Month: April 2023

Half Price UPS Pickups For Amazon And eBay Sellers With Pirate Ship

In this post, I want to share a little-known benefit of using Pirate Ship for scheduling UPS pickups. Let me give you some background first. I became an Amazon Seller during the heyday when it was easy to sell on Amazon and I used UPS shipping to send shipments to the Amazon warehouse multiple times a week.

During that time, UPS offered one year of free pickups if you opened an account with them. But what people didn’t talk about was that even after the free pickup year was up, you could still continue to get free pickups for several years. I learned this the hard way when I used the UPS service to buy a label, and it activated something in the back end that started charging me for weekly pickups. So, I closed that account and opened another one to continue getting free pickups for over a year, until UPS caught on and started charging me.

At that point, I slowed down my Amazon selling and didn’t need weekly pickups anymore. So, I switched to pay-per-pickup, which cost about $7.50 per pickup, and I believe the weekly fee was around $16. Since I was shipping less than twice a week, it was cheaper for me to schedule pickups and pay the one-time fee.

I am still using this method today, but here’s the secret hack: you can schedule UPS pickups through Pirate Ship for only $4. If you check the UPS website, it’s likely that their pickup cost is $8, so you get it at half the price with Pirate Ship. It’s simple to use, and you just need to schedule it by 1:00 PM on the day you want the pickup. In my case, even if the weekly price is $16, I come out ahead as long as I don’t ship more than 4 days a week. If I ship less than 5 days a week, it’s cheaper for me to use this method, which is why I continue to use it.

Even if you’re not shipping to Amazon warehouses like I do, you can use this feature when shipping with eBay or other platforms. And the best part is, Pirate Ship is free, so there’s no monthly service charge to access this option. You just pay $4 whenever you need to schedule a pickup, and you don’t even have to buy postage through Pirate Ship to use this feature. I personally pay for my UPS postage for Amazon through Amazon itself, and then I schedule my pickups through Pirate Ship.

Is Using Shipstation For Amazon Shipping To Earn Credit Card Rewards Points A Good Idea?

Using credit cards with reward programs can be a great strategy for online sellers, but it’s important to evaluate if it makes sense for your specific situation. As an eBay and Etsy seller who also sells on Amazon, I use Pirateship for my shipping needs throughout the year, and I have it attached to my Southwest rewards card so I can earn miles for free travel. However, during the peak selling season in Q4, when I sell more merchant fulfilled products on Amazon, I wanted to see if it would be beneficial for me to switch to shipstation for my Amazon shipping.

One of the factors I considered was the monthly subscription cost of Shipstation. While Pirateship is free and works well for me throughout the year, I needed to determine if the rewards I would earn from my credit card would outweigh the subscription cost during the Q4 period. I also took into account that as a business expense, I could deduct the subscription cost from my profit, which would lower the overall cost.

To evaluate the numbers, I used Inventorylab to calculate my shipping expenses for Amazon merchant fulfilled products during November and December. I then multiplied the number of points I would earn from my credit card, using the value of a Southwest point at 1.5 cents, to see if it would be more than the subscription cost of Shipstation. I found that during the Q4 period, I would come out ahead by using Shipstation, but for the rest of the year, it would not be cost-effective for me, as most of my products are fulfilled by Amazon (FBA).

Another advantage of using Shipstation, especially if you’re low on funds or need more capital for sourcing, is that Amazon pays you the full payout while your shipping expenses may take time to be charged to your credit card. This can provide some extra cash flow for your business. However, it’s important to be mindful of paying off your credit card to avoid interest charges.

In conclusion, as a long-time seller with established numbers on shipping expenses, I found that using Shipstation with a credit card rewards program would only benefit me during the Q4 period when I sell more merchant fulfilled products. For the rest of the year, I will continue to use Pirateship for my eBay and Etsy stores, and add Shipstation only for the two months of November and December to earn extra rewards from Amazon shipping. It’s important to evaluate your own numbers and consider your specific business needs when deciding on the best shipping strategy and credit card rewards program for your online selling business.

When NOT To Use Your Rewards Cards For eBay And Amazon Sourcing

As I reflect on my experience selling online throughout my career, I realize that I made a number of mistakes. One of my early mistakes was not taking advantage of credit card rewards when I first started selling on Amazon. At that time, I was so focused on sourcing, prepping, and shipping products to Amazon that I didn’t give much thought to the potential rewards I could earn from my credit cards.

It wasn’t until I attended some conferences and spoke with other Amazon sellers that I learned how much they were benefiting from credit card rewards for their sourcing expenses. There are several different rewards programs available, but my preferred choice is the Southwest card because I enjoy traveling. I discovered that many sellers would use their credit cards for all their sourcing and shipping expenses during the busy Q4 season, and in return, they would accumulate a significant amount of miles, allowing them to travel for free.

Looking back, I now realize the missed opportunity of not leveraging credit card rewards earlier in my selling career. It’s a valuable lesson I’ve learned, and I now make sure to maximize my credit card rewards to reap the benefits of free travel and other perks.

There are situations when it’s not advisable to use your reward cards, and I’ve noticed this particularly when shopping at bin stores.

Many of these stores have signs indicating that if you don’t pay in cash, they’ll add a three and a half percent surcharge for credit card usage. In such cases, it wouldn’t make sense to use a credit card if the cash back or rewards points you’re earning are only around 1.5%, as they wouldn’t offset the three and a half percent surcharge. If you have the cash on hand, it’s better to avoid paying the extra fee and not use your credit card, as you won’t be able to recoup the cost through your rewards program.

However, if you don’t have the cash available for the purchase, then using your credit card may be necessary, even with the added surcharge. It’s important to weigh the costs and benefits of using your reward cards in different situations to make informed decisions.

Does Resizing Boxes Help Save Money On Shipping?

In this post, I will discuss the importance of resizing boxes to save money on shipping, especially with the rising cost of shipping. Shipping costs have been steadily increasing over the years, and simply throwing a product in a box and shipping it can be expensive. Many companies are now using dimensional sizes, also known as cubic dimensions, for boxes, making it necessary to resize boxes.

To learn more about cubic shipping, visit the Pirate Ship website. However, the general rule is to make the box as small as possible while still providing adequate protection for the product. For fragile items, consider double boxing or using a larger box with ample packing material.

Cheapest Ways to Ship with USPS from Pirate Ship on Vimeo.

Pirate Ship offers a bag rate that can be used for many items. If using free shipping supplies from the Postal Service, avoid flat rate boxes whenever possible. Instead, create Franken boxes by ordering free supplies from the Postal Service and resizing them using box resizers.

Two popular resizers are the basic box resizer and the razor knife version, which features a segregated roller on the backside. Using a score tool like the segregated roller can make the fold cleaner and the box sturdier. Check out the videos on how to use these resizers.

Resizing boxes can be time-consuming, but it can save money on shipping. When shipping across the country, even an inch can make a significant difference in cost, so always check the weight and dimensions of the package before sealing it up. If the box is just a few ounces over, consider cutting off some of the excess, but don’t compromise the integrity of the box.

It is essential to resize boxes not just to save money, but also for the safety of the product. A large item in a big box can easily bounce around and damage the product during shipping. A box that isn’t packed well can also squish easily under the weight of other packages.

If you’re an eBay seller, resizing boxes can help you make more money on the back end. If you don’t charge shipping, it can also save your customers money by reducing the cost of shipping. Always remember that shipping air is expensive, so resize your boxes to avoid paying for unused space.

Exploring the World of Bin Stores: A Source to Find Treasure and Make a Profit On Ebay

Have you ever heard of a bin store? It’s a unique type of store that buys customer returns from large retailers and sells them by the pallet. These stores toss the items into bin type tables, which customers can then rummage through to find hidden treasures.

But before you get too excited, there are a few things you should know. First, most bin stores have a strict “no opening boxes” policy. If you get caught, you’ll likely be asked to leave. Some stores may allow you to open a certain number of boxes, but it’s usually limited to two per person.

Once the items are placed in the bins, the staff will often tape shut any boxes that have been opened. But there’s still no guarantee that the box’s contents will match the label, or that the item inside will be in good condition. After all, these are customer returns we’re talking about.

So why do people love bin stores? For one, it’s like a treasure hunt. You never know what you might find. And if you’re able to figure out what an item is worth, you could potentially make a big profit. That’s why one of the main goals of this blog post is to help you take the gambling out of your bin store purchases.

Here’s how it works: usually, the price of the items in the bins is lowered each day. For example, on Friday, all items might be priced at $7. On Saturday, they drop to $6. By Tuesday, everything is just $2.50. And on Wednesday, you can snag items for just $1.50.

Of course, the gamble is that you’re not always sure what you’re getting. Some items are easy to identify and assess for sellable condition, while others are more of a guessing game. That’s where the tips and tricks on this website come in. We’ll help you figure out how to identify valuable items and avoid making costly mistakes.

At the end of the day, bin stores can be a lot of fun. It’s exciting to find hidden treasures and potentially make some money. But it’s important to approach it with a smart, informed mindset. With the right tools and knowledge, you can increase your chances of success and minimize your losses.