It’s summertime, which means a new school year is just around the corner. Now is the time to make sure you’ve done your homework to ensure a successful back to school shipping season.
Endicia realizes that shipping is not necessarily your favorite subject. We know that you would much rather concentrate on growing your ecommerce business and selling more of your products. But, because shipping is a necessary part of online selling, we want to be sure that you have the information you need to make it as convenient, easy and efficient as possible.
To that end, we wanted to share a few tips that we hope will be helpful to you in this hectic back to school shipping season:
1. Plan ahead
Make sure you have enough shipping supplies on hand to get you through the back to school shipping season. USPS shipping offers free packaging for both Priority Mail and Express Mail, in a variety of sizes that include the popular Flat Rate options. You can order these free supplies from USPS or from Endicia’s Online Supplies Store. So, stock up now before the orders start pouring in.
2. Insure valuable shipments
Did you know that Endicia offers parcel insurance directly from our software? We do – and at a rate that is up to 69% less than what the USPS offers!
3. Make sure your packages arrive at the right address
During this hectic time of year, it is more important than ever to confirm that the address of the recipient is correct. With Endicia shipping solutions, each address is quickly and automatically validated, then corrected (if needed) at no additional cost before you ship. By using this powerful feature, you can ensure that your packages reach their final destination.
4. Track your packages
It is not a well known fact, but the USPS provides excellent tracking services – currently providing an average of 10 scans per package. And, when you use Endicia software, you can send an automatic email notification to your customers with the USPS tracking information. The customizable message tells the recipient when the package was sent, the mail class used, the shipping address and a link to the current delivery status. All of this results in fewer phone calls from customers wondering about the status of their shipment, allowing you to spend more of your time fulfilling other orders.
5. Know your USPS Shipping service options
USPS has many different types of services that can help you get your packages to their destination on time. Below is a chart showing the most popular services and some important information to help you choose the service that is right for you:
| USPS Popular Service Options | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Service | Delivery Time | Best for | Package Size Limit | Weight Limit | Important to know |
| Priority Mail® | 2-3 days | Shipping packages and envelopes | n/a | 70 lbs | Priority Mail includes Free delivery confirmation tracking |
| Priority Mail Express | 1-2 days | Fast / overnight service | n/a | 70 lbs | Priority Mail Express offers delivery 365 days a year with no Saturday delivery charges, residential surcharges, or fuel surcharges |
| First Class Package Service® | 3 days or less | Merchandise | n/a | 13 oz | Can be combined with extra services to confirm delivery |
| Parcel Select | 2-8 days | Less-than-urgent and oversized packages | Up to 130” | 70 lbs | Use for packages that are too big for Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail® |
Let Endicia help you move your shipping to the head of the class. Try Endicia free for 30-days.*
* Free trial applies only to Endicia service fees for Endicia Standard, Endicia Premium, Endicia for Mac and Endicia Professional. All other fees, including postage, labels, Endicia Parcel Insurance and USPS add-on services, must be paid during the trial period. Service plans start as low as $9.95/month after 30 day trial. Credit card required for USPS® activation. Offer good for new customers only. Cannot combine with any other offer.