When it comes to shipping strategy, the goal is to create a system that makes the process cheap and fast. A big part of this is finding ways to cut costs.
The US Postal Service (USPS) has simplified the process of shipping cheaply with a unique online service: USPS Click n' Ship. In effect, this service brings the post office to you. Click n' Ship lets you print shipping labels whenever, wherever, and on regular printer paper. Once finished, you’ll receive a confirmation number to track your package to its destination.
Basically, Click n' Ship is an online portal for doing all the normal stuff you do at a Post Office. USPS estimates that 400,000+ customers have used this at-home service to print labels, order free shipping boxes, buy postage, and organize free package pickup.
Table of Contents
Here's everything you need to know about USPS Click n' Ship to save time and money.
What is USPS Click n Ship?
Click n Ship is a convenient USPS service that lets you organize booking and shipping for packages online when using Priority Mail, Express Mail, and International Mail services. It's basically an online portal for creating custom shipments.
To use Click n Ship, all you have to do is sign up for a USPS account, access a printer and use your credit card.
Click n Ship allows you to:
- Purchase postage labels on the USPS website
- Pay for postage with all major credit cards
- Calculate and compare rates
- Addresses standardization
- Find a zip code
- Insurance coverage up to $200
- Online address book storage of up to 1,000 domestic and international addresses
- Email shipping notification for the recipient
- Print up to 10 domestic labels in single credit card transaction
- See postage labels from the past six months in shipping history
- Account can easily be managed in the “My Account” portal
Currently, you can print USPS Click n Ship labels for the following domestic and international shipping services:
- Priority Mail
- Express Mail
- Global Express Guaranteed
- Global Express Mail
However, you won’t be able to print Click n Ship labels for First-Class services right now. The service is also unavailable for the following services:
- First-Class Package
- First-Class Mail International
- First-Class Package International
- Package Services
- USPS Retail Ground
- USPS Retail Ground (non-military sender)
How To Use USPS Click N Ship
To use the service, you first need to sign up for an account on the USPS website. Here's a step-by-step guide to using this service:
- Create a free USPS account: Every courier requires you to create an account to use their services.
2. Generate a shipping label: You'll enter the destination address to create your shipping label. Click n Ship allows you to store and use a list of delivery destinations, aka the Address Book, to save time if you're sending to the same addresses over and over.
3. Pick additional actions: You can select if you want to receive tracking information and email updates. Additionally, you can choose to option to notify the recipient their order is shipped, hold for pickup, or add the address to your Address Book.
4. Enter shipping date: Fill in when you'd like your package to go out. Be careful that you get the correct date. Some Post Offices may not send your package if you drop it off for delivery after the shipping date.
5. Enter package weight: USPS and other couriers set shipping rates by weight or box dimensions, whichever is larger. Pick if you want to ship via traditional postage rates (charged by weight/size) or with Flat Rate, which charges you a flat price for any package under 70 pounds. Typically, Flat Rate is only cheapest when sending large or heavy packages. You can order free Flat Rate boxes from USPS online.
7. Enter package value: Almost all USPS shipments are insured up to $50 or $100, service option depending. You have the option at this point to add additional insurance up to $5,000.
8. Add delivery instructions: Any special actions you'd like taken for delivery go here, including scheduled pick ups.
9. Choose USPS shipping service: This is where you decide the price and delivery speed for your shipment. You can choose from Priority Mail, Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, and Global Express Mail. Flip through the options until you find a price and timeline that fits your needs.
10. Add value-added features: Want signature confirmation? Add it here. Tracking is free for every shipment.
11. Finish and print label: The last step is to review your shipment order and pay for the shipping label. Lastly, you'll have the option to print your labels now, print at the Post Office, or download the label.
How Much Does it Cost?
The cost of Click n Ship depends on what mail class you use, the weight and dimensions of your package, and the destination address.
However, USPS offers special discounts for those who use this exclusive service. In addition, although scheduled carrier pickups are free, there may be additional costs for special services like on-demand pickup. Below, we compare a few rates to help you understand the cost of using this service:
- Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope for domestic shipping: $4.80 in-store / $4.75 online
- Priority Mail Flat Rate box for domestic shipping: $9.80 in-store / $9.30 online
- Express Mail Flat Rate envelope for domestic shipping: $16.50 in-store / $16 online
- 1-pound parcel shipped <150 miles via Express Mail: $12.60 in-store / $12.22 online
- 1-pound parcel shipped >150 miles via Priority Mail: $4.80 in-store/ $4.75 online
These discounts may seem insignificant for single shipments, but think of how they’ll add up with large volume shipments or over time - that’s economies of scale at play! If you’re a small business that regularly ships a large number of packages, then this could considerably reduce your total shipping costs. You can find more information about potential savings here.
What Are the Pros And Cons of This Service?
USPS Click n Ship is a very convenient and easy-to-use service. For a small business - especially one that’s run from your home - making frequent trips to the post office can be an added cost in terms of both time and money. Managing your shipping online can take a load of stress off - but of course, it comes with its own unique set of issues.
Advantages
- Saves time and effort
- Order free boxes for packing
- Organize free pickups for packages
- Fill in customs forms and print labels online
- Get access to affordable shipping rates
- Easily reship to previous address using your shipping history
- Manage all destination addresses, shipments, and tracking in one account
Disadvantages
- Only retail rates are available. Meaning, you miss out on the up to 70% off shipping rates you get when using Easyship.
- Online systems can have tech glitches, making them unpredictable to use
- Payments are dependent on gateways being fully functional - transactions can sometimes not work properly
- Click n Ship labels First-Class services and Ground services are not available
Alternatives to USPS Click n' Ship
When created in 2019, Click n Ship was a bold new feature from USPS. Never before could you create fully customized shipments online and print your shipping labels in-house at the USPS.
Fast forward to today and Click n Ship has been outdone. Shipping platforms like Easyship allow you to do everything Click n Ship can, plus much more.
With Easyship, you can create shipping labels for any shipment in seconds. Since our shipping solution is directly integrated with USPS.com, all the same customizations and options are available, including package pick-up, Flat Rate, and more. In addition, you can our use powerful shipping automation to compare rates for all couriers instantly. Plus, you'll save up to 70% off all USPS services rates when you generate your label with Easyship.
You can sample the savings we offer by using our Free Shipping Rate Calculator. This handy tool gives you an instant rate quote from the cheapest, fastest, and best-value shipping option available for your specific shipment.
For example, here are the cheapest rates available anywhere on a 3-pound package sent from New York City to Denver, CO.
As you can see, you'll save more than 60% on USPS Priority Mail if you ship with Easyship.
Streamline Your Deliveries With Click n Ship
USPS Click n Ship is a convenient online service that allows you to manage your shipments with one easy-to-use account. With it, you can do everything from print labels and fill out customs forms to order boxes and package pickups. All you need is a good internet connection, a credit card - and a free USPS account.
Easyship can also help you with shipping labels and customs forms. You can use our services to easily print labels and book shipments with different carriers around the world - and you can even automate all these functions!
Sign up for a free account today to see how we can help you make shipping easier and cheaper.
If you found this USPS article informative, you may enjoy the following:
- USPS Holiday Schedule 2020: The Dates You Should Know
- A Breakdown of USPS’s 2020 Shipping Rates (and How Easyship Compares)
- Does USPS Deliver on Saturday and Sunday?
Click n Ship FAQ
Can I use click and ship with my own box?
Yes, just like a normal USPS service, you can use any box for shipments with Click n Ship.
Why is click and ship so expensive?
Click n Ship is actually slightly cheaper than USPS retail rates. These savings arrive from the fact that you are doing all the legwork to create a shipping label, rather than a USPS employee.
How long are click and ship labels good for?
Labels last until the specified shipping date you enter when generating the shipping label.
How do I get a refund from Click and Ship?
To file a claim for a refund, visit USPS.com/help/refund.htm.
