PayPal mailing vs. USPS Shipping Assistant

[starry_solo]

It looks like the USPS Shipping Assistant is down (has been down since yesterday). I am hoping it will be fixed soon.

In the meantime, has anyone used the PayPal mailing? It looks like you have to pay for the package through PayPal, but does it give a discount for delivery confirmation?

Through the post office, delivery confirmation is typically $0.75. Through the USPS Shipping Assistant program, it drops to $0.19 (a fairly good savings if you have multiple packages to mail).

Does the PayPal mailing assistant give the same discount so that delivery confirmation is only 19-cents?

Thanks!

 

[n2mm]

It looks like the USPS Shipping Assistant is down (has been down since yesterday). I am hoping it will be fixed soon.

In the meantime, has anyone used the PayPal mailing? It looks like you have to pay for the package through PayPal, but does it give a discount for delivery confirmation?

Through the post office, delivery confirmation is typically $0.75. Through the USPS Shipping Assistant program, it drops to $0.19 (a fairly good savings if you have multiple packages to mail).

Does the PayPal mailing assistant give the same discount so that delivery confirmation is only 19-cents?

Thanks!

Yes I just used it last week and it worked great. It gives the same discounts. I normally use the one through ebay, but I was selling an item outside of ebay so sent the person an invoice via my paypal account and printed/and paid for the label. Worked great. I mailed an item first class bubble envelope and the confirmation was .19

 

[TheRatPack]

You don't have to get paid through Paypal to use their shipping service. I've used it to ship stuff that was through Paperbackswap and other swap forums. You just have to manually enter the shipping information. You click on Multiorder shipping on the right of your home page. There is an import button and a create button...I just click on the create and create a shipment not related to a Paypal payment. I like using it because you get the discount on delivery confirmation and you can ship media, which I can never get to show up on USPS's site.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Why not just go to www.usps.com and ship from there. No "membership" fees and delivery confirmation is included with Priority Mail.

 

[n2mm]

Why not just go to www.usps.com and ship from there. No "membership" fees and delivery confirmation is included with Priority Mail.

I think the OP was saying the USPS was not working at the time they posted. I know they just did a major upgrade/change to their website. I was checking it out today.

 

[starry_solo]

I think the OP was saying the USPS was not working at the time they posted. I know they just did a major upgrade/change to their website. I was checking it out today.

The USPS site was giving problems too, but the Shipping Assistant through USPS is different (it's an actual program that you download that lets you track all the shipments made) which you can print WITHOUT postage. The "program" through the site is "Click 'n Ship" and only lets you ship via priority mail and you have to pay for the postage. I still like to hand the package to the post office and get a receipt for the payment.

I tried the Shipping Assistant again today and it works (this afternoon; this morning, it still didn't work). I will probably try PayPal eventually (but again, it makes you pay for the postage).

 

[n2mm]

The USPS site was giving problems too, but the Shipping Assistant through USPS is different (it's an actual program that you download that lets you track all the shipments made) which you can print WITHOUT postage. The "program" through the site is "Click 'n Ship" and only lets you ship via priority mail and you have to pay for the postage. I still like to hand the package to the post office and get a receipt for the payment.

I tried the Shipping Assistant again today and it works (this afternoon; this morning, it still didn't work). I will probably try PayPal eventually (but again, it makes you pay for the postage).

Thanks I didn't know that. I use the shipping label function through paypal and ebay. I like paying for my postage online and printing my labels. You do get a receipt to your email which is nice and they automatically send the information to the customers too, so no updating on my part. Our postal folks love that I've done all of the work for them and will just pull us out of line and take our packages so we never have to wait. I agree about the USPS site, I tried to use it once to mail a parcel post or first class package and it didn't give the options that paypal and ebay shipping label software offers. Though I save money by paying my postage in advance, it just goes to the cost of the shipping labels! I know that I could actually just get my local carrier to pick up for me, but right now we do the dropping off ourselves.

 

[horseshowmom]

You don't have to get paid through Paypal to use their shipping service. I've used it to ship stuff that was through Paperbackswap and other swap forums. You just have to manually enter the shipping information. You click on Multiorder shipping on the right of your home page. There is an import button and a create button...I just click on the create and create a shipment not related to a Paypal payment. I like using it because you get the discount on delivery confirmation and you can ship media, which I can never get to show up on USPS's site.

I followed your directions. When I get to the place where you select the type of package, media mail is listed, but it's like it's shadowed out. When you click on it, it doesn't "take". Just stays at "add service type and package". Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I live way out in the country and do DVDswap and would like to be able to do this. Thanks for any help!

 

[ellone]

I followed your directions. When I get to the place where you select the type of package, media mail is listed, but it's like it's shadowed out. When you click on it, it doesn't "take". Just stays at "add service type and package". Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I live way out in the country and do DVDswap and would like to be able to do this. Thanks for any help!

I don't use multi-order shipping, but when I have to ship a single item that wasn't purchased on ebay I go to https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now
You fill out the info and media mail is available as an option.

 

[TheRatPack]

I followed your directions. When I get to the place where you select the type of package, media mail is listed, but it's like it's shadowed out. When you click on it, it doesn't "take". Just stays at "add service type and package". Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I live way out in the country and do DVDswap and would like to be able to do this. Thanks for any help!

Did you input your weight first? I don't know...that's strange. I just signed on to mine and didn't input weight or anything and it let me check Media Mail?

 

[horseshowmom]

I don't use multi-order shipping, but when I have to ship a single item that wasn't purchased on ebay I go to https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now
You fill out the info and media mail is available as an option.

I'll look at that.

Did you input your weight first? I don't know...that's strange. I just signed on to mine and didn't input weight or anything and it let me check Media Mail?

No, and I tried it several times. I'll give it another shot though. You never know, it could have been a fluke.