near the shipping cost field. Buyers searching for items with free shipping will be able to find your items.

Are you shipping a lot of items? Try PayPal MultiOrder Shipping: PayPal MultiOrder Shipping allows you to print up to 50 U.S. Postal Service domestic shipping labels at a time, right from your PayPal account. There is no additional fee for this service; you pay only the actual cost of shipping. PayPal MultiOrder Shipping includes integration with the U.S. Postal Service Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice (SCAN) form.

Dip your toe in the water by going north of the border: Shipping to Canada is a great first step to taking your business global. eBay Canada has a lot of potential shoppers! Under the international shipping section, just select Canada in the “Ship to” drop down menu.

Welcome and thanks for joining us today!

We love workshops to be interactive, so please feel free to ask your questions that directly relate to this topic.

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Cheers,

Deirdre
eBay Community Development

We checked out the special discount offer from UPS but we got the impression there was a weekly service charge with having an account with UPS. Is this correct?
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TIMECATCHERS - Antiques and Collectibles eBay Auctions
IT'S ALL WRITE - Quality Pens and Refills eBay store

ok, thanks Suzanna
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TIMECATCHERS - Antiques and Collectibles eBay Auctions
IT'S ALL WRITE - Quality Pens and Refills eBay store