USPS® Package Shipping Rates Holding Steady

Good news for Etsy sellers who ship packages by way of the United States Postal Service. USPS® has announced that there will be NO USPS PRICE CHANGE in January 2015.

This is great news for businesses that ship packages. Combined with other recent announcements by USPS and the private carriers, there are now even more reasons why you should consider the USPS for more of your package shipments in 2015.

Back in September 2014, we wrote about USPS Priority Mail rate changes that actually reduced rates for some shippers (mostly larger package shippers). For our Etsy shop shipping, which takes advantage of the Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes, the prices stayed the same for us then as well.

On the other hand, businesses that use private shipping services such as FedEx and UPS are seeing some increases.

Private carrier price increases for 2015

• UPS rate increase: UPS® has announced that it will increase rates an average of 4.9% for its Ground, Air and International services
• FedEx rate changes: FedEx® announced that they will increase rates an average of 4.9% for FedEx Ground and Home delivery, and on FedEx Express for U.S. domestic, U.S. export and U.S. import services

And here’s another “gotcha” to watch out for if you ship via UPS or FedEx…dimensional weight rating.

Dimensional weight rating adoption by private carriers

• Starting on December 29, 2014 and January 1, 2015, UPS and FedEx, respectively, will move to dimensional weight pricing for all ground shipments*. This means that an item weighing 2 pounds (such as a ladies handbag), packed in a box that is 19x15x5” would have a dimensional weight rating of 9 pounds – that’s a 28.3% price increase. Add the regular private carrier surcharges to that and you’re looking at a major budget buster.
• Previously dimensional weights only applied for packages 3 cubic feet or larger

Shipping With USPS and Endicia Looks Good For Etsy Sellers

USPS Priority Mail shipments are fast and reliable

• Get packages from coast-to-coast in 2 days vs 5-6 days via private carriers
• With the introduction of the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMpb) the USPS typically has over 10 scan events per package
• And, don’t forget, Endicia also has some new services that can help businesses save money and provide an even better customer experience:

Auto-Refund Service (ARS): ARS automates the process of requesting refunds for unused postage by identifying potentially unused shipping labels and submitting a refund request to the U.S. Postal Service

Pay-on-Use Returns: No more pre-paying of postage for return shipping labels. Only pay for postage on a return shipping label if and when it is scanned in the mail stream.

So if you’re looking to improve your shipping process in 2015, check out Endicia using the link below (which will get you a special EverythingEtsy.com reader deal)!

~ Kim

Easier, Faster, Less Costly Shipping with Endicia!

Endicia is a long time supporter of EverythingEtsy.com and is totally committed to you as a small business shipper. We use them every day and couldn’t be happier. Right now, you can take advantage of an outstanding offer which includes a 90 day free trial and a free digital scale (no strings attached). Click here.

The post USPS® Package Shipping Rates Holding Steady appeared first on EverythingEtsy.com.