PayPal Shipping Question

[momoftwingles2]

I'm confused which is nothing new!

I used PayPal shipping for the first time earlier this morning. I have to say that I was a bit confused regarding the pricing. I was purchasing a label to go to Brazil.

The label for Light Packet for Small Business Rate was to be $4.10 Cdn and then GST of $.21 Cdn for a grand total of $4.31.

HOWEVER...there was a + sign next to the words Small Business Rate and then when you looked further down the page it was explained that the + meant that the price includes a 5% discount from published Consumer Rates; also includes a fuel surcharge.

Okay...here is where I am confused.

If I went into the post office and purchased Light Packet Air Service to Brazil it would be $4.10 plus the GST.

Hmmmm...how can $4.10 include a discount from the published Consumer Rates when I paid $4.10?????

No discount was offered at all.

Did I mention that I was confused?

I printed the label on my laser printer and then I had to use packaging tape to secure it. Hmmmm....that was time consuming. I'll have to figure out something else to do there!

Okay....back to my confusing state of mind!

Thanks Bernie and thanks to Colleen for the encouragement, advice, suggestions to use PayPal. It was a breeze!

Colleen.....I see you e-mailed me and I'll e-mail you tomorrow when our girls are at the ski hill.

Susan
momoftwingles2

[faerywishes]

Hiya Susan

I believe that rate is for registered business accounts only.

In my email I suggested you get labels and gave you my suppliers name, I'm sure there are lots out there, but I found them more economical than buying from a business here.

Or you can get the clear plastic envelopes that you can put the printed paper in. Which I would much rather be doing. I think I'll go and look in here again for them.

I'm home all day tomorrow if you want to call when your girls are skiing and then it might be easier to explain.

Toodles
Colleen

[recped]

I'm confused which is nothing new!

I think it's PayPal who are confused....their prices reflect the 5% Venture One discount but as we both know Light/Small Packet doesn't get a discount.

"We Both" does not included the folks at PayPal.

[craftycatsattic]

Hi Susan.

Yes I also think paypal is confused. There is no discount on light packet or small packet. If you want to save money, don't print out labels through paypal on items that cost under $5 to ship as they apply taxes. If you go to the post office and have a few international and US shipments totaling over $5 then you have no taxes to pay!

Off topic: I got the price list from my Post Office today and was told that the up to 250 gram small packet air option was cheaper than the up to 250 gram light packet option for international shipments! I don't know if it's just a typo or not but you may want to look into it to get the better rate.

[faerywishes]

I had a buyer from France who purchased several items weighing up to .200 grams and 1 item is 7 cm thick. When I did the shipping through PP for Small Packet Air it was cheaper than the Light Packet. I thought there must be an error so I went to CP website and the price was correct. I believe it was $7.90 and to ship Light Packet is $8.25. I was quite stunned. Nice to see this is true and not an error. What's really funny too is, I sent the invoice to my buyer and she emailed me back saying I need to ship to France so maybe she realized as well.

When I have done Small Packet Air before it could be quite expensive.

I really like the convenience of using PP shipping. I can walk about 3 blocks from my home to drop off my packages at the mail box. Besides the few cents I might save I would use in gas and the buyer pays for the shipping anyways. But the biggest thing I like about it is no lines to wait in. I would spend $0.50 each time to not wait in line...lol. Besides isn't it a tax write off or something? I have no idea if it is as this is the 1st time I have to do taxes, but my book keeper told me to keep all my postal receipts.

Thanks for the info Crafty.

Colleen

[ampurtle]

I get the standard discount for all my US Light Packet Air items.

"light packet air" is actually first class lettermail as far as CP is concerned.

The best part of electronic labels for Light Packet is you get a reference number for CP to be able to find a lost one.


Which reminds me, all those CP rate changes for January 12 won't be going into effect for some time as most of them were not approved. Letter mail increases were approved. And seeing as how those rates were not approved, there are no newly denomited stamps either 😜

[ampurtle]

I'd have to double check, but GST/PST on postage is always applicable... it's a service being carried out in Canada, not goods with a foreign destination.

If you have a postal worker not charging the tax, don't say anything 😜

[ampurtle]

The answer to the orignal question is that business rates incur fuel surcharges, so you got your discount but you lost it to the fuel surcharge.

Make sure you always use shipping calculator for labels so eBay and PayPal can get their cut as a postal service vendor 😜

You can of course just use the CP business website and cut eBay and PayPal out, but you have to enter all the data manually 😞

[cottonwoodindustries]

Which reminds me, all those CP rate changes for January 12 won't be going into effect for some time as most of them were not approved.

Light US is now $2.11, so I guess some are OK'd

[coxengines]

The rate is the same whether one uses Paypal, Venture One or trudges to the post office.

The discount reference shows up for every transaction, whether it applies to it or not (there is no discount for "light" and "small" packets even if you have a registered business account).

Technically, the post office is supposed to charge GST for every single transaction under $5 when shipping outside of Canada. However they often don't if you have more than one package per counter visit. There is no PST on mail and GST is only charged for transactions under $5 for international destinations. Either way, we don't care as we claim back the GST anyhow.

Over 100 grams, "small" packet costs less than "light", that is correct. On to top of that, technically anyhow, there is no insurance for "light" packets. Choose "small" in such situations.

The best part of electronic labels for Light Packet is you get a reference number for CP to be able to find a lost one.

Incorrect. It's a CP internal # that serves no real purpose as far as a merchant is concerned. That # does not show on the face of the label, hence it has no practical use.

cut eBay and PayPal out

They provide a service at no cost to us; therefore we do not begrudge them they commission. Paypal shipping does save us a lot of time. We switched from Venture One to Paypal, mainly because the majority of our shipments are "light" packet.

Affixing labels: Create a Venture One account and "purchase" item # 533086593 (labelopes) on-line. There is no charge for these. You get 200 every 3 months but it is not difficult to get 1,000/month at no cost 🙂

Cheers
Bernie

[momoftwingles2]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all of the information. I am a registered business...and have a business account with PayPal and also a Venture One Account.

I will look into the labelopes on-line....free is not a bad deal!

Our post offices in Gronlid and Melfort charge tax on under $5.00 for international mailings. However if I bring in multiple packages....no GST is charged if the total is over $5.00. Melfort is computerized and the receipt comes up correct. Gronlid...they don't even have a telephone...he hand calculates everything! I think he needs to update and at least get a computer to check rates! However, he doesn't charge tax on it either.

IT'S 32 DEGREES FAHREHEIT RIGHT NOW...AND EXPECTED TO GET A BIT WARMER TODAY! YEAH!

Have a good one!
Susan
momoftwingles2

[momoftwingles2]

Hi Bernie,

*LOL* Ah....I have those labelopes! Once I saw a picture of it...I remembered that our rural postmaster had given me some...I just didn't know what to use them for so I tucked them away for a rainy day!

Well, it's not raining outside...it's sunny...but I'm going to use them!

Thanks!
Susan

[recped]

I'd have to double check, but GST/PST on postage is always applicable.

No it isn't, if the amount of postage purchased is over $5 and the destination is outside Canada CP do not collect GST.

The answer to the orignal question is that business rates incur fuel surcharges

The are NO Fuel Surcharges on Light/Small Packet.