A thought on taping over bar codes: I print out my postage Via paypal which comes with a tracking number. I was frustrated because my bar codes were hardly ever scanned and I could not track the shipment. I asked my friendly postage carrier what i could do to help, and he said to tape over the bar codes! All this time I had been taking extra time and care NOT to, he said that they can get wet and smudged and then won't scan, and that the reflection from the tape over the bar code really doesn't matter. Now I always tape over my codes and almost always find them scanned in. (I also write "scan please" next to the label)

thanks! i didn't know you could order free priority boxes online; my post office is always out of the good ones. :)

Great article. Thebeadingtree has saved me more than once with her supplies and advice!

great start! i'd love to see more general info for sellers outside the u.s.

If you accept payment through paypal, use their shipping calculator and you get ebay shipping rates, which are lower than if you go to the post office yourself.

a tip: in your listings, state how much the item weighs, how you are going ship (and whether or not insurance is included) and place the link to the USPS.com website. This way, buyers can also check and know exactly what something costs. with all the talk of sellers inflating their shipping costs, it is important for a buyer to be able to research it themselves, as well.

this is a great, informative article. thanks!

Great information! I would also like to see more information for sellers outside the US. Predicting shipping costs is the hardest part of selling for me!

Yay for thebeadingtree!! Awesome info <3!

I'd forgotten about free boxes from USPS. I live in a small town and the post office is close by. Also, I'd didn't realize Pay Pal offered those services. It was worth reading the article.

Can someone from the UK write a similar article please?

Lots of good information especially for newbies like me. Thanks!

FYI, I think the free shipping boxes from USPS are only if you're shipping Priority Mail. From what I've read on the forums, some people have run into trouble using the free boxes for other purposes, even including people who recycle used USPS boxes by covering them with brown paper.

joanne-yes, that is correct - the free boxes available from USPS are intended for priority service only - it's technically a violation to use them for any other purpose. Please see USPS.com for guidelines.

A UK, or other international version is a great idea. Do we have any volunteers? Send me a convo!

I get all my packing supplies from a local gift and book store...all the bubble wrap and air pillows would just be thrown away. If you know somebody who works at any retail store, you can ask them to save that stuff for you...which is great for the environment too. I pack my boxes to survive a 4 foot drop. I'm pretty sure the PO takes a big red FRAGILE as a kind of challenge!

Thanks for having this info available! I just started my online business! I had my first sell today and spent a lot of time searching my house for packaging materials. I think I did o.k but I forgot to put the receipt in the box. I am going to make a shipping station in my home office!

Here are some tips I included in the photos of my scarves being prepared for international transport (see more info and pics at http://www.flickr.com/cricketscreations/): Super Important: Shipping is less expensive and seems to be quicker if an envelope is used instead of a box, so I use an envelope whenever possible. If a scarf is embellished with fabric flowers that I don't want crushed, I use a box instead of an envelope. Important: I address the envelope before putting anything inside--it's easier to write on a flat surface! Also important: a ballpoint pen will hold up better to water damage due to rain than a felt pen or marker will. Celeste (Crickets)

Flat rates are a great way to save money to customers. I use first class for smaller items. Great info thanks ;)!

Great info here. I'm always looking for ways to improve and give better service to the buyers. Thanks!

Don't forget to recycle packaging whenever possible!

What would we do without Etsy How-To's :)

I use USPS because they provide free Priority Mail boxes in all sizes. I am a fused glass artist so I don't ever need to buy shipping supplies because when I order glass the shipment I receive is packed with bubble wrap, peanuts, etc. A nice little perk. I use Stamps.com and print all of my postage and labels at home. It's a great feature, you just enter the buyers address and the form is filled out automatically. If it's a repeat buy, all I have to do is type in the first letter and the software remembers all the rest and does it for me. I prefer shipping by Priority Mail, nice sturdy boxes, and it does arrive faster than 1st. class. I give a combined shipping rate so the buyer only has to pay $3.50 for Priority Mail..I absorb the rest. It's a nice discount for buyers. Another nice thing about printing your own labels and postage, you don't have to stand in line at the P.O., just walk in and lay the box on the counter, and say Thank You. It does get me some dirty looks from some of those standing in line though. :)

What are some ideas on shipping shoes?

Thanks for the info, I'm learning so much by reading this articles!

Thanks for the info. Heading to the Post Office to look for those free boxes!

I'm not sure about the States but in Canada it costs almost twice a much to ship a package across country than it does in the same province. I find it kinda frustrating to put an amount on so that it doesn't scare away the local people and I don't loose money on sending out farther away. Is the amount that's written on the "shipping costs" the final amount or do some of you tell the purchaser that it costs a little more than what was quoted on the site. That probably wouldn't be the best way to do business but I was wondering how one goes about charging a fair shipping price?

Thankyou for the wonderful information!!! Very much appreciated.

Thanks for some great info. I'm wondering how most of you ship clothing...are large bubble envelopes acceptable, or should items be boxed ?

I am still quite confused how sellers calculate the additional cost when an extra item is added??!!

Thanks for info and tips. I'm on my way!

Thank you for the info. I think I better understand shipping now??

Great tips. Thank you. ;)

Fabulous Insight on Shipping. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this article and share your valuable information. Thanks to the other tips offered by everyone else! Super Helpful!

Lots of great info here. In my "Shipping" information I tell the customer that I reimburse for any overcharge of shipping and do not add to the charge if I've undercharged. I'm still confused about calculating shipping when the charge is different if shipped alone or shipped with another item. Let's say shipped alone is $5.00 and shipped with another item is $3.00. If 2 items are ordered the cost would be $6.00 right? or would it be $8.00? I sure hope someone can answer this. Thanks!

I am indebted to etsy support for directing me to this article and the helpful comments. Great information for a new seller and I couldn't find it anywhere else.

I'm super new at this coming over from ebay. So far I think etsy is a pretty cool place! However, I understand that etsy doesn't yet have a way for customers to determine their own specific calculated cost for shipping. But, why is it that I have to put a generic shipping cost into the shipping box on my listings? Does anyone know if there is just a way to leave it blank so that I can put in the USPS link into my description with box dimensions and weight? Then the customer can do it themselves, or inquire to me for a quote specific to their area. I feel like I surely must be missing something! HELP!!!

Thank you i need all the help i can get ...

Just trying to get "set up"! Thax 4 all the info...

Shipping is definitely something we could all use more information about. My big hang up is international shipping. I have seen other sellers ship internationally without charging much more than $3-$5. I checked into it with UK as my destination and the charge was $14. I wouldn't buy anything if I had to pay $14 shipping! How do you all do it? Absorb the cost yourself? I am talking about shipping jewelry too....not very heavy.

I am just getting my shop set up, this is great information on shipping thank you all

Thank you for all the tips it makes set up much easier!

Thank you for all the tips. I am confused by the shipping part of our profile, and basically just put anything. I still do not know how to put shipping costs for individual items rather than for the default option. If someone has help to offer, I would be so grateful! I don't want to over charge or under charge, and I don't want to scare away buyers because of the shipping!!

I agree with Manderisms :( I am a bit slow with all this and honestly a step by step please?

When I sell things online, Ebay always gives me the option to print a shipping label through paypal but Etsy doesnt. Why??? Or am I doing something wrong?

knowing how to determine shipping cost for my customers is a priority.I will be shipping from Canada and my creations fall within a certain size(will never exceed a certain size)Since we are just gettng started we will actually box our product,take it to the Post Office and get shipping cost based upon the largest,use that as my base shipping cost and all of my creations basically will be smaller than that.Weight wise the shipping cost will definitely be less.For Shipping outside of Canada,inquiries via e-mail to ATouchOfMaple@live.ca and a customers local Post Office should be able to detemine the actual shipping for that particular region.

AKA Sawdust Country: Thank you, all you Bloggers! I'm sure this will really help me! We are Newbees also! If we can learn from others it makes it all go better!! Very Much Appreciated!! Diane

This advice is all good but it would be really nice to see advice to UK sellers or other 'international' sellers. I don't have all these postal services that so many pages refer to, even tax things are very different. I understand that most people here are American but have you thought of doing some guides or how-tos for people outside of the US? Just a thought.

Thanks for a start

Thanks for all of the info on shipping. Most of my items will fit in a Priority Mail box from USPS. It's the larger items that I am concerned about. Why not leave out the shipping price and tell buyer you will let them know once you get their area code. Then you can calculate a true price.

I am new to Etsy and I am confused over this shipping amount issue you are seemingly required to fill out before you may list an item . I have read every tutorial in the sellers handbook and on this blog page and remain confused . ETSY why are you not giving some answers and if you are where can I find them ? I see many sellers as confused as I am about what needs to be put in your shipping info page . I just want a clear set of instructions that work . Thanks !

Thanks for shipping advice and for the links you provide between pages so I could check out what other people say. The same goes for the links for USPS, FEDEX, & UPS. I've been in business for a bit over a year and still have much to learn!

I am just opening up my shop and my hold up is what to fill in for shipping when I don't know where the item will be going to. I live in Canada where shipping is factored by weight, size and distance. How do I manage that when I list an item? Someone please help!

I am stuck on how to do the shipping profile!!! Help, it just seems like a vicious circle

Hi All: Here is Etsy Support's answer to one of my questions regarding shipping multiple items: "Thank you for writing to Etsy. When you set up your primary and secondary shipping costs, please keep in mind that the total shipping price for the order will be for the most expensive primary shipping price, and then the secondary shipping price of each additional item. If all your items had $0.00 as a secondary shipping cost for instance, orders with multiple items would only charge the most expensive primary shipping price. Here's an example: primary(secondary) itemA $3.00($1.00) itemB $4.00($2.00) If someone purchases two of itemA, the shipping will be $3.00 for the first one and $1.00 for the second one, a total of $4.00 to ship both items. If someone purchases itemA and itemB, the shipping will be $4.00 for itemB plus $1.00 for itemA, a total of $5.00. The highest primary shipping rate will be charged. If someone purchases two of itemB it will be $4.00 plus $2.00, a total of $6.00." Good Luck. JJ

Here's what I don't get- Say I'm selling mugs individually at $8.00 primary shipping cost and $5.00 secondary. What if someone wants to buy more than 2? Will items 2, 3, and maybe 4 also be automatically charged at secondary shippping price?

Ok, I have several items saved in my drafts to post and start selling....but what to put for shipping charges is still a mystery to me! I have looked at the rates for USPS, UPS and FedEx, and they seem so higher - when I compare them to rates other sellers have posted for similar items that I have?? I really want to get started, but this is really holding me up. I dont want to post too high of a rate and scare off buyers, but I don't want to charge too little and end up loosing money Please Please Please Help this Newbie! Thanks (I have read all the prior post)

I have written a shipping policy about 8 months ago and now I see no option for changing / updating it. Has something changed or am I missing something?

Please disregard the comment above. I just found out where it is and where the proper help section lies.

did you ever get an answer - i've the same dilema

Thank you sooo much for this! It helped to give scattered thoughts focus!

HI...I just opened my shop a week ago and I was also confused by the shipping amounts that you have to enter at the bottom of the listing. Here is what I did..don't know if it's correct to do or not, but the lisiting went through. I only have 8 items for sale so far, and all of them can be shipped 1st. class, so that's no problem with shipping cost, because you can calculate up to 13 oz. anywhere in the US. with the current postal rates. The one item that I have listed that is over 13 oz., I put a note on the bottom of my listing, that if you were interested in purchasing the item, to contact me and I would quote you the shipping cost based your location. Any comments...I hope I did the right thing!

I forgot to mention in the above post. I entered $0.00 for the first cost and $0.00 for the second shipping cost at the bottom of the listing and the listing went live...so I hope I did the right thing here!

Hi guys. Just wondering, is Stamps.com cheaper than USPS? I am opening opening up my handmade jewelry store and need to determine the best shipping method.