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Carrier Guides
USPS Volume Discounts: What You Need to Know
Learn about how you can obtain USPS volume discounts and find useful tips on how to cut your shipping costs!
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When you sell online, you know how important it is to offer your potential customers affordable shipping rates!
This is where volume discounts come into the picture. With USPS discounts, you'll be able to enjoy significant savings as your number of shipments consistently increase. In this guide, you can better understand how USPS discounts work and how to lower your shipping costs. Let’s take a closer look right now!
USPS Volume Discounts
USPS offers a variety of volume discount programs on different service levels to reward merchants for shipping with them over the long term and make their pricing more accessible. Volume discounts mean you’re eligible to pay significantly discounted rates in comparison to the standard rates offered by the postal service. In order to qualify for any USPS volume shipping discounts, your shipping needs should meet the following volumes:
- First Class: 5,000 parcels shipped in the prior year
- Priority: 5,000 parcels shipped in the prior year
- Express: 5,000 parcels shipped in the prior year
How Can I Lower My Shipping Costs?
One of the biggest expenses that small business owners face is shipping costs. In addition to utilizing USPS volume discounts whenever possible, here are a few more tips to keep in mind!
1. Always Negotiate Your Shipping Rates
Remember, many couriers let merchants negotiate their shipping rates as they ramp up their shipping volume. Do this to save money on your shipping costs!
2. Predetermine Your Shipping Destination
Understanding the destination of your goods helps in lowering costs. Using regional couriers specifically for regional destinations typically saves more money compared to using major global couriers to deliver regionally.
3. Watch Out for Extra Charges
Depending on the courier you’re using, there may be charges for Saturday deliveries, delivery signatures, fuel surcharges, residential delivery charges, and the like. Always try to understand these fees beforehand.
4. Use Third-Party Insurance
Research has shown that third-party insurance companies generally charge lower shipping insurance rates than insurance offered by couriers For example, while most carriers charge approximately $.80 - $0.90 for every $100, third-party insurance companies instead charge approximately $0.45 - $0.55 for every $100. Whether you’re using USPS shipping or any other service, these savings actually add up, especially for those who sell and ship expensive items.
5. Use The Right Package Sizing
Being that most shipping couriers charge packages based on their weight, size, and destination, it’s important that you always use the correct package size. Smaller items, for example, should be placed in smaller boxes rather than larger ones overstuffed with packaging materials, as this can help reduce shipping costs overall.
6. Opt for Online Shipping
Each time you skip the counter at the post office and instead opt for online printing postage printing, you save money! Just purchase your postage online, print it and you’re ready to label and ship your packages.
7. Don’t Miss Out On Free and Discounted Shipping Supplies
With or without USPS discount shipping, you can also save more money by using free or discounted shipping supplies from your chosen courier. When you make use of the courier’s shipping supplies, you save money on purchasing packaging and the possible “dimensional fee” that comes with packages exceeding the size regulations of your carrier. Just one option for this includes free boxes available at USPS, both online and in post offices.
8. Use Discounted Service Offerings
Whether you are shipping in large volumes or not, USPS offers discounts to those using Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express. Purchasing postage through the right partner automatically offers you this discount!
Related post: 2021 USPS Shipping Rate Changes
9. Bill Correctly
Prior to charging your customers for shipping, make sure you’ve taken your time to properly calculate the shipping fees, even if you qualify for USPS volume shipping discounts. You should also consider if delivery will be made on the weekend and what charges this incurs. Factor these extra costs in and bill your customers correctly.
10. Consider Prepaid Shipping
This works more for those merchants that consistently send out a particular weight. Since you’ve already determined the shipping cost, you can buy shipping labels upfront, as this comes with discounts of up to 20 percent!
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Use USPS Volume Discounts to Cut Your Shipping Costs!
Overall, USPS discounts are a fantastic way to cut your shipping costs. Remember, Easyship partners with USPS, offering a number of their popular shipping solutions at discounted rates. Be sure to sign up for an Easyship account today to start leveraging both USPS’ volume discounts and Easyship’s pre-negotiated rates to reduce your company’s shipping costs!
USPS Volume Discounts FAQ
Do large wholesalers get discounted shipping rates?
USPS offers a variety of volume discount programs on different service levels to reward merchants for shipping with them over the long term and make their pricing more accessible. Alternatively, Easyship offers up to 91% off discounted shipping rates.
Does USPS offer a discounted rate for 50+ parcels per day?
In order to qualify for any USPS volume shipping discounts, your shipping needs should meet at least 5,000 parcels shipped in the prior year for First Class, Priority, and Express shipments.
Does Easyship offer high-volume discounts?
Yes, Easyship saves users up to 91% off discounted shipping rates.
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