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Shipping Zones 101The cost of international shipping depends on many factors, one of which is the distance to the destination country. To make their rates more transparent, postal and courier services divide all countries into several shipping zones and assign different rates to different zones. Let us offer you a brief guide to international shipping zones that will help you plan your shipping costs.

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5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out a Customs DeclarationEvery international shipment needs a customs declaration, which is typically filled out by the sender. Any mistakes in the declaration may result in a fine, the shipment being returned to the sender, or even a fraud investigation, so it is important to always provide correct information for customs. What are the most common mistakes one might make when filling out a customs form for international shipping?

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How to File a Shipping Insurance ClaimIf your package gets damaged, lost or stolen in transit and it was covered by shipping insurance, you can file an insurance claim with your carrier to get reimbursed. Today, let’s figure out how to file an insurance claim with major carriers: the United States Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx.

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5 Common Questions About Shipping Insurance, Answered Although shipping carriers strive to be as reliable and efficient as possible, no one is perfect. Sometimes packages get lost or damaged in transit, especially when they are shipped long distances and go through multiple sorting centers. Of course, people whose packages have been damaged or lost would want to get reimbursed, and that’s why shipping insurance exists. Today, PostageMaker will answer 5 common questions about shipping insurance.

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How to Void a Shipping Label Printing shipping labels online can save time and money, so a lot of people prefer printing USPS, FedEx and UPS shipping labels at home to going to a post office. However, sometimes shipping labels end up not being used after they have been printed. Is their any way to void a shipping label and get your money back?

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Shipping Labels 101: Answers to 6 Common Questions. A shipping label is one of the key factors in getting a package to its required destination. It contains identifying information about the package, as well as serves as proof of postage and (for international packages) as a customs declaration. If you don’t ship often, you might have some questions about shipping labels. Well, we’re here to answer them!

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A Brief Guide to Shipping Fragile ItemsFragile items, such as various gadgets, pottery, glassware, musical instruments etc., are prone to getting damaged in transit because, alas, they are not always handled with care, and even when they are, accidents happen. Luckily, there are ways to protect fragile items and minimize the risk of shipping damages. Here’s a brief guide to shipping fragile items that might come in handy.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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The Pros and Cons of Flat Rate Shipping for Online RetailersMost 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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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5 Ways to Cut International Shipping CostsInternational 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.

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How to Decipher an International Tracking NumberEvery 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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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?

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