Posters can be found anywhere from college dorm rooms to home offices. Whether a poster is autographed and special edition or simply a reprint of someone’s favorite movie, they can easily tear or suffer damage in transit. USPS does offer free small and medium poster tubes, but shipping posters also requires understanding how to package them to avoid ripping. Keep posters and your shipping process intact, all while using Stamps.com to help.
Free USPS Priority Mail® tubes
USPS currently offers free small and medium poster tubes. Each size can be used with Priority Mail® or Priority Mail Express® services and can be ordered from USPS in packs of 10 or 20. These cardboard tubes can be shipped directly to your home and/or business for free.
Select Buy Supplies on your Stamps.com Online dashboard
Click on the supplies you need to order
Check out using your Stamps.com account info
That’s it! Your supplies should arrive within 7-10 days of order. To order larger quantities of items, call USPS directly at 1-800-610-8734.
How to track USPS Priority Mail® tubes
The tracking included with free USPS Priority Mail® tubes is the same tracking included with other Priority Mail® packaging and services. Packages can be tracked door-to-door, meaning your customer can track a package from the time of label creation to delivery.
Tips for mailing posters
While posters aren’t necessarily fragile items, they’re still delicate and can be bent, ripped, and damaged. The key to preventing posters from being harmed in transit is all in the packaging and customer communication.
Wrap your poster in brown Kraft paper to avoid damages
Accurately enter dimensions and weights for shipments by measuring and weighting shipments multiple times
Tape each end of the tube with packing tape to keep your poster from falling out
Notify your customers if posters will be wrapped in additional packaging to avoid any accidental cutting or tearing
Selecting USPS Mailing Tubes In Stamps.com
Stamps.com keeps shipping posters simple. You aren’t required to scroll through multiple package types when shipping tubes. Select “packages” as the mailpiece type. Additionally, you can utilize automation rules to automate your shipping workflow. Create a rule to automatically apply Priority Mail®, package dimensions, and “package” as the mailpiece type to orders, so your posters are easier to ship.
Commuting from work to home and vice versa does give you time to catch up on your podcasts (you know we love podcasts), but at what cost? We spend so much time commuting to different spaces, and it adds up. Stamps.com gives merchants the ability to create and print labels with a few clicks and schedule carrier pickups. Additionally, creating a workspace to ship packages from home provides more flexibility for your workday. Build up your podcast backlog and start shipping from home.
The benefits of shipping from home
Over the past couple of years, many businesses and entrepreneurs have shifted to work-from-home and/or hybrid operations. Shipping from home gives you more flexibility throughout the workday, as you aren’t stuck in a communal office space and can create a more personalized workflow. You also don’t need to worry about renting an office space, which can be costly.
Additionally, Stamps.com merchants can save up to 84% on USPS shipping rates. And when you ship UPS on Stamps.com, you get access to deep discounts of up to 82% on UPS international services, 78% on UPS® Ground services, and 73% on UPS Next Day Air® and UPS 2nd Day Air® services*. Shipping from home with Stamps.com provides you with more freedom throughout the day and saves your business time and money with affordable carrier services and no daily commutes.
*Discounts off UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.
Tips for organizing a workstation
If you’re new to shipping from home, the most difficult part is knowing where to start. There are supplies to be purchased and organizing to be done. Let’s start with the basics. Here are a few supplies we recommend keeping on hand:
Tape
Scissors
Free supplies from carriers
Thermal Printer
Bubble wrap
Kraft paper
Be sure to take note of your supply list and use it as an inventory guide. Which supplies do you run out of faster than others? Which supplies never seem to be used? Avoid overstocking and understocking by using the handy list above.
Utilize cost-efficient organizational supplies
Creating an organized workspace doesn’t need to break the bank. Discount stores often have crates, organizers, and even some shipping supplies available. Also, check your utility closet, garage, and other storage areas for unused storage tubs, as they’re a great resource for staying organized. If you’re strapped for space, utilize your wall space! Purchasing racks and hanging shelves gives you more space while keeping supplies visible, decreasing the chance you’ll buy supplies you already have.
Speaking of visibility, designate specific workstations for each step in the shipping process. Creating an organized space for label creation, printing, and packaging will help prevent applying the wrong label to the wrong order and boost customer satisfaction. It’ll also save time in the long run, as you’ll already have a system in place for the holiday season and other busy times.
Creating shipping labels through Stamps.com
You’ve created the workplace of your dreams, so it’s time to start shipping from home. You’ve logged into Stamps.com, and you’re ready to print your first label. The question is, how do you create a label through Stamps.com? The answer will depend on whether or not you plan to integrate your store or marketplace through Stamps.com. If you have integrated your store or marketplace through Stamps.com, follow the steps below. If you plan to create manual orders, skip down to the next section.
Printing an ecommerce shipping label**
Select the checkboxes for the order or orders you would like to create labels for. If you’d like to create labels for all orders, click the Select Allbox.
Locate and select the Print button.
Choose how your labels will be printed from the Printed On menu.
We also recommend selecting the Email Tracking Details to Recipients box to send customers a tracking link if an email address was provided.
If this is your first time printing labels, you can select Print Sample to confirm your labels are printing correctly.
Once you’ve printed a sample, click the Print button.
Congrats! You’ve officially printed a label.
**Note: These are directions for Stamps.com Online merchants. You can find the directions for Stamps.com PC Software merchants in our Learning Center.
Creating a label for a manual order***
Click on the Orders Tab.
Next, select Add from the Action Control Bar.
Find and click the Manual Order button.
Your manual order will appear on the order screen, and the order details panel will be visible. Enter the shipping address, package weight, and select your carrier service.
Once all of your package’s information has been entered, click the Order Details icon. Then, select the Collapse Panel button.
Your order will then appear on your order dashboard and is ready to be made into a label! To print your label, you’ll follow the last few instructions from the previous section.
***Note: These directions are for Stamps.com Online. For directions on creating a manual label through the Stamps.com PC Software, visit our Learning Center.
Available carrier options
Stamps.com provides merchants with carrier services from USPS and UPS for domestic and international shipments and GlobalPost for international shipments. With this variety of carrier services at your fingertips, shipping from home has never been easier. Available services for each carrier include:
USPS:
First-Class Mail® (Domestic and International)
Priority Mail® (Domestic and International)
Priority Mail Express® (Domestic and International)
If you aren’t sure which carrier service works best for your order, use our rate advisor to compare carrier rates in real-time. Stamps.com allows merchants to see the cheapest and fastest carrier options available as well as our recommendations to select the best options for your business.
Available carrier pickup options
Once you’ve established a ship-from-home workflow that works, you’ll want to stay in the zone. The good news is that Stamps.com also offers USPS and UPS pickup options, so you can keep working with minimal interruptions.
USPS pickups
USPS pickups can be scheduled through Stamps.com for free if at least one of your packages uses Priority Mail Express®, First-Class Mail International®, or Priority Mail® as the service. Merchants also have until 2AM CT to schedule a USPS pickup for the same day. After this time, a pickup will have to be scheduled for the next day. If you aren’t home or can’t be present for a USPS pickup, don’t worry! Just let your carrier know where to find the packages when scheduling your pickup.
UPS pickups
On-call UPS pickups can also be scheduled through Stamps.com for an additional $4 per pickup. You can also drop off both USPS and UPS packages at The UPS Store® if you find yourself out and about or need a break from shipping. You can find the nearest location through The UPS Store® locator.
Tips for shipping from home
Create an organized workspace to prevent any shipping errors
Schedule USPS and UPS pickup services when and where available
Utilize Stamps.com to create labels at home and access affordable shipping rates
Pay attention to which shipping supplies are used more than others to avoid overbuying supplies
Start shipping from home with a free 30-day trial to Stamps.com today!
It’s commonplace to think about a destination in miles. You usually have an idea of how far you’re traveling, even if it’s only by the number of cities and states you’ll pass through. Shipping a package follows the same principle. You are aware of the distance between you and your customer, but you might not be familiar with how shipping carriers, such as USPS, calculate this distance to determine your shipping expenses.
What are shipping zones?
USPS divides the US into shipping regions called zones, and this mileage is used to determine the cost of certain packages. Depending on the carrier service used, the distance your package will travel is then used to help determine your shipping costs. TL;DR: the further your package is traveling, the higher the shipping cost. The USPS services that use zones to determine cost include:
However, flat-rate package costs are not determined by USPS zones. Instead, flat-rate packages can be used for shipments up to 70 pounds and will be charged the same price per box size, regardless of the destination.
What are the USPS shipping zones?
USPS has broken down the US into nine zones called Zone 1-9. These zones range from within 50 miles to 1801+ miles. Each zone and the mileage it covers can be found below.
Zone 1: Non-localdestinations within 50 miles
Zone 2: Destinations within 51-150 mile radius
Zone 3: Destinations within 151-300 mile radius
Zone 4: Destinations within 301-600 mile radius
Zone 5: Destinations within 601-1000 mile radius
Zone 6: Destinations within 1001-1400 mile radius
Zone 7: Destinations within 1401-1800 mile radius
Zone 8: Destinations within 1801 mile radius or farther
Zone 9: Destinations within Freely Associated States/Zip codes assigned for exceptional network circumstances*
*This doesn’t apply when shipping to between the three-digit zip codes of 962-969.
Tips to avoid shipping adjustments
Shipping adjustments are additional fees added to your shipping costs. These fees can range from entering incorrect shipping dimensions to using the incorrect packaging for a shipping service. When it comes to zones, adjustments and penalties can be given if a package isn’t shipped through your local post office. There’s also the risk of a package being incorrectly routed if an incorrect address is entered or the address is ineligible, and ultimately, the package can even be returned. Here are a few tips to avoid adjustments:
Confirm addresses for all customers and recipients whenever possible and keep addresses legible
How does Stamps.com help me with USPS zones?
Fortunately, Stamps.com merchants don’t need to memorize and manually enter zones because zones are automatically accounted for when a label is created. However, it’s crucial to find the best shipping rate for your package, especially when packages are traveling long distances. Whenever you create a label on Stamps.com, simply select the Compare Rates and Services option from the Carrier drop-down menu.
Once selected, you can browse rates through our rate advisor with three different categories: Cheapest, Recommended, and Fastest. The cheapest category filter lists the available rates and services from cheapest to most expensive. The recommended category shows the Stamps.com recommended shipping methods. And finally, the fastest category filters rates by the fastest available carrier rates. You can compare rates in real-time and find the best deal for your business, especially when it comes to long-distance shipping.
What would you say if we told you 68% of customers take shipping costs into account when deciding whether or not to purchase an item? That’s exactly what our recent study found. With more than half of customers expecting free or low shipping costs, it’s worth taking into account. We understand offering free shipping might not be an option for your business year-round. However, there are ways to still meet customer expectations without breaking the bank.
Offer free shipping during big holidays
Offering free shipping during big holidays like Christmas or popular sales times like Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a given. But, you might be missing out on sales by limiting free shipping promotions during the holiday season. Holidays like Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July also include discounts and sales, so they serve as an opportune time to offer free shipping to customers. If you can’t offer free shipping throughout the year, utilizing other holidays to offer free shipping is the way to go.
Set a minimum cart value
We’ve all seen in-cart messages that show us how much more we need to spend to qualify for free shipping. If customers are close to the free shipping threshold, they’ll be more likely to add a couple more items to their cart. This especially rings true during big shopping seasons. Add a minimum cart value that makes sense for your business to provide customers with a free shipping option.
Additionally, you can make free shipping available for more expensive items to give customers an added incentive to complete their purchases. In our study, almost 61% of customers stated high shipping costs were the number one reason preventing their repeat business. Your business might not be able to offer free shipping on all purchases. But, your customers will appreciate the effort to incorporate free shipping where you can.
Reward repeat customers with free shipping
Customers return to your business because they had a positive experience and like your products. Keep customers coming back through exclusive offers like free shipping. Whenever customers share photos of your products on social media, ask if you can repost the content and send them discount codes for free shipping or sales on their favorite items; reward followers with giveaways that range from free products to exclusive deals.
Social media isn’t the only way to promote free shipping! Stamps.com merchants can customize branded ship notification emails. These emails allow you to personalize a tracking page to include your logo, social media links, and a promotional message to boost the visibility of any running sales. Customers will receive emails throughout the shipping process, so they can take note of any sales. Those who order from your business regularly will be the first to know about free shipping or upcoming sales.
Prioritize free returns
Free returns are becoming increasingly important with customers. In fact, our study found 81% of customers believe returns should always be free. Free returns and free shipping might not fall within your business’s budget, so we recommend prioritizing free returns. The customer expectation around free returns is higher than free shipping, so offering free returns is crucial. As we’ve mentioned, you can offer free shipping during holidays and over a certain threshold, but free returns should be accessible for every order.
Tips for offering free shipping
Offer free shipping during holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July along with Christmas and other major holidays.
Calculate a free shipping threshold and include in-cart messaging to show customers how much more they need to spend to qualify for free shipping.
Incentivize customers with free shipping and promo codes through social media and branded ship notification emails.
Prioritize free returns over free shipping because customers have a higher expectation for online returns.
Back-to-school shopping for both grade schools and colleges has been on the rise. According to the National Retail Federation, 2022 yielded almost $37 billion for grade shopping and almost $74 billion in college shopping; 4.5% of this amount includes books.
Although the school year is coming to an end, the time for summer courses and recreational reading is at hand. Not to mention summertime tends to fly by, so it’ll be time for the next school year before you know it. Your customers are reading year-round, so learning how to ship books can boost sales. With the help of our five tips, you’ll be a book shipping expert in no time.
1. Learn Media Mail guidelines and restrictions
Media Mail is a service offered through USPS for merchants who ship books and other media-based materials like CDs, DVDs, and test materials. However, like most carrier services, Media Mail comes with its own set of restrictions. Comic books and marketing materials aren’t eligible for the service. Also, Media Mail can only be used for domestic shipments and is subject to inspection. Restrictions aside, Media Mail does include free tracking and can be used for shipments up to 70 pounds with a girth of 108 inches.
2. Compare shipping costs
Media Mail can be a great resource, but we recommend comparing rates before making a final decision. If a shipment is on the lighter side, Priority Mail® may prove to be the more affordable option. Stamps.com users can compare shipping rates in real time with Rate Advisor to find the best available service for your shipment. After entering all of the information for your shipment, expand the Service or Carrier drop down menus and select Compare Services and Rates. Then, explore the given carrier service options to find the carrier service that fits your needs.
3. Use free shipping materials when available
If Priority Mail does prove to be your carrier service of choice, take advantage of the free shipping supplies offered by USPS. These supplies are sent directly to your home or business and can be ordered from your Stamps.com account. If the 7-10 delivery window doesn’t work for your business, most post offices also carry free supplies for customers. Priority Mail shipments can weigh up to 70 pounds, so the boxes and envelopes work perfectly for books, CDs, and other products.
4. Communicate shipping times with customers
When using services like Media Mail, delivery times might be a bit slower than customers are used to at an estimated 2-8 days. Share delivery windows at checkout to avoid a negative customer experience. Our recent study found 31.5% of customers are less likely to give a store repeat business if their shipment arrives later than communicated, so keep your customers in the loop and provide accurate delivery windows up front. Your customers can look forward to curling up with a good read and be more likely to shop from your business in the future.
5. Utilize Stamps.com automation rules
Once you’ve found the service and package that works for your business, avoid manually entering information for each new order with Automation Rules. Automation Rules automatically apply carrier information and packaging to shipments within the given criteria. For example, you can create an automation rule where items with a specific SKU assign Priority Mail as the carrier service. Automation rules help get shipments to customers faster for ample study and/or reading time.
Conclusion
Your customers are looking to your business to provide a new adventure or a helpful resource for class. Compare shipping rates, select a service, create a label, and get ready to send your book on its way. Then, do it all over again with automation rules until your customers have every book in the series. You can’t judge a book by its cover, but Stamps.com does make shipping as easy as it looks.
Open a new chapter and start your 30-day free trial to Stamps.com today.
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The content on this blog is "as is" and carries no warranties. Stamps.com does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, completeness, usefulness, or quality of any content on the blogs, regardless of who originates that content.
