Cheap shipping??????? (Page 1 of 2)

$4.90? Are you including the bubble mailer in that cost or sending a metric crapton of stuff at once?  Shipping a first class package with Delivery Confirmation only costs me $2.85.

I haven't used the PayPal links myself, so I can't vouch for them.

EDIT: I do go to the Post Office for the $2.85 1st class package+DC.

Last edited by AntDog (2012-08-28 14:55:07)

Id like to know they same thing myself. Its the same for me if I send with DC. Im not even using a bubble mailer either, I just use a manila envelopes and the cheapest option it gives me on USPS.com is with the US flat rate envelope at 4.90...

I use the Paypal shipping as well, but I choose First Class Mail and Package/Thick Envelope (2-3oz generally covers the weight and they both cost the same amount), and it only costs me $1.65 total, with delivery confirmation.  And yes, that includes using a bubble mailer and everything else to keep the cards safe, like a few top loaders..

Last edited by NullParameter (2012-08-28 15:00:04)

If you go to the post office, it shouldn't cost more than $2.85 for first class with delivery confirmation unless you have over 40 cards and a bunch of cardboard in there. Considering you can send almost 550 cards with tracking for just over $6, $4.90 sounds insane to me!

Im going to have to try shipping through paypal now that I figured it out. I dont know if its bc Im shipping from NY but its the only option it ever gives me on USPS.com and I can never make it to the Post Office bc Im at work they are only open til 4. Ive been paying the 4.90 for DC just sending 5 cards. (granted it was $150 worth in the 5 cards) but still...

Just out of curiosity, what kind of padded envelope are you sending out? I think I remember that the post office will charge you differently depending on the size and shape of the envelope. I've shipped three times now with small (less than 7" each side) padded envelopes, first class, with delivery confirmation, and the most it's cost me to date has been $3.10. These have been packages from NJ to MN, CA, and WA. I also go directly to my local post office vs. PayPal or other means.

HTH

Wow.  I can't get over how inconsistent the USPS is with regards to shipping costs.  I live in central Texas and to get 1st class mail with DC only costs me $2.80.  I use a basic 000 mailer with my normal top loader configuration.  I ALWAYS use the kyosk machine.

I've posted some of the links to PayPal's postage page.  In one thread, a link doesn't work when I copy it because it takes the period at the end of the line along with the URL. Once I saw that, and deleted the trailing period, it worked fine again.

Through PayPal, I, too, am paying $1.65 for up to 3 oz. going first class (parcel), with free delivery confirmation.  That's normally $2.85 at the post offices at which I've stopped. I can mail five bubble mailers using PayPal's postage feature for roughly the cost of sending three through the USPS.

I print the postage on standard copy paper and tape the label portion onto 4"x7" bubble mailers.  Every one has gone through with no problems.

Dumb question: do you have to have something unique configured in PayPal to use the shipping features? I looked last week and couldn't find anything. Mind you, I closed my eBay account last year and decoupled it from PayPal. Being able to print labels and drop packages off in a mailbox w/o having to visit a physical post office, not to mention the savings, would be awesome.

Yea I just used that link and logged on my Personal Paypal and was able to create a shipping label (alot cheaper!) than USPS.com would let me.

I've inquired about why it costs so much before. The problem is, you can't get DC on a normal envelope unless you pay a lot more.  So it is usually around 5.00 for me to get DC on a normal envelope.  If you send in a bubble mailer they can consider it a "package" and then the DC fee isn't nearly as high (like 60 cents or so) but you have to pay more for the shipping.  They decide on if its a package or not by the thinkness, sometimes you'll see them pull out a little piece of plastic and put your bubble mailer through.  So try and make it as think as possible if you don't want any problems with the real sticklers at the post office (use newspaper and stuff like that).

tl;dr use normal envelopes for non DC trades, use bubble mailers when you want DC

If dropping it off at a post office other than the one where you live, be sure to input the Origination ZIP Code(TM) of the post office where you are dropping them off.  I spoke to some of the staff at the post office where I mail most packages, and they indicated that the point of origin is assumed to be your return address unless you specify the Origination ZIP Code(TM), and that local post office volumes (and funding) are based (at least, in part) on how many packages originate through them.

If you don't specify the ZIP code of the P.O. where you are actually sending, it looks like all the packages are being sent from your home P.O., making their volume look bigger than it is.