Tips for a Successful Holiday Shipping Season

10/19/2012

The holiday season is almost upon us – again. And, now is the time to get ready for what many consider to be their make-or-break time of year.

DYMO Endicia realizes that shipping is not necessarily your favorite activity. We know that you would much rather concentrate on growing your 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 holiday shipping season:

1. Plan ahead

Make sure you have enough shipping supplies on hand to get you through the holiday shipping season. The USPS 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 DYMO Endicia’s Online Store. So stock up now before the orders start pouring in.

2. Insure valuable shipments

Did you know that DYMO Endicia offers parcel insurance directly from our software? We do – and at a rate that is up to 66% less than what the USPS offers. And, with our new $50 value level you can protect your less valuable items and save money in the process!

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 DYMO 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 up to 10 scans per package. And, when you use DYMO Endicia software you can send an automatic email notification to your customers with the USPS tracking information. The 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 the holiday shipping deadlines

Below are the deadline dates for US shipments going to US destinations. Shipping by these dates will ensure timely delivery of your packages. Visit the USPS site for information on APO/FPO and International holiday shipping deadlines.

• Parcel Post – Dec. 14
• First Class Mail – Dec. 20
• Priority Mail – Dec. 21
• Express Mail – Dec. 22

6. Know your USPS 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:

7. International shipping

DYMO Endicia has a number of innovative features that make international shipping fast and simple. Our software helps you automatically determine which customs forms are required and will fill them out electronically. If you routinely ship the same items, you can even save the customs form as a template to avoid filling in the same information on future shipments. DYMO Endicia software even allows you to look up HTS (Harmonization Tariff Schedule) codes for the products shipped – for more information please see Harry’s article about HTS codes. Our popular feature, International Mail Advisor, provides up-to-date international shipping information by Country, including information on what restrictions apply – for instance, did you know that you cannot send playing cards to Germany?

For more news and tips, check out our FedEx vs. UPS vs. USPS shipping rates comparison page.