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I started doing postcards. I followed the lead of many postcard sellers and didn’t charge much for postage, because that seems to be the standard (either free or low cost shipping). But, I was eating it on the postage cost because when I went to print a label in eBay, it was something like $2.67 or whatever to send a 3 ounce package. I was going along with it until I could figure out my options, that was until I got burned on an international shipment. I had to pay $11.97 to ship first class to the UK, but the buyer only had to pay $5.37. I called eBay they said that even though I had indicated my listing was envelope size, there is no such option when printing an international label in eBay. They said I should have gone to the post office and gotten the postage there and manually uploaded the tracking information. In the end, the eBay supervisor gave me the credit for the difference.
But I ran into the problem the very next day when another person from the UK ordered some postcards. I packed them up in an envelope (don’t worry, I added 2 pieces of rigid hardboard and put them in a sealed plastic sleeve too), and was prepared to go to the post office to get the postage, when I decided to try getting a shipping label via PayPal. Et Voila! It worked 🙂 I paid just over 2 bucks to ship international first class via USPS with a tracking number to the UK. My letter was less than 1/4″ thick and 4 x 6″, and it weighed less than 2 ounces. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Other options included using letter track pro for the tracking number but that may have been tricky with international. I’m not certain how that word have worked. If it does work, then it could have saved me another buck I think. Anyway, I didn’t feel like trying to figure that out in the moment.
I did talk to FitShipper. I think he believed that the tracking number issued through the vender he is backed by (I can’t recall the shipping entity’s name) would be able to issue a tracking number for a letter, but that the information wouldn’t update within eBay. I really don’t see how that could be the case since eBay just needs the tracking number in their system and they take nightly downloads of tracking information directly from the USPS database, regardless of the source issuing the tracking number.
The next postcard I have to ship domestically, I’m going to try through PayPal as well. Maybe I can get a cheaper cost on the domestic side as well. I’ll keep you all posted!
Marjean28
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My listing info for the item was 3 ounces and letter. The options were found on the PayPal platform. I logged in separately to PayPal, found the sale in my activity transactions, and chose t o print directly from PayPal. I simply validated the item shipping details were correct in the PayPal platform, selected USPS first class international, selected calculate price, purchased the postage and printed the label all from the PayPal platform. The tracking information was added to the eBay listing automatically.
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Thanks for sharing this! I, too, have started selling paper and postcards. I have made some very mediocre purchases as I am still learning but too cheap to toss them out. Will def log PP for international orders in future. As far as domestic, I have added flat rate $1.99 for shipping and I just eat the 60 cents. Which is not ideal. If I get more into them, I will investigate the Letter Track thing.
and for fun: I used to belong to an international postcard club and sent postcards all over the world. They are tracked using an internal system of recipient upload. the name is postcrossing dot com
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I have sent my 3rd postcard to an international location using the tracking provided by purchasing first class international PayPal. The PayPal interface creates the customs form for you, after you fill in the basic information about the item (e.g. what it is, quantity, value, etc.) I checked on the tracking of the first one. Here are the results so far when I click on the tracking number in the eBay desktop application in the sold order page (most recent on top):
Tracking #:UA939798930US
Carrier:USPS
Status:ACCEPTED IN TRANSIT DELIVERED
In Transit to Next Facility2018-07-16, 00:00:00
In Transit to Next Facility
2018-07-15, 00:00:00
In Transit to Next Facility
2018-07-14, 00:00:00
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
2018-07-13, 07:44:00, CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
In Transit to Next Facility
2018-07-12, 00:00:00
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
2018-07-11, 23:42:00, SAINT PAUL MN NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
USPS in possession of item
2018-07-11, 16:51:00, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55406
It will be interesting to see what it indicates for the final international delivery. I paid less than 50 cents for these postcards. So, I guess I don’t feel the need to have a different type of tracking.
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