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5 Quick but Important Tips for Shipping Internationally
Whether you need to send a birthday present or a care package to a friend who lives in another country, or you’re a small e-commerce business owner with customer overseas, there are things you should know about international shipping to make sure that your shipments arrive on time and intact. Here are 5 quick but important tips for shipping internationally that will make things easier for you and help you save time and money.
3 Ways to Get Discounted Shipping Labels
Shipping is rarely cheap, especially when it comes to international shipping, so it is not surprising that a lot of people are looking for ways to save on shipping. There are several ways to reduce shipping costs; shipping discounts are one of them. How can regular shoppers and small e-commerce businesses get discounted shipping labels?
How to Pack for International Shipping: A Few Tips and Tricks
When you’re shipping internationally, you want your package to get to its destination safe and sound. Sadly, there’s always a risk that an international package might get damaged during transit. To minimize this risk, you should know how to pack for international shipping. By the way, proper packaging might also help you save money, which is something you want because shipping overseas can be quite expensive.
The Pros and Cons of Flat Rate Shipping for Online Retailers
Most postal services and shipping carriers charge postage by weight, but there is another pricing option called flat rate shipping. Some online retailers prefer it to standard shipping due to a number of benefits, but one should never forget that for every pro there is a con. So what are the pros and cons of flat rate shipping for e-commerce businesses?
How to Save Money on Shipping Bulky Items
Most postal carriers charge either by gross weight or by dimensional weight, whichever one is greater. Large items, even lightweight ones, are typically charged by dimensional weight because they take up much space, which results in a high shipping cost. Luckily, there are ways to save money on shipping bulky items. Let us give you a few tips.
How to Create a Return Shipping Label
According to statistics, 15 to 40% of online purchases are returned, compared to about 9% in traditional brick-and-mortar stores. However, over 90% of consumers will buy again from a store even after returning a purchase if the store makes it easy for them to make a return and offers free return shipping. One of the simplest ways for small e-commerce businesses to handle returns is to provide their customers with a return shipping label.
How to Save on Shipping: 5 Cost-Reducing Tips for Small Businesses
When you’re running a small business, you need to minimize costs and maximize revenue to not only stay afloat, but help your business grow. Shipping costs are one of the most costly expenses for small online retailers, and they only tend to grow as carriers increase their rates, which happens at least once a year. Luckily, there are ways to save on shipping and boost your profits. Let us offer you a few tips that might be helpful in this regard.
5 Ways to Cut International Shipping Costs
International shipping can be quite expensive, especially if you want your shipment to be delivered fast. Luckily, there are ways to save money on international shipping and prevent a dent in your budget. Here are a few tips on cutting international shipping costs.
How to Decipher an International Tracking Number
Every international shipment is assigned a tracking number for the purpose of, well, tracking it. Parcel tracking tools look for the number in the shipping carrier’s database and return information about the current location of the shipment and its estimated time of arrival. For the system to work well, each international tracking number is unique and conforms to the S10 standard established by the Universal Postal Union.
4 Reasons Why You Should Print Your Shipping Labels Yourself
Each shipment, regardless of whether it is domestic or international, needs a shipping label in order to get to its destination. As a rule, shipping labels are created by post office employees, but some people choose to print them themselves. Here are 4 reasons why you should print shipping labels at home.
A Few Tips to Help You Track a USPS International Shipment
Most national postal services, including the USPS (United States Postal Service), allow their customers to track international shipments by giving each shipment a unique identifier called a tracking number. For the most part, people easily track their packages because the tracking system works smoothly, but it doesn’t mean that no problems ever happen. Let’s figure out together what you should do if you have trouble tracking a USPS international shipment.
The Pros and Cons of Hybrid Shipping Services Provided by the USPS and FedEx
While the phrase “collaboration with competitors” might seem self-contradictory, it is actually a sign of healthy competition. For example, shipping carriers may team up to make their services more affordable for customers and simultaneously reduce their operation costs. The examples of the so-called hybrid shipping services provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS) and FedEx are USPS Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) and FedEx Ground Economy (fomerly known as FedEx SmartPost).
Why Do Shipments Get Held at Customs?
Normally when you order something, you want your shipment to arrive as soon as possible. However, you need to understand that international shipping takes time, and there are situations when delays are inevitable. For example, sometimes shipments get stuck in customs upon arrival to the destination country. Why does it happen? Are there any ways to free your shipment from customs?
What Is the Difference Between Standard Shipping and Flat Rate Shipping?
Typically, the cost of shipping a package depends on its shape, weight, size, and destination. Most postal services and courier companies offer at least two pricing options: standard shipping and flat rate shipping. What is the difference between these two shipping options and which is better?
Shipping to the UK Has Changed Due to Brexit
On December 31, 2020 the United Kingdom finalized its withdrawal from the European Union. This has impacted the businesses of online retailers that ship products to the UK, since new rules for importing goods and services into Great Britain came into effect starting January 1, 2021.
2021 Changes to FedEx Rates, Surcharges and Fees
Every year, postal carriers and courier companies review their shipping rates, and FedEx is not an exception. Here’s a list of changes to FedEx rates, surcharges and fees that have (as of January 12, 2021) or will come into effect in early 2021.
2021 USPS Rate Changes to Take Effect on January 24
Every year, the U.S. Postal service proposes new mailing and shipping rates and files notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes. Here are the proposed USPS rate increases for domestic and international shipping services that will take effect on January 24, 2021.
How the USPS, FedEx and UPS Are Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many businesses and services to shut down, either temporarily or permanently. However, national postal services and courier companies have continued to operate since they’re part of essential infrastructure. They’re trying to work as normally as possible in order to get things delivered on time, but it would be wrong to say that postal and courier services have been completely unaffected by the pandemic. How are the United States Postal Service, FedEx and UPS responding to the situation?
2020 USPS Rate Changes Took Effect on January 26
Once a year, the United States Postal Service changes its mailing and shipping rates and files the changes to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The USPS filed the latest notice with the rate changes in October 2019. They took effect on January 26, 2020.
How to Schedule a Package Pickup
So, you’ve created a shipping label online, what’s next? Now you need to ship your package. Regardless of the mail carrier you’ve chosen, there are three main ways to do it: you can drop your package off at the nearest carrier’s location, drop it in a mail collection box, or schedule a package pickup.