printing USPS first class shipping labels ???


 
DanHoo

DanHoo

TVWBB Olympian
I don't do this much, but I can't find a way to print and pay for postage on a small first class package.

All the USPS stuff wants me to send priority mail, or sign up for a monthly service.

it's a 10 ounce padded envelope. am I just blind? I really, really, really don't want to go to a post office...
 
DanHoo said:
I don't do this much, but I can't find a way to print and pay for postage on a small first class package.

All the USPS stuff wants me to send priority mail, or sign up for a monthly service.

it's a 10 ounce padded envelope. am I just blind? I really, really, really don't want to go to a post office...
Click to expand...
I don’t think you can do what you want. Only their priority services are purchasable online as it’s a preset weight, size, and service level. You’re seeking to send a first class weighted envelope. Stamps.com does what you see but IIRC they’re subscription based.

USPS is still arcane. Not a very efficient model. You’ll need to go in person, wait in line and pay for the weight of your shipment. Very 1990.
 
You can do it I believe if you sign up for a USPS account. But, it's so infrequently that I even trust them to send anything anymore I am not really sure
 
I use pirateship.com to print USPS First Class and Priority Mail labels at home. There is no membership fee and they offer discounted rates. You can print labels on plain paper that you cut-out and tape onto whatever you're mailing, but I started doing so many labels that I bought their recommended Brother label printer and adhesive labels which makes it super easy.
 
Thanks Chris. glad to know someone that uses pirateship. It came up in searches but I thought it was another subscription type deal.

Arghhh
 
For small items like letters, I keep an assortment of postage stamps at home. I weigh the letter on the kitchen scale, then use the USPS website to compute the postage. I treat "Forever" stamps as equivalent to a first class letter postage that it is. Today (8 June 2022) a first class letter costs $0.58. I have never had a letter returned or go undelivered when I treat Forever stamps as the current first class letter value.

The USPS website makes it hard to find first class (e.g., letter) postage costs, but it is there:
  • Go to USPS.com and click Send -> Calculate a Price. Here is a direct link:
  • Enter the ZIP codes and checkboxes at the top of the page, then click Calculate price based on Shape and Size
  • Enter Pounds and Ounces.
  • Here is the tricky part - choosing Letter vs. Large Envelope vs. Package. If you look carefully, you will see a View Dimensions link just above the icons. That link tells you which sizes are which type.
  • Depending on what you are mailing, you may see the postages, or you may see another page asking about the properties of your letter or package. Click the appropriate icons describing the letter - plain, odd shape, something rigid inside, etc.
  • When you see the page with the postages, scroll down to the bottom and you will see First Class postage.
When I write it like that, it seems complicated, but actually it is very easy.

For packages, I use Pirate Ship to print USPS, UPS, and Fedex labels. They offer discount prices on postage and shipping. Their website it easy to use.
https://www.pirateship.com

(In the past, I used PayPal, but when they outsourced their shipping services to a partner company, I switched to Pirate Ship. I did not like the idea of a third-party partner company having direct access to make withdrawals from my PayPal account. That PayPal account is like a bank account, after all.)
 
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