10 Ways to Save on eCommerce Postage Costs In These Stressful Times

With tariffs, prices, and worries going up, we wondered if we could dig even deeper and come up with even more ideas to save on eCommerce postage costs. We devised 10 ways to save with new details and updated information.

Here they are:

1. Get the address right the first time! As soon as you are rerouting or returning a package, your costs are going up exponentially. While most shipping programs flag inaccurate US addresses, they can often be ignored. Don’t override them! And while we are at it, double-check international addresses that seem odd.

2. Reduce your package size. All the shipping carriers base their rates on both size and weight. Reducing your package size will also reduce your weight. Don’t pay for one cubic inch of air!

3. At the same time, you should also test different package dimensions. Sometimes just changing the shape of a package can save you big, even if you don’t reduce the total cubic inches.

4. We all realize that sometimes it just isn’t possible to remove every cubic inch of air from your packages. You may need padding to protect fragile items or fill around non-rectangular items. Be sure you use lightweight void filler. The last thing you want is heavy void filler adding to the package weight.

5. Do you get commercial postage rates from the USPS? If you aren’t sure, ask your fulfillment provider. If you are using a program like Shopify to ship, you probably are getting the best rates available already. Whatever you do, don’t go to the Post Office to ship. If you do, you will pay the highest rates.

6. While we are on the rate topic, let’s discuss the other shipping carriers. You can negotiate rates with FedEx, UPS, or DHL. The rates you get will be based on your volume. Either negotiate your own rates or find out if your order fulfillment provider is.

7. Go slow! Most customers really are willing to wait a few extra days. Slowing down the mail speed can result in big savings! If some of your customers do care about shipping speed, you can also offer multiple speeds in platforms like Shopify.

8. Flat-rate shipping options usually don’t make financial sense but sometimes they can save you big time. This is particularly the case if you have a heavy dense product. It’s worth it to take a few minutes to check out the flat-rate options just in case they make sense for you.

9. Consider hidden costs. Sometimes it is just worth a small extra cost to use a shipping carrier that you can trust and depend on. The cost of customer service to track down lost and delayed packages doesn’t always make sense. Consider if the extra cost is worth it.

10. At the same time, don’t get too tied to one carrier. Check rates with each carrier regularly. We can assure you that they all make mistakes and they all mostly get things right. Rates change often so set a reminder on your calendar to compare rates once a month. If another carrier has cheaper rates, go to the carrier you are using. They just might lower your rates!

And there you have it! The details you need to find postage savings.

Do you need more help? We’re here for you! Whether you are a customer or not, we would be happy to help you look at our options. You can email us at info@keyfulfillmentsolutions.com. Also, checkout our Facebook and Instagram for tips, tricks, news, and motivational quotes.