Best Way To Label and Ship Your Packages

When shipping an item, there typically are 2 pieces of information you need:

  1. Return Address (usually your address)
  2. Recipient Address (your customer’s address)

If you’re selling on eBay, you can print an invoice including shipping labels for the return and recipient address. You could then cut the printout on the dotted line, insert the invoice into your package, and tape the return and recipient address on our package. I did this at first but the result was unprofessional and time-consuming. I could never cut my shipping labels into perfect rectangles and I could never apply transparent tape on the labels perfectly. In addition, some times the tape would not stick to certain types of plastic bags. This method also required that you wait in line at a post office which can be very time-consuming. I have since discovered a better, faster, and cheaper way to print and apply shipping labels.

  1. Buy self-adhesive internet shipping labels (5.5″ x 11″)
    If you buy them at Office Depot or Staples, you’ll have to pay about $0.25 per label.  That’s expensive! So, buy your labels online or from eBay. I found labels online for $0.03 each.
  2. Pay for shipping online 
    You can pay for postage online through eBay, Paypal or usps.com. If you’re selling from eBay or Paypal, it’s much easier to pay for shipping from there since most of the information is prepopulated for you (return address, recipient address, etc).  You also get a discount when you pay online and get online delivery confirmation with a tracking #.
  3. Print Your Shipping Labels
    From within eBay, Paypal or usps.com, you can print your shipping labels. If you’re using a regular 8.5″ x 11″ print and you have 2 labels per sheet, you’ll need to print one label and then reinsert the sheet back into your printer in the correct position to print another label on the same sheet. There may be a better way to do this but I haven’t found one yet and I don’t want to buy a special printer just for this purpose.
  4. Apply Shipping Labels to Package
    Since your shipping labels are self-adhesive, applying them to your packages is quick and easy and will result in a professional look. No more messing with cutting your labels using scissors and cutting pieces of tape.
Note: Since you paid for shipping and printed your shipping labels online, you can visit any USPS post office and drop off your packages. No waiting in line. However, you must visit a post office in the zip code you specified when you printed the labels.
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