The real cost of Priority Mail vs First Class

[PosyPop]

I have been doing some thinking about my shipping costs. Normally I ship via First Class Mail...I sell jewelry and packages usually weigh 3 oz or less.

I broke down my costs...and factored in that I have to drive to the post office to drop off First Class packages because they dont fit in my mailbox. Alternatively, if I ship Priority mail, the carrier will pick it up from my home.

If I am shipping one package (and most of the time I am), my cost for the bubble mailer + gas is $2.47 per round trip to the post office.

By the time I am done, there is less than $1 difference in total shipping costs between First Class and Priority. The good thing about Priority is that the carrier will pick up from my home and they will give you free bubble mailers, boxes, etc. With First Class I have to buy my own mailers, and make the trip to the post office...more inconvenient, especially when I have to drag the kids along.

I am thinking it would be better for me to just ship Priority mail...but I dont want customers to be turned off by the shipping cost. Can I just leave it as is (I charge $2.50 domestic) and increase my item prices by $1 to cover my costs?

[LittleDesirezJewelry]

Have you tried using Paypal or Stamps.com for your shipping services?

[Former_Member]

Some people say that is not ok, it is like lying to customers... I'm not sure, but some of my shipping costs are included in the final price.

[ForgedMettleJewelry]

I used to ship priority until I discovered that first class was getting there in the same amount of time if not LESS. As for bubble mailer, you can get cheap ones from either BJ's or uline. as low as 19 cents a piece. And if you print your shipping labels out online, even first class parcel if they are under 13oz your letter carrier will pick those up as well...

[Former_Member]

priority is REALLY useful if you have problems getting to and from the post office and cant print postage at home.

for 3oz, which is what most of my packages are, i would really recommend doing first class

i get my bubble mailers for pennies from http://www.papermart.com/ i think it was something like $0.37 each mailer. plus 17cents each for gift bags. shipping is for 3 oz usually less than $1.99 so i offer free shipping. sometimes shipping is more but thats for larger orders that almost always go priority. even then if someone is spending $75 i can eat $5 of that. but my items are more expensive and if i dont count labor (bad i know) i can usually eat the cost. for now anyway.

[Former_Member]

I love using the flat rate shipping. I know my costs before I even post it on here and they deliver the envelopes straight to my house. Plus if someone orders more than one thing, it can all fit in one of their bubble mailers. My shipping fees in my shop cover the actual fee, additional packaging, and the charge for a protective jewelry display box that keeps it safe in transit and when they get it.

[Former_Member]

I don't think it is wrong to include shipping in your price to the customer (item price). At the end of the day you have to be comfortable with how much you are making and I feel that a lot of customers (I used to be this way until I started shipping things!) don't realize the cost of shipping materials and if they get a package that says $3.17 and you charged them $4 for it because you knew that you also had to pay for the packaging to send it, they may think you are trying to cheat them out of some extra money (not thinking about the added cost of tape and mailers). Building some of your packaging costs into the price of your item isn't any different than building the cost of the materials and your time spent creating it. I build the price for my items considering my time spent creating them/editing custom orders, cost to print, and the cost of the packaging (mailers & decorative) and that's the price I list for. The shipping price I usually keep to around what the post office is going to charge (it varies by delivery location obviously). So long story short, I definitely feel like its okay to up your item cost to cover some of the shipping/packaging.

[Former_Member]

umm lets see...I'm shipping similar items small under 3 oz

I paid... 0.17 cent per bubblemail envelope.
. 0.04 for shippin label
0.01 for bubblewrap...(got 220 feet for 11.00 so ya, less then that really)
Then with stamps.com I pay 1.64 for first class with tracking

='s 1.86 shipping....

Sounds like you need to look into some wholesale for your shipping supplies. Cut your costs.

[Former_Member]

I'm in the same boat. I live on a rural route and anything that does not fit into my mailbox has to be driven to the post office by me... Most of the time I need to have them weigh it and post it specifically anyways, so I try to time my Post office visits so I only go 1-2 times per week. Even still, gas out here is $4.50 a gallon and it takes me about a half gallon to get there and back... I've been arriving at the same conclusions...

There's VERY little difference for me between First Class and Priority in the end.

[EarthborneArt]

Unless it's an unusually large piece, I always ship priority. The extra expense is totally worth it to me for the free boxes and delivery pick up.

[Former_Member]

I live in the country and it's about a 20 minute drive to the post office. It's just as long to the office supply shop to purchase boxes, mailing envelopes, etc. So I always ship Priority Mail. I recently changed my shipping cost to free for everything I could afford to pay the shipping cost for, and $3 for everything I can't - meaning I generally pay $2.15 to $5.15 for every order to mail it. (This at the suggestion of a pricing team)

[AtHomeWithLolly]

I don't think you need to worry about lying to customers if we are talking about a $1. Many shops offer FREE SHIPPING and that is certainly included somewhere within the shop sales. You can refund shipping overage easily with PayPal.

I live 12 miles from the PO. I bought a Postal Scale and I do my shipping through PayPal, which runs a bit less than the PO. Plus you get tracking included. I print my labels from PayPal as well, you can save printer paper that has been printed on one side only and run the other side for the label if you want to save additionally. Most things will fit in my box, as it is a rural box with bigger size capacity. My mailman is great, and will take anything I put in a large plastic bag if affixed to the box post also.

I buy my bubble envelopes at Wal-Mart but I ship out boxes also the same way. You can arrange for pick up I believe through PayPal and the only thing I can't do is some International labels and forms.

There are ways to save and you have lots of great advice here! Good Luck!

[Former_Member]

If you print from Paypal, you can leave them in your mailbox or ANY mailbox.

[Former_Member]

As far as I know first class can be picked up by your carrier as far as the package is 13 ounces or less. It's just like a letter. You can print the shipping label using Paypal. Just enter the weight and choose first class. I have never shipped anything priority. For my small items it makes no difference. I've several employees at the Post Office tell me this. If it makes a difference, it will be only one day. Large packages are a different story though for me since I live in Hawaii (boat vs airplane).

[WildflowerSalvage]

My carrier picks up all my packages...first class, large boxes, parcel post, priority mail. All you need to do is request a pick up.

[Former_Member]

First class can be picked up

[lauraprilltoo]

Very timely thread. as I'm currently updating shipping costs on both of my shops.
Heidi, when I've arranged for carrier pick up on the USPS site, you can't arrange for larger First Class packages to be picked up say at the front door- only if it's under 13 oz. or fits in your mailbox... maybe if i personally ask the carrier, they would pick up First Class?

[Former_Member]

I'm learning some good tips here. Could someone give more specific information on printing shipping labels from home? I am getting varied shipping charges through USPO First Class for identical items? I really don't want to increase my prices but with the variances in shipping I'm barely making a profit on some sales.

[Former_Member]

I switched from Priority to all First Class with a delivery confirmation. I can purchase postage and print labels from online and my mail carrier will pick it up from my home. The only trip to the post office I make is for international parcels.

[lauraprill]

Patty, i print my own labels on the USPS site for Priority, and on Paypal and stamps.com for First Class with delivery confiramtion. Stamps.com costs a minimum of 9.99 + postage a month I believe. Because i ship very small items to large pieces of art, I need to be flexible.
Still trying to update the international shipping costs in my shops though. I have been offering free Continental U.S. shipping which has perhaps driven in a few sales but my lack of specifics on the international side may have driven some potential buyers away. I think that I am always trying to adjust and find better ways to do shipping.

Have to run but thanks for this thread everyone...

[Former_Member]

Katrina Laflin from AnandaBijoux says

I switched from Priority to all First Class with a delivery confirmation. I can purchase postage and print labels from online and my mail carrier will pick it up from my home. The only trip to the post office I make is for international parcels.
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you dont have to go to the post office to ship international. i think about 1/3 of my orders are international and i dont drive so i almost never go to the post office. i just give them to post man.

[PosyPop]

Thanks everyone for all the responses!

I do print my own labels through Paypal currently, and that saves time and money. When I want to set up a carrier pickup through the USPS.com site, I have to have at least one "expedited" package (priority, express, etc) for them to pick up other packages like first class and parcel post. I cannot set up a carrier pickup with only first class packages.

For those that have a carrier that picks up your first class packages from your home, did you coordinate this with the carrier directly? In my community, we dont have individual mailboxes, we have a central group of mailboxes for my whole block (similar to what apartment buildings would have). Which is why it is too small for my packages. If I had a regular mailbox, I'd be able to fit my packages in there.

For my costs, I factored in my gas expenses, since gas is not cheap now...the nearest drop off location is a 10 mile round trip. Not terrible, but you'd be surprised when you look at how much that amount of gas costs to get you there and back. Im not even factoring in my travel time...and most of the time I am only sending 1 or 2 items. My bubble mailers cost me less than $0.25 each...but again, USPS provides free Priority bubble mailers, boxes, etc, which I order online and they deliver my supplies right to my door.

Very interested to hear everyone's thoughts on all this. Anything I can do to streamline my little process and make it more cost/time effective can help.