Kickstarter Shipping Costs Explained & How to Save Money

As a crowdfunding giant, Kickstarter has brought many business ideas and dreams to life by giving creators access to what they need most - funds. It operates by connecting creators of projects with a passionate audience willing to fund the project in return for a reward. So far, Kickstarter has recorded mind-blowing successes, and more people are jumping on the bandwagon.

If you are looking forward to running a Kickstarter campaign or have started already, there are things you should know about Kickstarter shipping. While you can surpass your crowdfunding target, without careful planning and accurate budgeting, you can spend more than you planned on shipping. Yes, Kickstarter shipping is one of the timely parts of the whole process, particularly if you are not informed.

The good news is that you can save money on Kickstarter shipping! This article covers all you need to know about Kickstarter shipping costs and how Easyship can help you make the best Kickstarter shipping decisions.

Factors That Impact Kickstarter Shipping Costs

So you have successfully reached your crowdfunding goal and need to start shipping rewards to backers.

Perhaps you charged a flat rate for everyone. Even worse, you predicted what shipping might cost and charged according to your instincts! (Well, that might not be the best idea). You must consider essential elements before arriving at the shipping cost.

Size and weight of the package

The best way to explain this is to give an illustration. If Mr. A is shipping a guitar from New York to Los Angeles and Mr. B. is sending a small parcel containing a piece of jewelry from New York to Los Angeles. Who do you think will pay more? Your guess is probably as good as ours - Mr. A.

The reason is not far-fetched; a package dimension directly impacts the shipping price. Since carriers use dimensional weight, your package's weight, length, and width are significant. Remember the following: the heavier the package, the costlier it will be to ship.

Cost of packaging

To ship any item, you must put them in some packaging. Without sufficient packaging, you risk damages and loss of your shipment. While packaging materials will cost you money to purchase for all the rewards you are shipping, they will also impact the dimensional weight of your package.

Shipping logistics

Logistics covers the entire processing of retrieving, packaging, and shipping the rewards. It can be pretty demanding if you're handling these yourself, especially when dealing with large quantities of rewards. On the other hand, you can outsource to a third-party logistics company to take care of logistics.

Applicable duties and taxes

A common mistake most Kickstarter creators make is not researching the applicable customs duties for all their backers. It's okay to project that your backers are domestic, but that is not always the case. For international backers, you will likely be charged with customs duties.

Letting your backers know before time is also essential. Nobody wants a surprise, so you should be transparent with them before shipping their items.

Backer location

Just like the size of a package affects the shipping cost, the location you're shipping to also contributes to the amount you will pay for shipping. So you see, there is no way you can project a fixed amount for all backers. Make sure you research, plan and communicate with your backers. Most importantly, considering shipping options can help you cut down costs.

Related post: How to Pick the Best Route for Kickstarter Fulfillment

5 Ways to Save Money with Kickstarter Shipping

You already know that your Kickstarter shipping will cost you more. You know these factors are not fixed. They can change depending on your rewards or campaign. For example, you could have more international backers, or the rewards could be so fragile that they need additional packaging.

Regardless, you can save some bucks on Kickstarter shipping by following some best practices.

1: Research past and popular campaigns

Whether new to Kickstarter crowdfunding or not, what sets you apart and ahead is experience and information. Reading past campaigns and their shipping approach can help you avoid some financial mistakes.

2: Reach out to fulfillment experts

One of the best pieces of advice you can get while running a Kickstarter campaign is to get a fulfillment partner, particularly one with a crowdfunding fulfillment experience. They will help you handle fulfillment, and a fulfillment expert will also help you cut down on costs by providing the best fulfillment advice. Better still, a fulfillment expert with integrated shipping services and optimized software will go a long way to keep shipping expenses within a reasonable budget.

3: Use free shipping supplies and packaging

By using free supplies offered by carriers, you automatically reduce the amount you spend on the packaging. For a large number of backers, you could be handling hundreds or more units of rewards. Free supplies are a relief to your purse so take advantage of them. USPS, FedEx, and UPS are major shipping carriers offering free supplies like delivery boxes.

4: Choose the cheapest shipping option

There are various shipping services for every shipping carrier, varying in delivery lead time and price. Whatever the options you are offered, go for the cheapest. The difference between the most expensive and cheapest could be a matter of days, but your shipment will get delivered regardless. Imagine you opted for the cheapest shipping option to all your backer locations; you definitely will save a lot of money.

5: Utilize a shipping platform

Rather than going to the post office, use a shipping platform, and you will be glad you did! You can spend more at the post office if you do not know. You can buy and print shipping labels online using a shipping platform. Plus, you can access shipping discounts that you might not get at the post office.

Shipping platforms have automated software that allows you to calculate shipping costs to all your locations with the cheapest available options. Getting discounts for all your rewards is a deal-breaker.

How Does Kickstarter Shipping Work with Easyship?

How does Kickstarter shipping work? If you're yet to launch your campaign, you should consider how shipping rewards will go. It can affect the relationship between you and your backers.

Some factors impact shipping costs, and without proper planning and access to the correct information, shipping costs can eat into your budget. However, there are proven ways to reduce shipping expenses. More specifically, choosing the right logistics partner with crowdfunding experience will make your Kickstarter shipping a smooth sail.

Easyship can handle shipping your Kickstarter campaign to domestic and international locations. As a trusted and reliable name in the global shipping and fulfillment network, Easyship has experts that can help you plan your shipping strategy ahead of time.

Easyship is also integrated with major shipping carriers to get the needed discount for your shipments. With Easyship, you can get access to features like:

• Easyship Collect: Easyship Collect is the only shipping tool for crowdfunding campaigns. Let backers upgrade shipping, prepay duty, and tax, plus add the shipping insurance with this premium feature
• Crowdfunding Shipping Calculator: Start planning your next crowdfunding campaign with our crowdfunding calculator
• Shipping Policy Generator: Our shipping policy generator helps merchants and crowdfunding campaigns generate their shipping policy by providing tracking and insurance.

Ready to ship for Kickstarter shipping? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and get instant access to high-volume discounts for your Kickstarter campaign

Kickstarter Shipping FAQ

Does Kickstarter ship to the UK?

When shipping rewards, your backers are either located domestically or internationally. Depending on where you are located, you can ship to the UK with Kickstarter.

How to change your Kickstarter shipping address?

You can always manage and update your delivery details on your Kickstarter dashboard. Login to your Kickstarter profile page, select backed projects, click other options until you select a survey, and edit your address.

How to track a Kickstarter package?

You can keep track of your pledges through your Backed Projects page. In the "Active Pledges" section, you can view your current pledges, the amounts pledged, the selected rewards, and other important details.

If you found this article informative, you may enjoy the following:

• The Best International Carriers for Fast Shipping
• 5 Steps to Get the Cheapest International Shipping Rates
• The Countries with the Toughest Shipping Restrictions