Hello. I understand that offering free shipping will probably get more sales, but how do I know how

[kenbay12]

Hello.  I understand that offering free shipping will probably get more sales, but if you're selling a $50.00 item and the average

domestic shipping rate is about $20.00, but the international rate is about $100.00,  how can you offer free shipping? I don't

think there is a free shipping box to click on the International shipping option, so how do I give a better rate to International

buyers.  I have lost a few sales already just because of high shipping charges.  If anyone could give some tips, it would be

greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[kitschnvintage]

For International sales you can click on the FIXED SHIPPING cost box and you can enter any amount you would like to charge ~ 0.00 will equal FREE SHIPPING in your listing or you can set whatever other amount you would like to charge .... and then choose whatever shipping method you will be using ( like Standard Int'l shipping or expedited or whatever you would like ... I usually pick the one with the longest delivery time to give myself flexibility on how I will end up shipping the item so you are not worried about delivery times being too short ... )

[femmefan1946]

Stop!

You misunderstand the point of 'free' shipping.

The seller who uses this (I'm one) includes the cost of shipping in her asking price.

Which is cheaper:

A $10 item with $5 shipping or a $15 item with Free Shipping?

But this doesn't work with every sale, especially if there is an $80 difference in shipping cost.

Offer the Free Shipping on DOMESTIC  sales. That's sales to Canada.

For sales to the USA, you can go two ways.

• If shipping is close to the domestic rate, charge $0.00 as suggested.OR
• If shipping is much higher-- say $20 instead of $5-- then offer a Flat Rate for US shipping of $15 on your $15 item. (that originally was $10 with $5 domestic shipping)
• The US seller pays $30. Your costs are covered.

But overseas shipping can go much higher. Let's use the $100 you suggest.

Shipping domestically was $5 of the $15 asking price. Your international rate for the $15 asking price should be $95 .

Remember if your customer (US or overseas) could find it locally, they would not be shopping online.

Your competitors are also charging postage.

Most of your competitors are US sellers.

Here are what they are charging. https://ircalc.usps.com/

Play with that for a while.

Here are the Canadian rates for comparison. https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

Do NOT include Canada Post Surface rates in your calculation. Surface is sloooooooooow. Your customer will have opened a Dispute and received a refund before the purchase arrives. Just trust me on this one.

If you make an overseas sale and eat $100 in postage, that sale was not worth having.

And for that matter, the real bottom feeding armed bargain hunters are the worst customers, entitled doesn't even begin!

TL:DR

Free shipping isn't.

Charge for overseas shipping.

I'd also suggest.

Many of your items would go by parcel services. Because these rates are based on dimension, weight and DISTANCE, they are not suitable for 'free' shipping.

Your paper ephemera,like those advertisements, could go letter rate and are perfect for 'free' shipping. (And put Eaton's in the title.)