One of the most complex parts of running a business is logistics.
If you run a business that sends out orders to addresses domestically, internationally, or both, then you know how difficult it can be to manage.
One of the reasons some people choose to sell through the Amazon marketplace is because they handle logistics for you, albeit at a price.
If you’re looking to make the process easier and save money, then you may be interested in the Click-N-Ship service that the USPS provides.
Here’s what you need to know about the Click-N-Ship service from the USPS.
What Is Click-N-Ship USPS? (Explained)
Click-N-Ship from the United States Postal Service is a new way to send out deliveries.
The service aims to make shipping out packages easier for businesses no matter their size.
They offer several benefits with the service like being able to choose the type of delivery service that they want to have.
As an example, they offer the following expedited shipping services:
- Priority Mail Service
- Express Mail Service
- Global Express Guaranteed Service
- Global Express Mail Service
With this type of service, business owners are able to print shipping labels from home or at their office.
All they need is a laser or high-quality inkjet printer that is able to print clearly.
Then they can attach the labels to their packages and send them off to the USPS who will handle the delivery from there.
One caveat is that you need to buy a scale to weigh your package.
Then you can enter that information onto the label and be charged accordingly.
Since logistics companies charge by weight and speed of delivery, if you have heavy shipments, then it could become expensive.
However, the USPS tends to offer lower rates than other carriers.
One of the ways that they do this is by showing you the various rates that you can choose for the delivery of your package.
The service not only does a lot of the heavy lifting in regards to printing labels and setting up shipments, but it can also help you stay on budget.
Click-N-Ship is a great service from the USPS designed to help business owners save time and money on logistics.
What Services Does Click-N-Ship Include?
Several services are included as part of the Click-N-Ship program.
Here are some of them.
1. Purchase PC Postage Labels On USPS.Com
The USPS uses a service called PC Postage Labels that allow business owners from home to print labels right from their computer.
The service is geared toward those who tend to send high volumes of packages from their home.
By going to your account, you can quickly and easily prepare a label from your computer, then print it at your home or office.
2. Purchase Labels With Credit Cards
As long as you have a major credit card, you can use it to buy your labels and postage.
Not every carrier allows the use of credit cards.
Some prefer assured types of payment.
With Click-N-Ship, the USPS makes it fast and easy to buy your postage by allowing you to use your credit card for payment.
3. Compare And Calculate Shipping Rates
One of the problems with logistics is that every carrier has different rates.
While the USPS handles your package part of the way, they rely on other carriers to take your package to its destination.
In this way, they can save some money and your package arrives at a great time.
Because they work with different carriers, they’re able to show you the different rates available to you.
This allows you to choose the carrier that fits your budget and still delivers the quality of service that you need.
Handling logistics on your own without this information can become expensive.
If you want to use a tool that compares rates, you usually have to pay for it.
The Click-N-Ship service provides this service at no additional cost.
You’re able to look at your options and choose the best one for your business.
It also means that you can easily switch between carriers if you’re not impressed by one of their performances.
4. Standardize Your Addresses
If you’re running a successful business, then you likely have hundreds of different addresses on file.
You may not even have a file for them at all.
This can slow the process since you have to manually enter the address each time.
Click-N-Ship aims to change that through its standardization service.
It allows you to have an address book that holds up to 1,000 addresses in it.
If you have a lot of repeat customers, then it’s worth adding their addresses to your address book.
Once they’re in there, navigating to them and adding their address to the label becomes that much faster.
By standardizing your processes, you can become more efficient and send more packages out each day.
With more packages sent out, your business can become more profitable.
The Click-N-Ship service allows you to standardize your addresses which can help your business become more efficient.
5. Find A Zip Code
Finally, another feature that the Click-N-Ship service provides is the ability to find a zip code.
With hundreds of thousands of zip codes out there, not to mention those internationally, it can become a nightmare trying to pinpoint the one that you need.
The USPS makes it possible to easily find the zip code that you need with its Click-N-Ship service.
You can calculate rates and get general ideas as to where the package is going to determine shipping times.
It also helps you generate data that you can analyze to determine which zip codes are buying your products the most.
Click-N-Ship allows you to easily find a zip code.
What Extra Services Does Shipping With Priority Mail Include In The Click-N-Ship Service?
When you choose to have your packages delivered as Priority Mail, Click-N-Ship offers a few additional services that you can add to it.
Here are two services that you unlock by using Priority Mail with Click-N-Ship.
1. Delivery Confirmation
One of the great services that you receive is delivery confirmation.
With this service, you’re able to get some information from the carrier after delivery.
The carrier will send you the zip code, date, and time of the delivery.
This is beneficial in a few ways.
The first is that if the customer claims that they did not receive their package, then you have information that you can send to them to determine where the package went.
For example, you may discover that the carrier sent you the wrong zip code from where the customer lives.
This then lets you know that a problem occurred with the delivery process.
You can rectify the problem from there.
However, if it seems as though everything has checked out, then you can determine that the customer is either committing fraud or had their package stolen.
Delivery confirmation is also helpful for generating data.
Since you get the date and time of the delivery, you can compare that to the expected delivery times that the carrier gave you.
If it seems close, then you know that they’re spot-on with their estimates.
If it’s way off, then you may want to start accruing more data to determine if this was an outlier of their performance or if their estimates are always off.
This can then help you make more informed decisions about which carriers you choose in the future.
Delivery confirmation is a free service that you can receive when you choose Priority Mail with Click-N-Ship.
2. Signature Confirmation
Signature confirmation does not come free, but it is possible to sign up for it for a $1.30 fee.
This service is especially crucial for business owners who sell highly valuable or expensive items.
With the rates of package thefts rising, it’s more important than ever for businesses to offer signature services.
With this service, carriers are unable to deliver a package unless someone signs for it.
This ensures that the carrier delivers it directly to someone at the home.
The service reduces theft because the package isn’t left out in the open.
The problem with signature deliveries is that it means the package won’t always make it to the person on time.
If no one is at home, then the carrier has no choice but to take it back with them.
They can attempt another delivery the next day or a later date.
If the customer continues to be unable to sign for the package, then you may eventually have to deal with a returned item.
That said, signature confirmations provide greater security for packages and most customers appreciate that.
As such, some businesses who trade expensive products may find that paying the fee to add signature confirmation to their services is beneficial.
If you use Priority Mail with the Click-N-Ship service, then you can add signature confirmation to your logistics.
Does Click-N-Ship Provide Package Insurance?
Yes, Click-N-Ship does provide package insurance.
Since it’s insurance, you can expect to pay standard insurance fees as a result.
You’re able to get package insurance on Priority Mail and Express Mail orders.
The USPS covers package orders up to $200.
Having insurance on your packages is beneficial because there’s always going to be a moment when something goes wrong.
A carrier might get into an accident that ruins your merchandise.
A package may arrive at the wrong address and go missing.
Someone might steal a package from a customer’s porch.
The product might even arrive broken due to poor handling.
Whatever the reason, it’s only a matter of time before you’re faced with a problem.
Having insurance can ensure that you don’t lose out on money when a problem does occur.
You can use that money to reimburse a customer or send them a new product.
Depending on the prices involved, it may not even end up cutting into your profits.
Having insurance is a good idea, especially if you send out a high volume of packages.
Thanks to the Click-N-Ship service, you’re able to qualify for package insurance when you use Priority Mail or Express Mail packages.
How Do You Use Click-N-Ship From The USPS?
Using the Click-N-Ship service from the USPS is easy.
Follow these steps to print your first label with Click-N-Ship.
1. Sign Into Your Account
You’ll first need to make a Click-N-Ship account through the USPS website.
It will ask you for some information which you can fill out relatively quickly.
Once you’ve made your account, you can navigate to the labels section where you can start preparing your label.
2. Weigh Product
To find out how much your package is going to cost to ship, you need a scale.
Since you’re doing all the shipping at home, you’re also responsible for weighing the package.
You can buy a scale at some logistics stores, but the USPS also sells them.
Every package needs to be weighed.
You’ll include that information on the label when you’re filling in the information for it.
The system then calculates the cost of your package for you.
It will show you different rates based on the carriers that you can choose.
3. Fill Out Information For Label
You’ll see a page that has a few fields asking for information about the recipient of the package.
You can automate this process if you have the recipient’s address saved to your Address Book.
Otherwise, you can type in the required information.
Double-check that everything is correct, then hit print and print it to your printer.
4. Check For Appropriate Paper And Printer
Labels print on standard 8 1/2” by 11” paper.
You can also order a self-adhesive paper from the USPS store.
Otherwise, if you’re printing on standard paper, then you’ll need to affix the label to the package manually.
You can either glue or tape it down.
Ensure that it’s down flat and its edges aren’t raised.
If they are, then there’s a chance that the label might catch on something and tear off.
If the label isn’t there, then there’s no way for the carrier to know where the package is going.
The self-adhesive paper will stick to the package once you pull it free from its container.
Take your time with this paper since you’ll have only one shot to lay it down right.
When it comes to your printer, you’ll also need to use either a laser printer or a high-quality inkjet printer.
A laser printer is the best option since it’s able to print the clearest and most distinct lines.
Since the labels will likely include a barcode, smeared or blurry lines can make it difficult for scanners to read.
If scanners are having trouble, then the carrier might be unable to update the tracking information.
Since laser printers are on the expensive side, you may want to choose an inkjet printer instead.
These will get the job done as well, but you will need to at least choose a high-quality inkjet printer.
Otherwise, you run the risk of blurred lines and smeared ink.
5. Send To USPS
Regardless of which carrier you choose for your package, your first hand-off is going to be with the USPS.
There are several ways that you can get your package to the USPS.
The first is to simply drive it to the postal office.
You can hand it over to a clerk at the desk, and they’ll take care of it from there.
If you don’t want to drive all the way to the postal office, then you can drive to a nearby drop-box location.
If your package fits into the drop-box, then you can put it in there and the USPS will pick it up during their pick-up schedule.
You can also hand the package to your mail carrier when they arrive at your address.
You have to hand it to them directly.
If it’s small enough to fit in your mailbox, then you can also put it in your mailbox.
Otherwise, you could schedule a pick-up through the USPS site.
In this case, the mail carrier will come to your front door when they arrive to deliver your mail.
They’ll pick up the package from the front of your home or office and take it back to the office.
It doesn’t cost anything to schedule a pick-up with your mail carrier.
Once it’s in their hands, your package is on its way to your customer.
Conclusion
Click-N-Ship is a great service that the USPS provides that aims to make package shipping easier and more affordable.
It’s particularly geared toward businesses that use their home for work, but it’s usable for anyone.
Through the different features and add-on services that you can get with Click-N-Ship, you receive a powerful and efficient service for handling deliveries.
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