USPS shipping label guide

From CAGwiki

This is a guide detailing how to create United States Postal Service (USPS) shipping labels from your home computer.

This guide isn't meant to be a step by step manual for the various programs, but rather a start up guide for people wondering how to get into this as well as a few tips that might be useful even for the veterans.

1 Requirements
2 Methods
3 Tips
4 External links

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Requirements

You need a good quality inkjet printer or preferably a laser printer. Laser printer ink doesn't run when it gets wet (rain) so I'd strongly advise anyone that does a lot of shipping to pick up a cheap one. Mine was about $100, but you can get them even cheaper if you watch for a great deal.
Plain paper is fine. However sticker sheets are a big time saver. If you do use sticker sheets attach the label securely. I suggest taping (with packing tape) around the entire perimeter of the paper. Don't tape over the barcode.
You need a scale accurate to the ounce to ship first class. Priority and Media Mail is to the pound so a crappy scale or estimation may be good enough. Remember you must always round up. I bought my scale at the usps.com store, but cheaper ones are available.

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Methods

There are three main ways to print labels from home (for free.)

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PayPal shipping

Shipping via your PayPal account is the easiest method and my top choice when I can use it. Available for anything that is paid for by PayPal or anything you sell on eBay for which you accepted PayPal as a form of payment. The buyer's address is automatically filled in for you, unlike the other methods. Nice little time saver.

Another benefit is that the buyer is automatically e-mailed a shipping notice that includes a link to check the DC status. And you can choose to not have the postage value display on the label. (That is the default setting, BTW.)

You can use this to create labels for pretty much any USPS postage class (First, Priority, Media, etc.) with postage. That means that once you print the label out you just attach it to the package and place it in any collection box (see Tip #10), take it the post office, etc.

Very straight forward to use. Login to your PayPal account and click the Ship button next to your recent payment. (There are other ways to access the shipping section, refer to PayPal's help for full details.) Go through the various steps (I won't detail this click by click as it is very easy to work through.) and in the end you will reach a pop-up with the option to print your newly created label.

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USPS Click-N-Ship

Service offered on usps.com

This is a lot clunkier than PayPal shipping, but it is free and creates labels with postage.

You can only create Priority and Express class labels with this service (no First, Media, etc.) This is the main shortcoming in my eyes.

Similar to PayPal shipping, though as mentioned a little clunkier. In the end you are presented with a nearly identical pop-up window and the label that is printed is again nearly identical to the label printed via PayPal Shipping.

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USPS Shipping Assistant

Free downloadable program availabe from usps.com

You can use this to create labels for pretty much any USPS postage class (First, Priority, Media, etc.), but they will be without postage. (The main drawback.)

Follow the instructions from the USPS to get yourself setup and creating labels. You have to sign up for a username and password to use with the program, but that is free and fairly painless to obtain. Once you have this you just enter it into the program and don't have to fool with it.

The label produced is again very similar to those created with PayPal Shipping or Click-N-Ship. However, instead of a postage code in the upper right there is a blank white box.

That means you'll need to use stamps to make up the postage, or have a clerk at the post office weigh and postage the package. Be sure they charge you the electronic DC rate and not the retail DC rate. Postage rates are availabe on usps.com of course -- be sure to add on money for the delivery confirmation. Stamped mail weighing more than one pound can not be put in a collection box. I wouldn't be surprised if it would still be delivered, but that is the reg. If you have access to a postage meter, you are golden.

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Tips

A major benefit to printed labels is that you get the electronic Delivery Confirmation rate with printed labels. (Currently $0.14 vs. $0.60)
Rather than keep a stack of printed half sheets for your records, use a PDF printer and initially print your label to a PDF. Then print that PDF out to create your label. Easy method to keep your records. I use PrimoPDF (freeware) to create the PDFs.
Outline the delivery confirmation barcode with green highlighter. I've found this greatly increases your odds of actually having the DC bar code scanned on delivery. Don't highlight or mark over the actual barcode, but create a box of highlighter around the barcode.
Sticker sheets are a bit pricey, but for me the time savings of not having to tape all around the label is well worth it.
The label portion of the page is printed first, followed by the half that is for your records. If you are using plain paper that is fine. But if you are using sticker sheets (like me) you probably don't want to waste half a sheet per label. You can try to create a custom paper size (one half page in length) and print just the 1st page using that. This didn't work for my laser printer. But I'm able to use the manual feed slot and just feed in a half sheet sticker label. This 2nd method works fine for my printer. You'll have to experiment to see which method works for your setup.
You can schedule a pick up for Priority class or better mail at usps.com. Remember that the postaged packages can also be put in a collection box. I personally have easy access to a good size USPS collection box so I rarely use this.
Free boxes are available for use with Priority shipping from the USPS.
Tape over the mailing and return address with a strip of packing tape for added security. (Especially if you're printing with an inkjet printer.) Less risk of the label being mangled to a point where it can not be read (and therefore not delivered.) You can go even further and include a note or packing slip inside the package that includes your return address.
First Class Mail must be at least 3/4" thick at the thickest point to qualify for Delivery Confirmation. The various services inform you of that as well, but it can be easy to overlook. (I imagine the odds of a package being returned for violating this are very slim, but you never know.)
There is some question as to whether you can drop packages weighing more than 16 ounces in a collection box. I've heard from both PayPal and USPS e-mail help that if they don't bare stamps (i.e. a PayPal shipping label or a Click-N-Ship label) they are fine to put in a box. But our resident postal employee (crowbb) as well as the 1-800-ASK-USPS has told me that anything over 16 ounces must be presented to a postal employee/taken to the post office. I've mailed quite a few things > 1 pound from a collection box and not had a problem, but this is certainly something of which to be aware.

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