How to Get Shipping Discounts
Shipping can be expensive, especially for bulky, urgent, or international packages, so it’s no wonder that many people seek ways to cut shipping costs. There are various strategies to lower shipping expenses, and one of the most effective is securing shipping discounts. But how can regular shippers and small e-commerce businesses get shipping discounts?
Your ability to get a shipping discount will depend on how many packages you ship and how often. Regular shippers, especially small e-commerce businesses, will find it easier to secure shipping discounts because most discounts are volume-based, i. e. available to those who ship multiple packages fairly regularly.
Many shipping carriers will negotiate shipping rates with regular high-volume shippers. Small e-commerce businesses shipping a growing volume of packages can contact shipping companies directly to negotiate custom shipping rates, especially if they show steady growth in their shipping volume.
The best approach to getting a shipping discount is to gather your shipping data and negotiate rates with several carriers. Don’t hesitate to mention that you’re evaluating competitors. Some carriers may be willing to offer discounts to keep your business and prevent you from switching to a rival carrier.
E-commerce businesses can also save on shipping by selling their products via large e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay or Etsy since they often offer built-in shipping discounts to sellers. These platforms have established relationships with carriers, providing discounted shipping rates for their users when shipping orders directly through the platform.
Another way to access shipping discounts for small e-commerce businesses is to join a professional association or use a fulfillment center. These organizations often negotiate lower rates with carriers on behalf of their members or clients. However, keep in mind that these discounts may be less than what you could negotiate directly, as fulfillment centers charge for their services, and professional associations typically require a membership fee.
So there are plenty of discount opportunities for small e-commerce businesses, but what about individuals who don’t ship multiple parcels regularly but still want to get shipping discounts? One way to ship cheaper is to look out for special promotions. Every now and then, carriers offer promotional discounts, free shipping coupons, or partnerships with credit card companies, which could help save on specific shipments. However, there is no guarantee that a special offer will be available when you need it the most.
The best way for individuals to get a shipping discount is to use shipping aggregators, also known as shipping label printing services. Such platforms aggregate large volumes of shipments across multiple users, allowing them to negotiate better rates with major carriers. They often pass on those savings to their users, enabling small businesses and individuals to access lower shipping rates without needing high shipping volumes.
For example, PostageMaker offers discounts of up to 50% on USPS and UPS shipping, regardless of your shipping volume. You can print even a single shipping label and still receive a discount, with the exact discount amount depending on the shipping service and package size.
To use PostageMaker, simply sign up for the service, add funds to your account (we accept credit and debit cards, PayPal, bitcoin and USDT), and fill out a shipping label form. Postage will be automatically deducted from your account in the PostageMaker system when the label is generated. Once the label is ready, you can print it right away on standard office paper, save it as a PDF file to print later, or email the label to someone else.