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So I have another no tracking package and I’ve been waiting in line and getting receipts but I threw out the one that’s missing too soon. Ugh. Eventually the buyer did get it late and all of the tracking updated… So far I haven’t heard from my buyer on Poshmark and Poshmark cooled their jets for a bit longer.
https://www.valueaddedresource.net/surprise-usps-ground-advantage-rate-drop/
https://www.valueaddedresource.net/usps-july-2026-competitive-rates/
I think this may be in preparation for the DIM weight changes. I tried running some calculations and the new dim weight divisor of 139 makes the 12 12 12 safety net obsolete. Also if I am doing this right, even a 7 7 7 package is DIM 3 pounds, while I usually use that size for a two pound package, or even less than 1 pound. They are also getting rid of the ounces under a pound so might as well put all on flat rate shipping up to a pound (I already did this on some items). I hope Ebay is negotiating a good deal with all of this stuff coming down the pike. I have a variety of items including lightweight stuff, lots of things from 1-3 pounds. Some are large.
For this interim period before 7/12 I’ve changed my business policies to pass on the discount to the buyer and I’ve put on a $1.50 handling charge to pay for packaging materials. I’m hoping I get a sales boost with more competitive shipping. I realize I’ll be sucking up the fees during this period but hoping to get rid of some stale stuff. I’ll reassess in July.
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I have a Priority package that was shipped 6/4 with tracking that stopped 6/8. I submitted a missing mail claim yesterday which was just a few hours before the buyer contacted me, so at least there’s that. It has been a while since I’ve had a lost package. Hopefully, it doesn’t stay lost.
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The new USPS price increases are live. Although all the talk leading up to this rate hike seemed incredibly dire, the actual impact appears less costly for us strictly because of eBay’s discounted label agreement with USPS. However, while eBay insulates us from some pain, at least for the time-being, we aren’t escaping all of it.
Watch out for USPS Ground Advantage under 1 pound. USPS just unified ounce-based pricing for these light packages sent to rural Zip codes, matching recent hikes to non-contiguous and military destinations.
The hit is real. On June 15, I shipped a 4 oz package to APO 09114 for $5.72. Today, 30 days later, that exact same label costs $7.46—a massive 30.4% spike.
With non-contiguous, rural and military rates getting this aggressive, flat-rate shipping is risky. Double-check your listings or switch to calculated shipping to avoid these surprise costs.
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Yes, Ebay was late to chime in on this issue leading to a lot of speculation. I’m holding my under a pound flat rate at $6.99 for now but will definitely keep an eye on it. The 3 pound rate is looking pretty good. I tried to go through and move all of my larger items to Fed Ex business policy but should make sure I didn’t miss any. The DIM weight change is craziness. I probably won’t be picking up any more serving platters and things like that.
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Oh yes I am seeing this now. 2 ounce package today CA to RI $8.40. Yesterday I saw people in Facebook groups talking about this and so I upped my up to a pound flat rate to $7.49. Will keep watching. Currently having more sales on Posh but I’m about to photo and launch a bunch of drafts.
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Heads up! I just shipped a 4 oz item only 225 miles from Atlanta. Because the buyer is in a rural ZIP code, the eBay label cost $7.30. eBay barely charged the customer enough to cover it, so their system clearly hasn’t caught up with the new rural delivery surcharges. I use calculated shipping.
Since a large portion of eBay buyers live in rural areas, look out for your margins. I’ll definitely be lowering the custom discounts I offer to buyers after this.
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Ok so the 3-4 pound rate is helping to move some old listings out! I’m not having a ton of sales but seem to be doing ok with my 7.49 flat rate under a pound. Only losing on a couple of sales and ahead on a few. I wish Ebay would show the fee (or not charge one) on your shipping.
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Following up on my post from earlier this month regarding the July 15th USPS Rural ZIP Trap. I just had a 4 oz package going to a rural address in Massachusetts, the label cost me $7.69.
So heads-up, eBay’s Calculated Shipping tool is still messed up on the rural zip codes. When a rural buyer checks out, eBay continues to charge them based on the actual light ounce weight (like 4 oz). But when we print the label, the USPS back-end forces the maximum 15.99 oz rate, leaving us sellers to swallow a $ loss per package. eBay owes us a fix on this.
Check your shipping metrics closely because eBay is still quietly draining our profit margins on these lightweight orders.
To make matters worse, keep an eye on your heavier packages this week. On Saturday, July 25, USPS quietly rolled out another Ground Advantage rate hike, adding a $0.10 surcharge specifically to all 3-to-5-pound packages. Make sure to adjust your listings manually, because eBay’s calculator seems to be failing us right now.
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Yeah, I don’t think Ebay has kept up well with the rate changes, which isn’t surprising. I don’t pass on my discount and charge calculated above a pound. Ebay charged two of my buyers $20 to go coast to coast on 2 pounds and I only paid $10. Nice, but I feel like I’m probably losing sales. I’m not going to change the weight to 3 pounds for a few reasons, including that the listings are cross-posted. There are so many changes going on it makes you apprehensive about doing anything to create a loss on shipping. However, I’m still monitoring my under-a-pound $7.49 and I seem to be doing ok. Except for needlepoint kits, most of my stuff goes to urban areas.
I’m not sure Mercari has kept up either but then that’s on them. Most of my Mercari listings are Fed Ex Economy.
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