Greetings,

We sell small, light weight, low ticket items. Our average sale is in a 8x8x4 or 7x7x7 box weighing 1-2 pounds. Obviously, since our items are low ticket we need an inexpensive shipping solution. However, we also want to ensure a decent price and delivery time for our customers.

Which do you think is the best option for shipping to our customers?

UPS, Fedex, USPS, Etc?

Hey Robert!

My experince with the USPS has been a nightmare--hit AND miss!! LOL!

But, they are much cheaper then most. If you do ship USPS, do it online at USPS.com and you get FREE Confirmation. Make sure your weight is accurate, though.

I have some packing envelopes I was able to get REALLY cheap. They're the #5's and they handle medium size items. You can usually get them--as well as many other sizes- pretty cheap from Hall Marketing and Fulfillment.

Hope this helps!

Jenna

In my experience USPS has been great. They get stuff there on time and better yet, at by FAR the cheapest price. At my local post office, they provide small boxes for free. These would be perfect for shipping key chains. You can offer shipping of 1-2 pound items for less than $4 anywhere in the U.S. via Priority Mail which usually arrives in 4-5 days.

I agree with Janna that doing it online is the way to go.

I agree with guppy. We use all the shipping companies and when it comes to small lightweight objects you can't beat USPS on price. They will also send you all the FREE shipping boxes you want and you can order them through their website and they will deliver to your front door.
Priority Mail will compete with any other service on price and speed of delivery, but obviously each city's usps office runs differently and you just have to test them to see if they are up to par.

We've decided to give the USPS a try. After all, they do supply free packing material (boxes, envelopes, tape) for priority mail shipments. Thanks to all of you for your comments.

Hey key chain man,

For me the choice wasn't really cost but confirmation numbers. While the average sell I have is over $100.00 customers really like to know where their orders are. ups has a better tracking system that is updated several times a day. USPS usually isn't udated until after the product has already been put to use by the customer.

I was spending an hour a day dealing with customers calling wanting tracking etc. Usps tracking numbers were a pain to input. UPs can be cut and pasted in taking 5 minutes a day.

Yeh it is more expensive, but the time to take packages to the post office, deal with customers, input those numbers by hand just wasn't worth it. I could spend that time adding more products and making more money than I was saving.

Charles a programmer at MonsterCommerce has just added Fed Ex label shipping capability startight from Quickbooks. The featured hasn't been released (still in Beta)... but there are many exciting features coming out...

Label printing will save some time.

If there was a way to import the customer list into UPS worldship system that would be great. That way all the information would be there saving time. Much like the above fed ex above but without the quickbooks middle man

That would definately come in handy!

There is a feature for importing addresses into UPS Worldship. You need to have ASKMonster software, download an EXPORT FEED, and then import into Worldship. Can't beat it for convenience, time saving, and no typing errors!

Liquorama Fine Wines & Spirits

Thanks everyone for your input.

I'm currently trying out USPS Priority Mail for most smaller, standard delivery orders. As for larger and express orders I'm going to see how Fedex goes.

Using Endicia to print USPS postage I am able to just copy & paste the tracking number from the postage log. Pretty effortless.

My biggest concern with USPS was the display of postage on the label. Thats over now that the USPS approved hidden postage similar to UPS/Fedex.

[FONT=Optima]

Here's my experience with shipping:

USPS: Never consistent. Somtimes a package is delivered in 2 days - regardless of the class (pM, FC, or 4th class) Tracking is a definate tie up of resources. We have experienced the same as another post of customer complaints. If you ship PM and use the free materials - weigh the boxes -- you'll find that if you use a box you DO PAY FOR IT. ALL the boxes weigh very close to 1 lb or more. Tyvek - is the exception. We use mostly flat rate mailers, So this is not an issue.

UPS: I did care too much for there new site when it launched last month. All my info was wiped out! And they are having problems with their passwords.

FEDEX: I do like QB 2003 integration for shipping. It seemless and very easy!
HOWEVER, I'm concerned that the feature will be a "CHARGE" next version.... Ya know how they add a feature then on your next upgrade you have to pay an annual service fee to have the same service. GRRR! K, that is my personal grip with INTUIT.

Now here's my question!!!. LOL! Does anyone have any feedback about FREE SHIPPING or FLAT RATE SHIPPING? I'm considering adding this with my MC upload. I was considering FREE SHIPPING at or above a certain order amount. Our ave. sale is $25.00 -- so it would be more than that to drive up sale amounts.

Thanks for any feedback! Baubie www.stickers2go.com (not MC launched yet)

With a plethora of products of a wide variety of weights this is what I do for the most part. There are exceptions to these rules and I am located in a midwest state.

USPS for under 3 pounds or over 10 pounds on a smaller item to OCONUS

UPS for Canada

Fed-X for Larger lightweight items to the east coast (less than UPS)

UPS for larger lightweight items to the west coast (less than Fed-X)

Airborne to the UK (cost far less than Fed-x or UPS)

All other locations I spend the time to calculate and estimate. The time I spend more times than not is worth it. The last Item I shipped to the middle east (bunch of soldiers wanting some things to go direct not through APO).

USPS wanted $100.00
UPS wanted $186.00
Fed-X wanted $140.00
Airborne wanted $65.00

I offer free shipping on certain items where competition on the web is large. Though now everyone does this so I also throw in a free gift for over $100.00. This works great till everyone else sees it and starts to do the same.

Forgot to add this little tidbit

The shipping game is what makes and breaks on-line stores

Our customers buy it today, want it last night!

If you list it, you better have it ready to ship next day!

If it can't be shipped next day, note this on the product page.

I e-mail all outside of the United Sates all of my clients and they MUST PROVIDE me with a copy of the most recent cc billing and indicate in their fax that they AUTHORIZE my store to charge their CC!

This came about after on jerk discovered he could play the grey margins to his benefit. After much work on my part and a $1700 chargeback for his purchase. He stated "I NEVER AUTHORIZED". The credit card company took his side stating the fact that he entered his CC information was not considered AUTHORIZATION. After nearly six months of trying to work it out with the client and the clients bank I got my money back from his bank----but had to make a claim with the shipping company to get it.

As it turns out, he was using the fact that it was being shipped from outside of his country to his benefit. The credit card bank indicated that he had made nearly 1 million dollars of purchases and filed the same claim on each one. Us retailers were out all this money and products. So be careful with shipping to outside of the US. I am sure there are others who know and play this grey margin with foreign payments.

NO PROOF, NO WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION, NO SHIP

But that's just me!

http://forums.monstersmallbusiness.com/ind...?showtopic=2334

Complete instructions coming soon!

There is a new program called TrueShip Shipping Manger, that allows you to produce the packing list and UPS label needed for a singe shipment in one easy process.

Shipping Manger creates an all-in-one shipping document to deliver enterprise-style functionality at a price any business can afford.

It allows you to add your logo, company colors, and customer service message in a few simple steps.

Mike
Mikeo@trueship.com
916-663-5422
www.trueship.com

Anyone know how to order the USPS free boxes online? I know they are available in the post office, but strapworks says you can get them online.
Also, any tips for shipping supplies in general would be appreciated like for boxes, popcorn foam, etcetera.
Thank you.

Here's the link to the Prioirty Mail Supplies. Just placed my order a few hours ago and it's already been sent for fulfillment:

http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_s....+Priority+Mail

Jean

Hey,

We use a program called Endicia, from Endicia.com. It costs around $15 a month. At first it was a bit of a pain, because we had to hand-write customs forms for international, but now they have printable customs forms.

As much as we dislike using the post office, it is cheaper for packages under 2 LBS, and our customers are very happy with it. This program makes an old-fashioned organization up to date.