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| Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2011-01-04, 10:13am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Dec 02, 2005
Location: South Carolina Lowcountry
Posts: 730
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Free Postage
I posted this thread elsewhere but wanted to make sure alot of people see it.
After many long hours waiting in PO lines, I took my DH's advice and signed up for online postage thru Stamps.com.
I got a free scale, (SH 7.00), and $20 free postage in my welcome package! Not to mention the gas and time saved by shipping from home! Still have to do international shipments at the PO, but that's not often.
Thought I would share this with everyone!! 
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Melodie Lee, LeeBeads
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leebeads.etsy.com, leebeads.artfire.com
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2011-01-04, 10:19am
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
Posts: 6,758
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I tried Stamps.com and quit before the month was out.
I use Endicia and never go to the post office, international or not.
Are you sure Stamps.com won't do international? That seems odd.
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2011-01-04, 10:36am
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Catnip Pusher
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Join Date: May 22, 2006
Location: Hayward, CA
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I've been using Stamps.com for years (I had issues with Endicia at a workplace), and I do International also. Maybe their Basic Plan doesn't do International? I upgraded so I could hide postage, after I had someone complain that they paid $2 and it only cost $1.80 to ship... 
Aimee
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2011-01-04, 10:49am
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
Posts: 6,758
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PolychromeBeads
... I upgraded so I could hide postage, after I had someone complain that they paid $2 and it only cost $1.80 to ship... |
I kind of wanted that feature, but didn't want to pay for it.
Endicia just rolled out a new feature, though... you can print postage without a date stamp so it doesn't have to be mailed on a particular day. I haven't investigated or tried it out yet, so I reserve my opinion on that. 
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2011-01-04, 10:54am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 01, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,458
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I can already print PayPal shipping labels from home and leave it for the carrier or put them in a mail box on my daily route... What are the benefits to using another service?
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2011-01-04, 11:07am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Nov 23, 2007
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 1,332
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USPS on-line too....
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~Jenny
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"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice there is." ~ Chuck Reid
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2011-01-04, 11:16am
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NLC Beads
I can already print PayPal shipping labels from home and leave it for the carrier or put them in a mail box on my daily route... What are the benefits to using another service?
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Insuring international first class USPS packages
Automatically filled in and printed customs forms
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2011-01-04, 12:18pm
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
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I like the printed customs forms idea. How much does Endica or Stamps.com cost?
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2011-01-04, 12:21pm
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I'm a lilac!
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Join Date: Jun 09, 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 8,793
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I have had stamps.com for many years and will never go back to shipping at the PO! I pay $14.95/month, but it may be more now. I can ship internationally and fill out the customs forms online. I love never having to go to the post office, free delivery confirmation, cheaper insurance, and being able to ship quickly every time.
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-Kalera
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2011-01-04, 12:28pm
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Senior Member
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Location: Ohio
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Thanks - it was meant as a serious question, not a slight. My international sales are usually a bead or two, I fill out the customs form and use stamps and it's fine. PayPal shipping also offers free delivery confirmation and reduced rate shipping, I believe. Quick shipping - definitely, I don't miss going to the PO!
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"...living hopefully ever after..." -john lennon
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2011-01-04, 12:29pm
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Posts: 2,418
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Well, Endica works with Mac, and Stamps works with Windows. Guess that decides it for me.
Oh, and Paypal charges .19 for delivery confirmation, if I remember correctly. You don't have a choice of buying it or not, it's included in the price of the label.
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2011-01-04, 1:48pm
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Catnip Pusher
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Join Date: May 22, 2006
Location: Hayward, CA
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PayPal shipping only works if you are paid through PayPal. I occasionally get direct credit card payments, which is why another service works for me.
I tried the USPS site and couldn't get it to work, then heard other folks had issues with it too. Stamps.com is about $15 a month for me too, but I get discounted services (like DC) and everything is printed out for me. I also like that they don't show insurance on the label when you buy it - I always thought that was like flagging a package "steal me"!
Aimee
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2011-01-04, 2:00pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 01, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,458
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You can create new orders in PayPal whether or not they paid through it now. It works better than usps.com - I always had problems with that.
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"...living hopefully ever after..." -john lennon
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2011-01-04, 2:04pm
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I'm a lilac!
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Join Date: Jun 09, 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 8,793
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betsymn
Well, Endica works with Mac, and Stamps works with Windows. Guess that decides it for me.
Oh, and Paypal charges .19 for delivery confirmation, if I remember correctly. You don't have a choice of buying it or not, it's included in the price of the label.
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I actually bought my Windows machine to use for shipping, back before Endicia came out. I definitely would have gone with something I could run on my Mac if I'd had the option!
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-Kalera
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2011-01-04, 3:34pm
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
Posts: 6,758
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betsymn
Well, Endica works with Mac, and Stamps works with Windows. Guess that decides it for me...
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Endicia works with Mac and PCs.
I pay $9.99 a month, I believe, and to me it's worth a lot more than that.
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2011-01-04, 3:36pm
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
Posts: 6,758
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Just checked... I pay $9.95 for Endicia.
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2011-01-04, 11:00pm
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Maker of Famous Burn Gel
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Join Date: Jan 25, 2006
Location: On the Bay in Virginia
Posts: 1,368
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OK, Nikki, please tell me how to use Paypal without the orders. I tried a while back and couldn't find any way to work it. Is this something new? I guess I can get off of here and look for myself! Thanks.
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Pat, as in PittyPat
Glass Rod Carriers in
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2011-01-04, 11:21pm
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Alaska Boro
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Join Date: Dec 10, 2009
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 1,065
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For PayPal one can use Multi-Order Shipping. This is setup for someone desiring to purchase only postage for a product that is not purchased through the PayPay payment gateway.
1) Log into PayPal
2) Select the "Merchant Services" tab
3) Select "Shipping Center"
4) Select in the text "PayPal Multi-Order Shipping"
This is not as easy to use as clicking on "Print Label" but does work well for purchasing and printing a label without the need to go to the post office. And is less costly than using one of the above mentioned for fee services.
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2011-01-04, 11:30pm
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Maker of Famous Burn Gel
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Join Date: Jan 25, 2006
Location: On the Bay in Virginia
Posts: 1,368
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Thank you, Alaska....that seems simple enough...hadn't tried that button!
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Pat, as in PittyPat
Glass Rod Carriers in
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2011-01-05, 9:21am
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Posts: 2,418
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OK, for Mac, Endicia cost $16 a month, and delivery confirmation is NOT free for first class mail. So it's not that big of a savings over Paypal that I thought it would be.
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2011-01-05, 10:14am
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LE cat whisperer
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Join Date: Apr 01, 2008
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Thank you for the information emoon. I ran across a promotional cd from them just the other day and thought about seeing what all they had to offer.
I use the free program called, USPS Postal Assistant program and love it. I don't know about any problems with the program because I have been using it for a couple of years now. I do know when registering you have to enter in your address EXACTLY how the USPS has it entered in their system or it will keep giving you an error message, invalid address. I kept entering 7000 Lazy Breeze Cr and it kept giving me that error until I decided to enter the word Circle instead of Cr. That fixed the error and I haven't had any other problems. It is a free program you can download from the USPS website. Here is the information page for it and instructions for downloading if anyone is interested.
USPS Postal Assistant
I rarely ever go to the post office now as a result. I do both the domestic and international shipping through the program. The program is very helpful with the international forms based off the country involved. The program knows which forms and what questions you need to answer and then prints out the completed international forms. It is all electronically driven. Very user friendly.
I guess that is why I haven't pursued any other postal sites but it is always nice to know others are out there if something ever does start to cause problems with what I presently use. Thank you!! 
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Tanya Harness-Floyd
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2011-01-05, 10:42am
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Experimentalist
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Location: Penryn, California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betsymn
OK, for Mac, Endicia cost $16 a month, and delivery confirmation is NOT free for first class mail. So it's not that big of a savings over Paypal that I thought it would be.
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Ouch! I had no idea a service cost a different amount depending on what computer you use.
Learn something new every day.
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2011-01-05, 10:59am
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Master Procrastinator
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Location: Long Island, NY
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Tanya, can you print first class international labels with the USPS assistant?
Speaking of printing postage, anyone know where to get the labels at a good price?
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Lea
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2011-01-05, 11:06am
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Which ones (if any) offer first class international with insurance? Or even just first class international?
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Available in my Etsy: Fits-Pandora tubing in silver, copper, brass and aluminum.
GinkoDesigns Supplies and Tubing:
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2011-01-05, 11:41am
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Experimentalist
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ginko
Which ones (if any) offer first class international with insurance? Or even just first class international?
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Endicia does... which is why I went with them ten years ago. I never go to the post office and my international customers make up about 30% of my business.
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2011-01-05, 6:38pm
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Catnip Pusher
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Join Date: May 22, 2006
Location: Hayward, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ginko
Which ones (if any) offer first class international with insurance? Or even just first class international?
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Stamps.com does both.
Aimee
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2011-01-05, 7:58pm
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Ready to hit the road
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Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Zimmerman, MN
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I do like not having to fill out the customs forms anymore. With Endicia you put in the info and it prints it all on one label.
Lea, I use Avery 8164 labels, 3"x4", 150 for $6 at Amazon.
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2011-05-27, 2:16pm
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Master Procrastinator
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Ressurecting this thread with a question about the shipping assistant. I downloaded it & am wondering how I pay for shipping. Do those of you that use it have a USPS postage meter? If so, any idea what they cost? I have a digital scale that I've used with Paypal shipping, but it's battery operated, nothing that can be hooked up to the computer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Lea
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2011-05-27, 7:00pm
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Senior Member
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Lea, I don't know the answer to your question, but I did want to say that after several months of Stamps.com, I am still happy. I was wrong initially about international shipments, which I can do online, including the customs form. It costs me about $15. a month, plus the cost of the postage and labels, and so far, for me, it works. I miss the cutie at the post office window, but other than that...'sall good.
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Melodie Lee, LeeBeads
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2011-05-27, 8:21pm
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Master Procrastinator
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Location: Long Island, NY
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Thanks for the info, but I'm hoping to get the shipping assistant to work. Much prefer not to have monthly fees if I can avoid it.
That said, do you need a special scale for it?
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Lea
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