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What Is the Difference Between a ZIP Code and a Postal Code? Although different countries use different address formats, most postal addresses in the world consist of similar elements. One of the most important elements in any address is the postal code or the ZIP Code. What is the difference between a postal code and a ZIP Code, and how to understand which one you need to use?

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What Is a Residential Surcharge? Postal and courier companies may apply a variety of surcharges to their base shipping rates in order to compensate additional costs they might incur during handling and/or transportation: additional handling surcharge, address correction surcharge, delivery area surcharge, peak season surcharge, etc. Residential surcharge is one of the most common shipping surcharges. What exactly is a residential surcharge and when is it applied?

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4 Tips for Preventing Common Errors in International Addresses Getting an international address right can be tricky because different countries have different addressing conventions, which can be further complicated by the fact that some countries have different formats for domestic and international addresses. Today, PostageMaker is sharing helpful tips to help you avoid common mistakes when writing international postal addresses.

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What Will Happen If You Get the ZIP Code Wrong? In addition to the residential or commercial address, every package shipped within the United States (or to the United States from abroad) requires a ZIP Code to get to its destination without delays. But what will happen if you get the ZIP Code wrong while the rest of the address is correct? Will your package be returned to you, lost, or simply delayed? Let’s figure it out together.

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5 Common Causes of Customs Delays International shipping time depends on many factors, one of which is customs clearance. Prolonged processing time or hold-ups at customs may result in shipping delays, so it is important to know why customs delays happen and what you can do to minimize their impact. Here are 5 common causes of customs delays.

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What Is a Shipping Barcode and Why Does Your Package Need One? Since their invention in the 1950s and wide introduction in the 1970s, barcodes have become ubiquitous; they can be found on all kinds of goods, various documents, identification wristbands, airline luggage, tickets, some types of mail, etc. Barcodes found on mailpieces are typically referred to as shipping barcodes. Why do packages need a shipping barcode and where can you get one for your package?

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How to Protect Your Package from Damage During Transit Even though postal and courier companies do their best to handle all shipments with care, packages can get damaged during transit for a variety of reasons, ranging from poor packaging to adverse weather conditions and traffic accidents. If you prefer to print shipping labels yourself and mail packages from home, you probably want to know how to protect your package from damage during transit.

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8 Reasons to Choose Ground ShippingAir shipping is faster than ground shipping for obvious reasons. However, “faster” does not necessarily mean “better”. When your shipment is not too time-sensitive, it might make more sense to have it delivered by ground rather than by air. Here are 8 reasons to choose ground shipping.

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What Is the Difference Between Prohibited and Restricted Items? When you mail something from a Post Office, a USPS employee will warn you if your package contains any items that cannot be mailed. However, when you print shipping labels online and mail packages on your own, there is no one to warn you about shipping restrictions; you should research them beforehand if you don’t want your package to get confiscated. One of the things you should research is the difference between prohibited and restricted items.

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How to Ship a Package from Home Without a Printer These days, a lot of people ship packages from home because it saves them time, money, and trouble. However, in order to send a parcel from home, you need to purchase a shipping label online, print it, and affix the label to your parcel. But what if you don’t have a printer? Are there any ways to ship a package from home without a printer?

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How to Ship Books CheaplyThere are plenty of ways to save on shipping, from packing properly (the more compact the package, the cheaper it is to ship) to printing shipping labels yourself in order to get a shipping discount, and some of these ways are item-specific. For example, books can be mailed more cheaply than most other items – of course, if you know some tricks. How to ship books cheaply?

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Who Do Packages Get Lost in Transit? According to estimates, up to 2% of packages are lost in transit in the United States. While it is not a huge number in the grand scheme of things, there is a non-zero chance that your package might get lost one day. Why do packages get lost in transit and is there anything you can do to prevent this?

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Why Do Packages Get Damaged in Transit? Postal and courier companies do their best to deliver packages intact, because that’s what clients pay them for, but no one is perfect, and sometimes packages end up being damaged. Why do packages get damaged in transit and is there anything you can do to prevent it?

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How to Make Sure Your Shipping Labels Aren’t Flagged as Invalid Printing shipping labels online has quite a few benefits: it is easy, convenient, and helps to save both time and money (due to shipping discounts offered by label printing services). However, when you print your shipping labels yourself, it is no one else’s responsibility but your own to ensure that they are correct and scannable. How to make sure your shipping labels aren’t flagged as invalid by the carrier?

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Why Can a Shipping Label Be Invalid? Every mailpiece needs a valid shipping label to be delivered, otherwise it may get returned to sender, confiscated by the carrier, or simply lost. But what exactly does “valid” mean in this context? How can a shipping label be invalid? Let’s figure this out together.

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How to Ship via EMS from the United States International mail delivery can take quite a lot of time, but there are certain ways to speed things up if your shipment is time-sensitive. Most national postal operators offer Express Mail Service (EMS) that provides expedited delivery, and the United States Postal Service is not an exception. How to ship via EMS from the United States?

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What Happens to Unclaimed Packages Sometimes packages can’t be delivered as addressed for one (very legitimate) reason or another. In such cases, packages are supposed to be delivered back to the sender, but sometimes it is impossible. What happens to unclaimed packages that cannot be returned to sender?

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Why Do Recipients Sometimes Refuse to Accept Parcels?While postal and courier companies do their best to deliver all parcels in a timely manner, some parcels get returned to senders for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is “refused delivery”. But why do recipients sometimes refuse to accept parcels?

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Why Do Packages Get Returned to Sender? While postal and courier companies these days are pretty reliable and deliver more than 90% of all shipments on time, a small percentage of packages may be returned to senders as undeliverable. Why exactly can packages get returned to sender and are there any ways to prevent this? Let’s figure it out together.

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Can the Recipient Pay for Shipping? In most situations, it is the sender of a parcel who is responsible for paying the shipping costs. Can you ship something and have the recipient pay for it? There are several ways to have the addressee pay the shipping expenses, but all of them are “indirect”, so to say.

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