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DCMoney

Stamps.com

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Anyone use stamps.com to pay for their postage?

 

I started a "Free Trial" and got their $10 scale, it has been incredibly convenient to put my envelopes through my printer and print the postage directly to it.

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Free Trial ?   So, it costs to use their service?    Nope, would not want that.  I print with Paypal.  Does not cost for service...And If using EBAY, and a TOP RATED seller,  you get up to $100 insurance included with Priority shipping.  Scales are cheap on EBAY.  I think I paid less than $10 for my 35 pound scale...Used for going on 8 years now..  But Paypal shipping is for packages,,First Class on up.   NO Stamps...

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it comes down to convenience and streamlining. If you have a significant volume of items to ship, its integration capability is amazing. Plus the other big auctions sites actually inflate the postage prices and give you a "discount" off that inflated price.

 

I use stamps.com, runs $15 a month + postage. I also use Shipworks, that runs $20 a month.  with the two combined, I can come into my shop in the morning, and I have a stack of order packing slips that are paid and ready to be shipped. Then with 3 mouse clicks, I can print off all the shipping labels for all the orders ( mine are usually all the same weight ) . A process that previously would have taken me an hour or two now takes 5 minutes. It will then mark all the items shipped on their respective sites, upload tracking information and send the confirmation emails.

 

I have on average 40-50 orders, collectivley, across 4 sites per day. I look at it as I hired a shipping employee for $35 a month.

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it comes down to convenience and streamlining. If you have a significant volume of items to ship, its integration capability is amazing. Plus the other big auctions sites actually inflate the postage prices and give you a "discount" off that inflated price.

 

I use stamps.com, runs $15 a month + postage. I also use Shipworks, that runs $20 a month.  with the two combined, I can come into my shop in the morning, and I have a stack of order packing slips that are paid and ready to be shipped. Then with 3 mouse clicks, I can print off all the shipping labels for all the orders ( mine are usually all the same weight ) . A process that previously would have taken me an hour or two now takes 5 minutes. It will then mark all the items shipped on their respective sites, upload tracking information and send the confirmation emails.

 

I have on average 40-50 orders, collectivley, across 4 sites per day. I look at it as I hired a shipping employee for $35 a month.

 

Thats impressive, on all accounts. 

 

I just started using stamps.com this week and havent even looked into intergrating my ebay into it.

 

Thanks for your input!

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I don't know where you got your facts on the shipping prices on Paypal.  But all Labels printed thru Paypal  on my orders, are actually cheaper, than printing online thru USPS....USPS online prices ARE higher. Yes, Paypal does get a discounted rate.   And you cannot print FIRST CLASS thru USPS.   I also sell a lot of orders that are over the $50.00 insurance rate. So I do appreciate the up to $100,insurance....It all plays out for what works best for each business.   And Paypal does have the Multi Order/BULK shipping service also.

 

So I pay $0 for my shipping secretary every month..and my shipping costs are discounted.

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Same here why pay when its free?

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I agree with Mac. It is a great service and saves a lot of time. I don't even remember how I printed postage prior to using Stamps. I do remember manually updating tracking info though. That was a waste of time. I also use to print labels on paper, then tape them to the package. Then, I found self adhesive inkjet labels, and now I love my 4x6 thermal label printer. It's all about finding what is sucking time from your day and improving the process.

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like with windows there is always 3 ways to do about anything, whatever works for each person

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Just switched from Paypal to Shipstation, which uses Stamps.com. Worth the cost to have order information download automatically from the sites we sell on, and then upload tracking automatically once I'm done. 

 

Having used Paypal & Shipstation/Stamps.com, that "$35 a month shipping employee" Mac mentioned is well worth it IMO, and saves me a lot of time and headache. Also ships to Military addresses with absolutely no hassle. Same discounted postage rates as Paypal. 

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 A process that previously would have taken me an hour or two now takes 5 minutes. It will then mark all the items shipped on their respective sites, upload tracking information and send the confirmation emails.

Check out Shipstation, Mac. I think the prices are comparable to Shipworks, and it uploads tracking and sends emails automatically for a lot of different sites. Saves me even more time! =)  There are 4 of us all using the same shipstation account, and we can keep our orders separate but still streamline billing for postage. 

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Check out Shipstation, Mac. I think the prices are comparable to Shipworks, and it uploads tracking and sends emails automatically for a lot of different sites. Saves me even more time! =)  There are 4 of us all using the same shipstation account, and we can keep our orders separate but still streamline billing for postage. 

 

Yea, I get their postcard in the mail once a month, I tried their free trial, its pretty much the same car, different color. Shipworks does intergrate across almost all major ecommerce platforms, and the major auction sites.

 

I have it running my Shopify, eBay, Amazon, and Etsy stores.

 

I don't know where you got your facts on the shipping prices on Paypal.  But all Labels printed thru Paypal  on my orders, are actually cheaper, than printing online thru USPS....USPS online prices ARE higher. Yes, Paypal does get a discounted rate.   And you cannot print FIRST CLASS thru USPS.   I also sell a lot of orders that are over the $50.00 insurance rate. So I do appreciate the up to $100,insurance....It all plays out for what works best for each business.   And Paypal does have the Multi Order/BULK shipping service also.

 

So I pay $0 for my shipping secretary every month..and my shipping costs are discounted.

 

the last time I used the on-website shipping platforms for ebay or amazon, they were charging me about 2.25 for a 3 oz first class package with tracking. I get the same thing through stamps for 1.93. It doesn't sound like much but compounded over thousands of orders all year, it adds up fast.

 

just like you said, it works out better different ways for each business. I just find myself doing less steps and getting the same tasks done in less time, than the way I used to on each site and paypal.

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I pay $1.93 for up to 3 oz First Class Package.with tracking. on Paypal.   I'm sure others will say the same who use Paypal.

 

And your right, those discounts add up for me also,  Plus the up to $100 insurance For Priority shipping.  And I don't have to manually upload any tracking info...it automatically uploads it.  And sends my customers emails that their items have been shipped and the tracking info.

 

No thanks, I'll keep my $35.00 plus all the extra discounts I am getting for using Paypal. Yep,  it sure adds up fast for all the packages I ship..

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again - same as skeeter $1.93 for 3 oz and no fees - auto upload on tracking info on ebay.   

easy-button.jpg

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I pay $1.93 for up to 3 oz First Class Package.with tracking. on Paypal.   I'm sure others will say the same who use Paypal.

 

And your right, those discounts add up for me also,  Plus the up to $100 insurance For Priority shipping.  And I don't have to manually upload any tracking info...it automatically uploads it.  And sends my customers emails that their items have been shipped and the tracking info.

 

No thanks, I'll keep my $35.00 plus all the extra discounts I am getting for using Paypal. Yep,  it sure adds up fast for all the packages I ship..

 

Can you print postage directly to envelopes from Paypal? (48 cent postage)

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No, and I have no need to.. All bills are paid online,  I may use 5 stamps a year. If that. ...  And I bought 300 Forever stamps about 3 years ago   

 

Shipping anything without tracking is pretty much considered a "GIFT"  on EBAY and other sites.  Buyers look for that.. Because you cannot prove that they got it...

 

Paypal is for package shipping only... Not letters..

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I pay $1.93 for up to 3 oz First Class Package.with tracking. on Paypal.   I'm sure others will say the same who use Paypal.

 

And your right, those discounts add up for me also,  Plus the up to $100 insurance For Priority shipping.  And I don't have to manually upload any tracking info...it automatically uploads it.  And sends my customers emails that their items have been shipped and the tracking info.

 

No thanks, I'll keep my $35.00 plus all the extra discounts I am getting for using Paypal. Yep,  it sure adds up fast for all the packages I ship..

 

If you're only selling on Ebay, and only sending package sized deliveries then sure, paying $35 a month for a program that already does what Paypal does on Ebay would be silly, but we're talking apples and oranges.  Paypal doesn't intergrate with other websites outside of Ebay (at least not that I was ever able to figure out), and their interface is extremely limited, and unable to handle APO or FPO addresses. 

 

Saying you would never pay for a service without doing business in an environment that uses those services is like me saying I would never pay for Amazon Prime because I never purchase things from Amazon. It obviously makes sense, but for someone who uses Amazon all the time, Prime would be a great time/money saver over the course of the subscription. (FWIW, I do use Prime, and it gets paid for in free 2-day shipping, in no time at all.)

 

If DC is shipping via smaller envelopes and needs traditional postage, that's something that Paypal doesn't offer, and it makes sense for him to go to something like Stamps.com. If he's shipping in sufficient quantities and/or selling on compatible websites, then it might make sense to upgrade for the Shipworks/Shipstation software to accompany the postage service that Stamps.com offers. So, yeah, keep the $35 a month because you don't have a need for those services currently, but realize that there's a reason some of us are willing to pay for it.  I wouldn't go back to a free service like Paypal while I still sold on websites other than Ebay.    =) 

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I do have a roll of stamps for those special ones - post office doesn't charge me extra to use them  :ph34r:

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I ALSO sell on other auction websites, and Classified ads  and they are paid thru Paypal, check, credit cards etc. so that label is printed thru Paypal also..It is there to be printed out.thru Paypal shipping.  I don't have to enter their name and shipping address.....I also had no problem printing military labels..when I used to accept them..It prints what they entered as their shipping address.   My customers are automatically sent an email and tracking info when I buy my labels thru Paypal.

 

Most of us here, have the experience, and knowledge NOT to ship paid items with a stamp/letter rate..Just to be cheaper.   Only ship paid items with tracking only.   That is the proof on every venue that I work with.. It must show delivered.  Our item prices are adjusted for those shipping rates. 

 

How are you paid?

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I ALSO sell on other auction websites, and Classified ads  and they are paid thru Paypal, check, credit cards etc. so that label is printed thru Paypal also..It is there to be printed out.thru Paypal shipping.  I don't have to enter anything.....I also had no problem printing military labels..when I used to accept them..  My customers are automatically sent an email and tracking info when I buy my labels thru Paypal.

 

Most of us here, have the experience, and knowledge NOT to ship paid items with a stamp/letter rate..Just to be cheaper.   Only ship paid items with tracking only.   That is the proof on every venue that I work with.. It must show delivered.  Our item prices are adjusted for those shipping rates. 

 

How are you paid?

 

Direct deposit, weekly.

 

If people want to lie and claim they didn't receive their decal I'll send them another, what am I out maybe a dollar to $1.50, nothing I sell that goes in an envelope without tracking is worth much money or time. Letting Stamps.com import my ebay sales and print directly postage has saved me at least an hour worth of time this week alone.

 

So glad I don't have to do this for a living...

 

Thanks for everyones input.

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Direct deposit, weekly.

 

If people want to lie and claim they didn't receive their decal I'll send them another, what am I out maybe a dollar to $1.50, nothing I sell that goes in an envelope without tracking is worth much money or time. Letting Stamps.com import my ebay sales and print directly postage has saved me at least an hour worth of time this week alone.

 

So glad I don't have to do this for a living...

 

Thanks for everyones input.

I do this  for a living..(After 30 years factory closed)....The money is big decals.8ft-12ft. ..And they are actually easier to do...  I like my job,  Best paying part time job, with full time pay I ever had.... ;D  And I stay busy,

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I do this  for a living..(After 30 years factory closed)....The money is big decals.8ft-12ft. ..And they are actually easier to do...  I like my job,  Best paying part time job, with full time pay I ever had.... ;D  And I stay busy,

 

big-thumbs-up.jpg

 

How do you ship small 3"x3" decals?

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I don't make single decals that small..NO MONEY.... I do 1 type of design small  3"x 6" just to use up scrap.  And I got some  6" w x 50yrd rolls of Avery Chrome cheap..So I also make that design in chrome also.. They go into 6" x 9" manilla envelopes.Ship for $1.93  with tracking. ..I don't sell a ton of those small decals.  But I still make a profit from those, with tracking,  because the vinyl is scrap anyway.... Your using your vinyl from the rolls to make your small decals.  I am not...I am using left over vinyl, from other orders already done, that I already got paid for. . .I save scraps from bigger orders. .. .My next regular smallest would be probably in the 12"-13-14" Length.   The rest bigger....up to 12ft..  But I have done 16ft long...  This is where I have the niche' over others. I make big decals..You guys can fight over that little stuff..Your working way harder than I am...

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