How to Reduce Shipping Costs on eBay Items

How to Reduce Shipping Costs on eBay Items

eBay sellers are always looking for ways to cut costs and increase their bottom line. Shipping and packaging are one area where eBay sellers can continually evaluate processes to save money.

Things You’ll Need

eBay Account

Internet Access

Priority Mailers

Poly Mailers

Instructions

1 – For shipping within the USA, if items weigh less than 14 ounces, use First Class mail. The rates are lower and the package arrives just as quickly. You can purchase plain white poly mailers on eBay very inexpensively.

2 – For shipping within the USA, use USPS Priority Mail for items weighing 14 ounces or more. You can get free supplies from your post office or from USPS.com. They are shipped to your door, free.

3 – Use the Priority Mail Tyvek envelopes instead of boxes, when applicable. The envelopes weigh considerably less than a box, and you will pay less for shipping.

3 – Pay attention to your packaging and how much it weighs. Overpacking can cost you extra money. The more packaging you use, the more your package will weigh, and the more it will cost to ship it. (I’ve seen it happen on my own items, specifically first class and international shipping. By trimming the packaging just a bit so that the weight stays below a particular threshold, I can save $2 on one package sometimes.)

4 – Buy labels and poly mailers in quantity. Many can be found on eBay. Price shop these items on a regular basis. You might find a better deal the next time you need them, so take time to price shop.

5 – If you are shipping First Class, International, Media Mail, or Parcel Post, research how to get free boxes. (See my eHow article titled “How to Get Free Shipping Supplies for your Home Business.)

6  -Save money by shipping online using USPS.com.

Tips & Warnings

Don’t get creative and turn the USPS Priority Mail supplies inside out and use them for other classes of mail. If the post office catches you, the recipient (your customer) will be charged for Priority Mail upgrade. That is not good customer service!

How to Ship eBay Items Cheaply

One company’s refuse can be a precious commodity for yours. Shipping items on eBay is easy and cheap with the Internet facilitating price research and the availability of free boxes at stores where you normally shop anyway. Businesses regularly discard boxes so you can take advantage and use their trash to ship cheaply.

Things You’ll Need

Boxes

Shipping tape

Packing material

Instructions

1 – Start collecting boxes. Stores like Sam’s Club, Costco, Target, Walmart and many more all discard boxes. Whenever you see an employee stocking a shelf or pushing a cart full of boxes, ask if you can have a couple. Sam’s Club also has boxes available at checkout. It is never necessary to buy a box anywhere.

2 – Look for packing tape on sale. Stock up in bulk; never buy just one roll. Costco usually offers a coupon several times a year for an eight-roll package.

3 – Get bubble wrap and packing material from a big-box store like Sam’s Club or Costco. Sometimes bubble wrap is necessary to ship certain items. Always buy the largest box. Newspaper is a great packing material, which you can always get free.

4 – Use USPS Media Mail when shipping media items like DVDs, books and video games. For large items, use UPS or FedEx. Create an account online with both of these shippers and always compare prices. Priority Mail through USPS is also an option but usually fairly pricey. Stay away from shipping through a UPS store or FedEx Kinko’s because their counter prices are more expensive than online.

Tips & Warnings

Save every box and packing material you get.

Break down boxes for easy storage.

If you do not get a newspaper, ask a neighbor.

Take your item and box to work and ask the shipping department for the weight.

Use the most accurate weight possible.

UPS and FedEx offer $100 insurance for free.

Never have a shipping store do your packing.

How to Pay Postage for eBay & Print Labels

Most shipping services will come to your home to pick up priority packages. After the initial thrill of making a sale on eBay begins to wear off, you’re soon faced with the responsibility of shipping the item to the buyer as promised. To avoid the lines at the post office and take advantage of lower online shipping rates, you can pay the postage through eBay and print the shipping labels directly from your own computer. EBay offers this service only for items you sell on their website, and only for packages you’re sending through the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx.

Instructions

1 – Sign in to your eBay account, then click the “My eBay” link at the top of the screen.

2 – Click the “Sold” link in the Sell section on the sidebar. EBay displays a list of your recently sold items.

3 – Click the “Print Shipping Label” link next to the item you plan to ship. EBay displays the postage cost based on the shipping options you selected when you listed the items for sale.

4  -Check the information in the “Ship To” and “Ship From” sections to make sure the addresses are correct. Click the “Change” link next to an address if you want to change the information.

5 – Change the options in the Package Details section if you want to select a different carrier or shipping priority, or enter a new package weight.

6 – Check the boxes next to “Add Signature Confirmation” and “Add Insurance” to purchase these services. EBay considers these services optional, and the additional costs are not charged to the buyer if he agreed to pay actual shipping costs.

7 – Click the “Purchase Postage” button when you are ready to buy and print the label. EBay automatically charges the postage amount to your PayPal account.

8 – Click the “Print Label” button, and then select your preferred printer from the Printer dialog box. For a better-looking label, change your printer to the highest-quality setting. If you plan to print on a blank label sheet, insert it now; otherwise, load your printer with regular white paper. Click “OK” to begin printing.

9 – Check the label to make sure it’s legible and properly aligned. If there are any problems with the label, you can reprint it without charge by clicking “Reprint Label.”

Tips & Warnings

If you prefer to send your package using UPS as the shipping service, and you used PayPal as the payment method, you can pay the shipping costs and print a UPS label though your PayPal account.