Never Printed Shipping Labels Through Paypal - Need Advice

[wingzrow]

So up until now I've been manually printing out shipping addresses, cutting them out, and then just taping them to my packages & that was the end of it. Time consuming to say the least.

Now I'm thinking of buying up a Brother QL570 label printer & going through paypal so I don't have to wait in lines at the post office. I've never done this though, EVER.

Could anyone here give me a rundown on what's involved with all of this? Is it a good idea?

What I understand:

I assume I can just drop off my packages at the post office and won't have to wait in line anymore.

I THINK tracking numbers are free if I do this and are automatically sent to customers through eBay. This would of course help if a package gets lost, etc right?

What I need help With:

Would this save me any money, appose to just waiting in line and going through the post office every time?

I guess I need a scale of some sort to weigh all of my packages as well. Printing this labels requires a scale, so what scale do you recommend?

Also, any general info & feedback about this process would be appreciated.

[Icarus Moonsight]

You get a bulk shipping rate discount since you are purchasing through third-party proxy, you get to ride in on their contractual rate. And yes, you just walk in and drop the boxes off at the counter, skipping the line. Some post offices have a certain place for it while others might not. Just ask, "Where should I leave these?" if it's not obvious where you should. You are eventually going to get some yahoo in line pissed at you at one point. Just ignore them. It takes too long to explain why your bypassing line, and if they freak, it's near guaranteed that they are an ass that's not worth dealing with. I suggest whistling and strutting out like you own the place, to maximize their rage and your entertainment value.

Pelouze digital shipping scales are good and not very expensive. I got one about 5 years ago and it cost $20. Office Max or Depot, can't remember which, but it was one of the two. Any office supply store should have them.

I buy postage and print through Paypal when I can. I print my stuff out on cheapo paper and tape over it with clear shipping tape. I've never used labels.

[wingzrow]

Well a label maker just seemed like it would streamline things a bit. Thanks for the recommendation on the scale too, that's really important since i'm going to order one soon.

[VACRMH]

Figured I'd throw a question in too.

Can you only pay for postage online for Priority and Express? I'd understand not being able to do media, as the automated machine at the post office doesn't let you do it, but what about first class?

[megasdkirby]

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now

Link was given by FABombjoy.

I posted a similar topic a little over a year ago:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137622

Hope you can get any info from it. Was very valuable for me at the time.

Through the link above, you can print out Fist Class Mail and other shipping services as well. Delivery Confirmation is free with Priority Mail and 19 cents for First Class Mail.

You don't have to wait in line, and if an employee says you have to, they are lying.

Printing labels online saves you a few cents, specially if you use Delivery Confirmation, since it's over a 50 cent reduction, not counting the actual shipping reduction. But for me, the ability NOT to do a line anymore wins.

When I am going to send a package, I print the label to a date prior to me shipping. For instance, if I say that I will ship a package tomorrow, I print it today with today's date. That way, when it's shipped tomorrow, the label is already "active" and ready to go.

BE WARNED!

Shipping labels have this nasty tendency to cut out certain portions of the address, specially if the address is too long. ALWAYS VERIFY THE PRINTED ADDRESS WITH THE ONE ON FILE BEFORE SHIPPING! Once printed, look at the label and compare it with what the buyer gave you: you will either:

-See things the same, for which no problem

-See more info added to it, which sometimes is no problem, but sometimes it's a pain the ass because this "added info" can fuck things up. I usually cover it with liquid paper.

-See that a few lines of the address "disappeared". If there is something missing, ADD IT MANUALLY.

That's it! Trust me, it's well worth printing labels online.

[theclaw]

I believe it goes something like this. Correct me if I'm wrong...

You can print media, and first class domestic packages. Not first class letters or first class international (meaning printed postage is priority/express only when sending outside US). Tracking isn't quite free on printed first class, media, or parcel (unlike priority/express) but it seems mandatory for any printed postage.

Downside is inability to send small items to foreign buyers who don't mind how slow first class can be.

[Cornelius]

Everything I've read here looks correct in my experience. Lots of good advice. There isn't a shipping discount online for First-Class (or slower), but there is a discount on the (mandatory) delivery confirmation for First-Class ($0.19 vs. $0.75 at the PO). Prices are the same discount as you can do through the USPS website for Priority, but you can't do First-Class through USPS website at all, so that's a huge benefit to Paypal shipping.

The only time I queue anymore at the PO is for First-Class International like someone above mentioned. Once you are spoiled by online postage, this seems like a huge PITA, and so I charge a few bucks extra for International 1st class.

The label printer would be awesome, but honestly if you aren't doing online postage yet, then you very likely aren't shipping enough stuff to justify the label printer purchase. Go for it if you've got the money and want the convenience, but it would take quite a while to recoup that investment. Another option that is nearly as convenient, and the one I went with, are half-sheet label paper. You use these in a regular printer, then just peel off and stick it to your package. Saves a ton of hassle versus cutting paper and taping it on like I used to do. Paypal shipping has a tick-box that makes it just print the label part, and not the unnecessary receipt part, so you get 2 labels per page. I got a bunch of it from a place called LabelDog on Ebay (http://stores.ebay.com/labeldog2007). Watched a bunch and found that they sometimes do auctions instead of BINs and you can get them cheapest that way.

I've also been buying black ink for my older printer when I come across it in my searching, so that saves me a lot of money and evens the score between the label and regular printer options. My printer recently gave out on me completely (HP 7550), so I looked on CL for another one that takes HP56 ink, and found one that someone was giving away for free. I have so much HP56 ink, in fact, that I'm still going to pick up another printer when I find one cheap so I have it as a backup.