Interested in saving 20-50% on shipping and taking multiple steps out of your shipping process? If so, then maybe Stamps.com is right for you. In this guide, we tell you what Stamps.com is, who it’s right for, how much it costs, and how it all works.
What is Stamps.com?
Stamps.com enables you to buy postage at discounted rates, print mailing labels using a normal printer, and automatically calculates the most cost effective shipping option. Using Stamps.com you can also schedule free USPS package pickups from your computer, avoiding trips to the post office. Particularly important to ecommerce companies, Stamps.com enables you to seamlessly import name and address information from other systems like Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and Etsy.
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How Does This Differ From Using A Postage Meter?
There are 3 big differences:
- With Stamps.com you do not have to buy or rent an expensive postal meter which can cost hundreds of dollars per year.
- Many postal meters don’t integrate with third party systems like Amazon or calculate the most cost effective shipping option.
- You cannot schedule free pickups online using a postage meter.
How Does This Differ From Using USPS.com To Print Postage?
You can print postage online using a normal printer at USPS.com as well, BUT only for priority mail products. With Stamps.com you get the same savings on priority mail products and can also get discounts on other types of mail which are not available from USPS.com.
USPS.com is also much clunkier to use than Stamps.com and you have to enter your shipping information manually for each package.
Who Is Stamps.com Right For?
If you are going to the post office more than once a week, or spending more than $100 a month on postage, then Stamps.com is likely a good product for you.
How Much Does it Cost?
All plans come with a free Stamps.com postal scale that automatically sends information to your stamps.com profile for each package/item weighed. The pro plan should suffice for most small businesses.
Pro – $15.99/Month
1 user, unlimited packages, up to 10% discount on USPS insurance rates, customizable labels, maximum postage balance of $500, 10 cost reference codes, and much more.
Premier – $24.99/Month
Pro + 3 users, printable certified mail forms, options to increase monthly postage balance at no additional cost, 50 cost reference codes
Pro Shipper – $24.99/Month
Premier + up to 40% discount on USPS insurance rates, customized shipping profiles, commercial scale and scanner support, ODBC handheld scanner capability, technical integration support, 1,000 cost reference codes, and a $34.99 service fee voucher for each month your postage expenses exceed $500 (basically getting service for free)
For a full comparison of plans, prices, and features, check out Stamps.com’s plan comparison page.
How It Works
Step 1: Import Package Info/Address Information
Go to Stamps.com and input in the item type (letter,box, etc), item dimensions, item weight, preferred delivery speed, ,ship-to address, and insurance needs (if not already imported from online store).
If you are using a Stamps.com scale and have already boxed the item, you can weigh the package and have the information sent directly to your stamps.com account/profile.
Step 2: Select Shipping Method
Based on the item data you input, Stamps.com will automatically select the cheapest shipping method that meets all your specifications and apply the online discount. If you would prefer a different method, or already have an item boxed, you can of course select the appropriate method and override their recommendation.
Step 3: Add shipping total to your account and Customize Label
Once you have selected a shipping method, the balance will be added to your account. Then, an email will be automatically sent to the customer with tracking number and shipping information for their package. You can then view your label and customize it, adding your logo and business slogan if you want.
Step 4: Print off label
Now you need to print off the label, which you can do using a standard printer and ink or a specialized label printer.
Step 5: Attach label to package and send
Lastly, you attach the label to the package using standard packing tape. Just be sure not to cover up the actual shipping barcode with tape, that needs to be clear so that your mailman/post office can scan it.
You can schedule a pickup that occurs during your regular mail route, as long as you schedule the pickup the day before via USPS.Com’s Schedule a Pickup page. Or, you can also take packages down to your local post office and just drop them off.
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Conclusion
If your company does a lot of shipping, it may be well worth paying the $15-$40 per month to use a service such as Stamps.com. If you do over $500 in monthly shipping expenses, you can even basically get the service for free with your $34.99 voucher. Whatever the case, you now have the important information you need to determine whether or not Stamps.com is a good solution for your business shipping needs.
Deb O
So we need a printer that will print on the various sizes of envelopes we use, and/or labels that can be fixed to the envelopes. Can we print a label that includes a tracking number? Is that extra? How does the stamps.com price compare for say a 2lb envelope full of documents being sent out to the USPS flat rate price of $6.65 for anywhere in the US?
Thanks for listening.
If you use various envelope sizes, you’re best using a mix of stamp labels and a standard 4×6 label printer. You can print stamp-sized postage for #10 envelopes and full 4×6 labels with address, postage, and tracking barcode for larger pieces. With most shipping software systems, Stamps.com and USPS online, USPS includes tracking numbers for all Priority Mail, FCM, and Standard/Parcel Post at no extra charge. You typically need a 4×6 printer to include it all on one label. For the comparison, that will depend on the zone. You might spend less than flat-rate shipping within your zone, but more for a piece traveling across several zones. That’s why comparing pricing for these pieces is a good idea.
I hope this answers your questions and thanks for reading! Cheers, Krista
Robin Green
How would stamps.com work with monthly mailings (300 pieces) of 1 oz. mail? Do you actually print out the postage stamps individually for each piece of mail? Isn’t this very time consuming as opposed to just buying 3 rolls of stamps and quickly putting stamps on 300 envelopes and using labels printed out on label paper?
You’re right, Stamps.com is known for its print-and-stick postage sheets. However, you can also print postage directly onto envelopes for mass mailings, it also lets you print postage onto single envelopes, too. If you’re printing envelopes for your mailing already, this may be a huge timesaver. I hope this helps! Cheers, Krista
Carole Schwab
Just want to be very clear – This $15.99 is for the stamps we print doesn’t matter if it is 500 stamps or 10 stamps.
Is that correct?
Carole,
Sorry for the misunderstanding. You actually have to pay for each piece of mail, just like you normally would. Except, Stamps.com gives you a discount, so if you are doing a high number of volume you’ll save some good money in the long run. If you have any more questions, let me know!
Jason
Kurt
Hello, I have a question that would help me determine if this would be beneficial to me. I am a missionary and I have one large bulk mailing I need to do one time. I need to send 2,000 brochures and prayer cards. If I were to purchase the stamps outright it would cost me approx $1000.00. How much could this program save me for something like this? I do this once a year. Any insight you can provide would greatly help me in making this decision.
Kurt,
Honestly, Kurt, you probably wouldn’t be saving much money sending on Stamps.com. It’s a monthly fee, so if you are only sending out one large bulk mailing, you’ll end up losing money with the monthly fee. Hope that helps!
Jason
martha s.
Hello, I have a few questions about how this would work. I am just starting a small business selling (enamel pins) I would like to be able to just print the shipping label and pay for postage at home on my computer and just drop the packages off at my local post office. So my question is, how does it work? am I going to be paying 15.99 per month plus the cost of each package I send out? I estimate my package weighing about 2oz each. I also would like to know if they provide tracking numbers to give to my future costumers or is that an extra fee? Thank you for your time!
Martha,
You would be paying $15.99/month plus the cost of each package. The question, is how many packages you’ll be sending out and how are you planning on sending them? For example, for something that light, I’d imagine you probably would send first class or just use stamps. If that’s the case, you can get discounts using stamps.com that you can’t get from the post office, either locally or online (can get priority mail discounts by printing usps labels from their site online).
So, it really comes down to volume. If you are going to start out sending under 50 orders a month, then it probably wouldn’t be worth it. If you save $.20/package, that’s only a $10 savings and you’ll be spending $16 to use stamps.com. But, if you can average a higher savings or start sending out 50+ orders a month, then it could definitely be worth it.
Hope that helps!
Jason