How to Get Free Access to Commercial Shipping Rates (2024)

April 16, 2024 • By Swappasaurusin Shipping
apple, Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, swappa

Shipping is often considered the hardest and most confusing part of selling online. You have to find a box, packing materials, and tape before packaging up your item and lugging it down to your local post office or postal annex. You then get to wait in a line of what seems like a hundred people that moves every 5 minutes. Once you get to the counter, the person across from you gives you a total shipping cost that threatens to give you permanent damage from whiplash.

For those of us that don’t ship packages very often, it’s EXPENSIVE! Unless you’re a seasoned pro with a lot of experience or have a business that pays for services like ShipStation, you may be stuck waiting in line at the post office paying retail rates to ship your sale.

Get Crazy Shipping Discounts!

Did you know you can get access to steep UPS shipping discounts and USPS commercial shipping rates for free!? You can ship your Swappa sales with up to 89% less (when compared to retail rates) without paying a dime in monthly subscriptions or other fees. In this article, we’ll uncover the secret to saving a boatload of money when it comes to shipping your used tech.

What’s the secret? Pirate Ship.

It may sound shady but they’ve been around for a decade and I use them every day to ship my sales on Swappa and other online platforms. I even use them to ship birthday and holiday gifts every year. Creating an account won’t cost you anything and there are no commitments. Their interface is very intuitive and the built-in tracking and reports make finding past shipments a breeze.

Pirate Ship offers UPS and USPS. Sorry FedEx fans, you won’t be able to ship with FedEx if you plan on using Pirate Ship.

You get commercial-level discounts for free with no hidden costs, monthly fees, volume requirements, or commitments. There is no downside to shipping with Pirate Ship. You’ll even get access to Cubic shipping rates for even greater discounted rates.

Swappa uses PayPal to process payments. Pirate Ship allows you to import transactions from PayPal making creating a shipping label quick and easy. You won’t have to copy and paste or type in a shipping address. You can click a few buttons, import the address from the PayPal transaction, and create a greatly discounted shipping label.

What’s the best part of creating shipping labels from home using Pirate Ship? For me, it’s skipping the long lines at the UPS Store or Post Office and being able to drop off my package without waiting. I’m in and out of the Post Office like the Flash. If the number of dirty looks I got skipping the line were a currency, I’d be a very rich fellow.

Shipment reports and receipts help you keep track of what you’re spending on shipping. Tracking is included with the labels you create so you just have to copy and paste the tracking number into the Swappa sale page.

If you’re a business seller with a standardized shipping workflow, you can save presets for frequently used package dimensions and weights to speed up the label creation process.

Tracking and Insurance on Pirate Ship

Swappa requires sellers to ship with tracking and insurance. Pirate Ship provides both. All labels include tracking and they allow sellers to use Shipsurance to insure their packages

Domestic Shipment: $0.75 for up to $50, then $0.80 per $100

Limit: $5,000 per shipment

Read more about shipping insurance terms and conditions

If you want to save time and money, consider using Pirate Ship to send your Swappa sales to their new home. Get a shipping quote to see how much you can save.

Sell Your Tech on Swappa

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the catch? There has to be a downside right?

Creating a Pirate Ship account is free. There are no commitments and if it’s not for you, there’s nothing you need to do to cancel.

Is Pirate Ship legit?

Yes, they’ve been around since 2014 and many Swappa employees use Pirate Ship to ship their packages. I’ve used them for six years and have had zero problems. They’ve been more reliable than the actual postal carriers! Pirate Ship has been a game changer for me and my business.

Do I have to pay a subscription fee or are there any added fees to use Pirate Ship?

No, it’s completely free to sign up. You’ll only pay the cost of the shipping label. There are no subscription fees or additional, hidden charges.

Do I need any special equipment to use Pirate Ship?

You will need a printer, scale, and tape measure at the bare minimum. I send a lot of packages so I have a thermal label printer but you can use an inkjet or laser printer to print labels and attach them to your package with tape.

You will need a scale that weighs by ounces and pounds as well as a tape measure to measure the dimensions of your package.

No Junk, No Jerks

Swappais a people-powered marketplace that makes buying and selling newish technology safe and simple.

Trustpilot

How to Get Free Access to Commercial Shipping Rates (1)

Author Swappasaurus

Read more

How to Get Free Access to Commercial Shipping Rates (2024)

FAQs

How do I qualify for USPS commercial shipping? ›

In order to mail at commercial prices, you need to:
  1. Get a mailing permit (permission to mail) and pay an annual mailing fee for each class of mail (First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail).
  2. Pay postage using one of several convenient methods: precanceled stamps, metered postage or permit imprint.

How can I get better shipping rates? ›

Here are some factors to consider:
  1. Reduce package size. Don't ship air! ...
  2. Look for free packaging. ...
  3. Analyze order history. ...
  4. Create custom packaging. ...
  5. Pack products in corrugated boxes. ...
  6. Pack products in poly mailers. ...
  7. Use lightweight packing material. ...
  8. Split orders into multiple shipments.
Jun 20, 2024

How do I avoid paying for shipping? ›

Picking up your item at a store also lets you avoid shipping charges. If the item you want is available at a nearby store, you can pick it up as early as the same day. If the item isn't available nearby, you can opt to have it shipped to a nearby store for free. It should arrive within five to seven business days.

How to get the best USPS rates? ›

Compare Mail Services

Save on Shipping: If you're using Priority Mail Express®, Priority Mail®, or USPS Ground Advantage® service, you can ship online with enhanced Click-N-Ship® service and get lower Commercial Rates. Businesses can get additional savings by opting in to the Business Rate Card.

How do I get USPS commercial plus pricing? ›

Shippers could qualify for Commercial Plus Pricing by entering into a Customer Commitment Agreement with the USPS or by meeting designated volume thresholds.

How to get discounted postage rates? ›

Get up to 52% off Priority Mail® rates when you buy postage online. Stamps.com users enjoy discounts on all Priority Mail® shipments, ranging from 4% to 52% less than the retail rates, depending on weight and distance.

How to reduce USPS shipping costs? ›

How to Reduce USPS Shipping Costs
  1. Order free shipping boxes from USPS: Most USPS orders qualify to use free shipping boxes. You can order these boxes on the USPS website.
  2. Use Easyship to ship with USPS: Easyship gives you up to 91% off all USPS rates.

What is the cheapest shipping method for a small business? ›

USPS is the cheapest shipping for U.S. small businesses: Especially with Shippo. For shipments from the United States, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is likely your best bet for cheapest shipping.

How much is a USPS business account? ›

With a free USPS.com business account, you can print your own labels and access the latest features in the enhanced Click-N-Ship® experience.

How to negotiate shipping rates with USPS? ›

Negotiating deeper discounts with the USPS

You can also negotiate deeper discounts with the USPS. Request a Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) from your account manager. In these situations, like the private carriers, the USPS determines rates on a case-by-case basis.

What is pirate shipping? ›

Pirate Ship partners with the Postal Service to provide shippers with easy access to all of USPS' package-shipping options, from their highly-competitive Priority Mail services to their multiple International shipping options.

Who has the cheapest shipping rates? ›

USPS Priority Mail is generally the cheapest shipping service for 2-3 day shipping. FedEx, UPS, and other courier companies offer delivery services with similar lead time expectations, but USPS offers the lowest rates.

How to open a USPS commercial account? ›

Create Your USPS.com Business Account
  1. Step 1: Pick a Username. * Username. ...
  2. Step 2: Enter Your Security Information. Pick a Password. ...
  3. Step 3: Choose your account type. ...
  4. Step 3: Enter Your Contact Information. ...
  5. Step 4: Find address by... ...
  6. Step 4: Enter Your Company Address. ...
  7. Step 5: Find by ZIP Code™ ...
  8. Step 5: Find by CRID.

What counts as commercial shipping? ›

Commercial shipping is a business-to-business delivery method, usually involving a larger volume of products. In this case, a shipping service will deliver the business products to a customer at a business address rather than a residence.

What qualifies as commercial media mail? ›

Basic Items That Do Qualify for Media Mail Shipping

Printed educational reference charts. Sound recordings and video recordings like DVDs and CDs. 16MM or narrower films. Playscripts and book manuscripts.

How do I become a USPS shipping partner? ›

Approved Shipper Application/qualification process
  1. Complete the USPS Approved Shipper Application form located on the USPS Resources tab.
  2. Make sure to include your online postage account number (either Endicia or Stamps.com) on the application. ...
  3. The USPS will review your application and verify your online account number.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Rev. Leonie Wyman

Last Updated:

Views: 6188

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (79 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rev. Leonie Wyman

Birthday: 1993-07-01

Address: Suite 763 6272 Lang Bypass, New Xochitlport, VT 72704-3308

Phone: +22014484519944

Job: Banking Officer

Hobby: Sailing, Gaming, Basketball, Calligraphy, Mycology, Astronomy, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.