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Getting free shipping supplies from companies like DHL can considerably reduce your costs. Click through for a guide to scoring shipping supplies from major mail carriers for free!
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Shipping customer orders on time is one of the most critical parts of your fulfillment process. And itās vital to optimize the shipping process to keep customers happy.
Consumers are always looking for brands that offer them faster shipping times with minimal shipping costs (thanks, Fulfillment-By-Amazon.) While meeting these expectations isnāt always easy, business owners can lower shipping costs by reducing costs at individual stages of the fulfillment process.
One part of the shipping process where business owners can cut costs is packaging by getting their hands on free shipping supplies. There are a few promising ways to score some serious free shipping supplies, and weāll take a look at those now!
Good shipping practices balance safety and budget. Your packaging needs to ensure that items arrive safely, but you canāt use too many shipping supplies because itāll raise costs.
Here, weāll take a look at the three critical elements of good packaging for product shipping:
You have two main types of containers when shipping products, which are boxes and mailers. To ensure your items arrive safely at their destinations, you want them to fit snugly in their containers, so choose the smallest box possible. In addition to ensuring your itemsā safety, small shipping boxes incur lower shipping costs.
Cushioning like bubble wrap, air pillows and packing peanuts fill the empty space in your containers, so your items donāt get jostled around during transit. Whichever cushioning method you choose, ensure that your products stay in place while the box is being moved so they wonāt get damaged.
Some items need special treatment to ensure their safety during transit. Here are some ways you can handle fragile or irregular items:
You may need to buy your own shipping supplies if you handle shipping and delivery without third-party logistics. Here are some great places to get packaging materials and supplies:
If youāre only shipping a few items, your local office supply or stationery stores usually sell the things you need. Prices between stores may vary, so shop around to find the best deal.
Big box stores like Target and Walmart have locations all over the country, which makes shopping for shipping supplies easier. These stores also offer bulk shipping supplies for reasonable prices.
Online retailer Amazon sells all kinds of shipping supplies, from poly mailers to cardboard boxes, at reasonable prices. For instance, a 25-pack of cardboard boxes is just $21.99 and can go even lower if you have the relevant coupons.
Additionally, Amazon also accepts cryptocurrency payments via BitPay.
eBay offers self-branded packing supplies like boxes, mailing envelopes and packaging tape to help its sellers deliver their goods. While itās easy to access, eBay Shipping Supplies doesnāt have the best prices ā a set of 25 cardboard boxes costs $31, for example.
To find better deals, you may need to look through eBay listings and search for sales and auctions that sell low-priced packing supplies.
Many different carriers offer business owners free shipping supplies. One thing to keep in mind with each carrier is they only let you get free supplies if you use their services. For example, you canāt walk into the UPS store with FedExās packaging and expect them to let you ship it.
Letās see what each one is offering.
The advantage of working with a UPS store is they provide different boxes for each category of mail services. All you have to do is walk into your local UPS store, and theyāll provide packages for free.
You can get free shipping supplies from FedEx by going to their retail locations or ordering shipping supplies online. The packaging is complimentary when you ship with FedEx.
Yup! FedEx offers free shipping boxes and free shipping supplies in great variety. These boxes are free in small, medium and large sizes.
The United States Postal Service offers shipping boxes and envelopes for free through its website. You can get boxes and envelopes in various USPS-standard sizes, which makes shipping easier if you deliver products through USPS.
However, there is a restriction to keep in mind when getting free boxes from USPS. When shipping your products, your mailing service must match the service listed on the package. For instance, using a Priority Mail Express flat rate envelope means you can only use USPS Priority Mail Express service.
The free boxes at the US Post Office include different USPS Priority Mail Boxes like the priority mail medium flat rate box and other free USPS boxes like the small flat rate box and the large flat rate box.
You can buy poly bags wherever shipping supplies are sold. Some of the best places to look for poly bags include:
The USPS does not offer free poly mailers, but you can get similar items like padded envelopes from its website.
Poly mailers are often used for lightweight items, so the cost of shipping poly mailers is generally very affordable. If youāre using USPS First Class Mail, shipping a package under 13 oz starts at $0.49.
DHL is one of the most prominent names in international shipping. If you have a DHL account, you can order free shipping supplies from its website. Available items include boxes of various sizes, envelopes, flier bags and waybill sleeves.
Free carrier packaging is excellent, but itās not a āno-strings-attachedā deal. Hereās what to keep in mind when using free supplies from carriers.
When youāre getting free shipping supplies from a carrier, itās often complementary, which means you are limited to a specific mailing service. Again, you canāt expect to get free supplies from FedEx if they know youāll ship with UPS.
Carrier-supplied free boxes come with shipping labels and stamps, so other carriers can't use these boxes.
We know itās tempting, but carriers offer free shipping supplies and expect etiquette from their customers. So, donāt order more supplies than you need, even if theyāre free. If it takes too long to get shipping supplies, head to your nearest customer center to pick up the supplies when needed.
If you donāt want to commit to a carrier, there are other ways you can find free shipping supplies.
A great and cost-effective way to source your packaging is to look for reusable old packages and take off their old shipping labels. You can look up free packaging ads on websites like craigslist to reuse packaging that would have otherwise gone to the landfill.
You can get free shipping supplies and old boxes from local stores. Depending on what type of packaging supplies you require, you could swing by your local furniture stores, grocery stores, boutiques, etc. This practice is especially popular with the community of recyclers and is a sustainable move for the environment.
ShipHero is a leading 3PL that handles fulfillment for e-commerce brands. Hereās how you can improve shipping and grow your business with ShipHero.
We use the packaging that we know is best for the types of products you're selling for every order. We consider factors like size, weight, fragility and more when we pick and pack orders. This will save you money on shipping costs as we don't charge for shipping supplies.
ShipHero has volume discounts with major carriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx and more. We pass these savings on to you to reduce shipping costs. Our distributed fulfillment network sends orders to warehouses closest to your customers to reduce shipping costs and transit times.
The advantage of free shipping supplies is that since you can reduce your shipping costs, your business can lower the shipping charges that customers incur. Remember, customers are looking for faster shipping times and minimal costs, so you can drive sales by presenting them with attractive shipping options.
Get started with ShipHero today by clicking the button below.
Most businesses need shipping supplies like boxes or envelopes, package cushioning and tape. Hereās a quick checklist of shipping essentials every business should have:
You can get free shipping supplies from carriers like USPS, UPS and FedEx by ordering through their website. Then, you can have them delivered or pick them up at the nearest office.
Generally, mail carriers only accept free packaging from their own brand. So, for example, you can't use a UPS box to deliver goods through DHL.
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āAbout ShipHero: We make it simple for you to deliver your eCommerce. Our software helps you run your warehouse, and our outsourced shipping solutions eliminate the hassle of getting your products to your customers. With over 5,000 brands and 3PLs relying on us daily, weāre here to help with all your logistics needs.
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