FREE Tracking for USPS First Class Mail Letters and Flats: Postal Workers Don't Even Know the Rules!
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- Опубліковано 7 лис 2024
- I absolutely hate the fact that USPS post office employees have no idea (or act like they don't) that a flat/large envelope can be the size of a letter and just has to be under 3/4th an inch and bendable. I can't tell you how many times we've had a flat sent back for "insufficient postage" or a postal employee insist we pay package rates when we're SENDING A PERFECTLY GOOD FLAT.
SO in this quick business tip, I explain how to track USPS letters and flats for your business for FREE! That's right, free tracking to ensure your letters and flats arrive.. it's called the USPS Informed Visibility barcode, setup through a free USPS business account.
I also go on to explain how to pass your first class packages off for the letters and flat rate that they SHOULD BE!
Use what you learn here to GAME the USPS First Class system!
Here's the link to my picture of the official USPS First Class mail rate Letter and Flat/Large Envelope cut-out: www.imgur.com/...
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This is by far the best video with tips and advice on mailing first class letters and flats instead of packages. I have come back to watch this video many times and hope you make more.
Much appreciated! I will consider doing so! I've learned a lot about it actually. The whole free-tracking system is much harder than any lay-person could likely do. I am considering bringing a coder on to create a letter shipment data-retrieval program for our customers that uses the letter tracking to track, and so that they can track it right on our website using a unique code. But this is SO MUCH harder than most people can accomplish. (I personally can't code, I only got as far as creating my own manual barcodes.. but even that is too difficult and time-consuming without an automated system like letter track).
So for anyone watching this that wants to get 100% free letter tracking.. it's POSSIBLE.. but SO HARD, even for the very computer literate. I wouldn't try unless you want to spend a few days building it out. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using a service like letter track pro. Each shipment costs 18 cents to track and it emails your customers along the way, even gives you a tracking link you can send them. That 18 cents each is NOTHING compared to the cost savings of using a 2oz letter (currently 73 cents + the 18 cents tracking = 91 cents fully tracked) versus a 2 oz (rounds up to 4 oz) First Class package (that's about $4.29 retail or ~$3.50 average using a service like Pitney Bowes or stamps.com)!
When you sell products under $10 or $20... that $3 difference can exponentially increase your profit margin. Like, double, triple, and even more so! Letter track is worth every penny for now.. but once I personally have the resources, I will have someone build out my own letter tracking data retrieval system so I don't need to pay letter track anymore.
BTW, I think a great business idea is to make a fulfillment center that only sends small, flexible items that can fit in letter envelopes. Think about what you can charge people to ship small items ($2-3), and what it would cost you ($0.50- $1) using this information. I hope it helps one of you out there ;).
Currently Going through the BS of sending letter mail and having no tracking so this is very helpful.
noticed your page is new and will support! good stuff!
Just went through this BS - thank you so much for this helpful video and for the template!
Happy to help!
Hi it is great to hear that I am not the only person dealing with USPS workers who have no idea about flat letters. Where can I get this official USPS First Class mail rate Letter and Flat/Large Envelope cut-out? Please let me know thank you.
I took a picture and put the link in the description broski
Yep this right here ====> 03:27 is the best advice. I ship buttons for .73 cents in a size #0000 poly mailer. Out of say 100 packages 1 or 2 may get sent back saying postage due. Like over $3.00 because they are saying it's a package. Since it doesn't happen that often I take the hit and ship it out to the customer for the first class PACKAGE RATE. You are right about going to the post office in person. When I have a lot of them to ship I go to the post office and I put them in the slot they have. Also in NY they changed all out BLUE MAILBOXES you can no longer pull down the lever and drop in a small package. Which is a real pain.
Excellent video. Oh my gosh I’m so happy that somebody else thinks the same thing about the post office employees as I do. Most of them are so rude in my opinion but yes they always try to tell you that you’re doing it wrong. I agree with you 100% just take it to a box and drop it in. I’m going to watch your other video now because I think it might help me with some questions on the free tracking provided if you use a $.75 butterfly stamp.
What do you use to send international letter? if you want a tracking. Everything is so expensive.
I have one of those actual mail template and I got it from the post office YEARS AND YEARS AGO. I don't know if they give them out anymore I doubt it.
Don’t understand “If you can fit what’s in your flat into 2 letter rate envelopes” Can you elaborate on how this is cheaper?
Big facts... and #2 rule. If your post office is full of do gooders, take your mail to another post office. My local post office, now will open and inspect EVERY media mail I send because one was wrong and my fault. I figured it out when it came back, but I had already had the mail picked up the day before and 7 more came back. with big writing and "inspection" stamps. The post office 10 minutes away opposed to 3 mins away. Previously I had dropped a few of these off over the last month, not knowing it was a violation, and all went through and delivered fine. Only issue is my local post office. I also was sending flats as 1.20 and i'd purposely fold over the flap to hide the $1.20 from my customers because they refuse to omit the $1.20 on the shipping label on my shipping provider, or maybe it's standard for flats. But, regardless I didn't want my customers seeing the $1.20 postage.. So my mail man bangs on my door and hands me a card with the local post master's phone # and says . "She wants to talk to you " so I called her and she berated me and tried to accuse me of using less postage than required and trying to hide it... my flats are very thin, I send confirmation letters and sometimes small items that are below the thickness threshold. But, here's this Karen calling me up harassing me. Now, I just take all my flats to another post office that aren't getting the etsy/ebay standard rates - no further issues thus far...
Super helpful. I sent out 50 flats and my post office told me it was about $1.5 to send them all. About 3 of them came back saying they needed $4 more since it was a package. The discrepancy within the post office is so annoying. The workers don’t know the rules. I went the other day to add insurance to a prepaid label 2 ladies said it was impossible until one finally asked the manager and it was possible! So frustrating. Have u heard of shippingeasy? It’s $5 too.
PRECISELY what we just experienced.
Just crazy! And yes, I've been considering it. If they allow envelope/stamp postage printing, I may switch. But last time I checked I don't believe they do. This is the biggest way to save money shipping small bendable items, so it's a must for our shipping services.
However, depending on how much you ship, maybe ask your mailman to get a hold of a rate negotiator for your business. Our mailman is pretty cool and actually just yesterday had me give our information to him so he could get a rate negotiator to call us. Apparently they can get even better rates than the big shipping services..but I'm not too sure that's true.. I guess we'll see what he says when they call us!
Why would you want to insure them?
@@jimklemens5018 i was shipping my old phone as a trade in but the phone company only sent labels with no insurance.
@@oliviabacon802 What type of label did they send you?
so concise and well explained! Maybe you can help shed some light on this? I'm mailing something that is technically not completely uniform as it is (it's a flat mesh bag that can be but the plastic straps at the top do sometime want to pop up. I know it could lie flatter if I used a more heavy like cardstock envelope than just normal manila type envelope. The USPS website only says a a flat/letter envelope needs to be make of "paper"-- but it doesn't really say what weight of paper. I'm wondering if a cardstock envelope (close to the type of the priority flat-rate envelope) would be considered "rigid" and then not an envelope? Or could that be considered a large letter envelope? those type of cardstock envelopes can bend so it's not exactly rigid-- they're just a little thicker.
(2.0)Large envelopes (flats) with certain characteristics (see DMM 201.4.7) are subject to PARCEL prices.
More than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than 6-1/8 inches high, or more than
1/4 inch thick.
b. Not more than 15 inches long, or more than 12 inches high, or more than
3/4 inch thick.
c. Flexible (see 2.3).
d. Rectangular with four square corners or with finished corners that do not
exceed a radius of 0.125 inch (1/8 inch)
(2.3) Minimum Flexibility Criteria for Flat-Size Pieces
Flat-size pieces must be flexible. Boxes-with or without hinges, gaps, or
breaks that allow the piece to bend-are not flats. Tight envelopes or wrappers that
are filled with one or more boxes are not flats. At the customer's option, a customer
may perform the following test on their own mailpieces. When a postal employee
observes a customer demonstrating that a flat-size piece is flexible according to
these standards, the employee does not need to perform the test.
Test flats as follows:
a. All flats (see Exhibit 2.3a):
1. Place the piece with the length parallel to the edge of a flat surface and
extend the piece halfway off the surface.
2. Press down on the piece at a point 1 inch from the outer edge, in the
center of the piece's length, exerting steady pressure.
3. The piece is not flexible if it cannot bend at least 1 inch vertically without
being damaged.
4. The piece is flexible if it can bend at least 1 inch vertically without being
damaged and it does not contain a rigid insert. No further testing is
necessary.
5. Test the piece according to 2.3b or 2.3c below if it can bend at least 1 inch
vertically without being damaged and it contains a rigid insert.
Corner Radius Maximum 1/8"
Graphic at 100%
Place mailpiece against
template to test accuracy
www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjKgpGyyNj0AhXkUd8KHQ0CAbQQFnoECAYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpe.usps.com%2Fcpim%2Fftp%2Fmanuals%2Fdmm300%2F201.pdf&usg=AOvVaw15nF4C_rRJRRkWnZm_ISKu
Mark what is your opinion on musical cards that do not fit through the letter 1/4 inch slot, have something hard in the middle and the card is raised up so that it is not able to fit through the 1/4 inch slot for the cost of a letter.. I am curious what your thoughts are. Thanks.
Very good. Straight from the usps dommestic mail manual.
Thank you so much! I ship pokemon cards through the eBay trading card service and postal employees aren't aware nor was i aware they can scan the barcode you showed at the beginning of the video. Can they scan it with a regular scanning gun at the register or is there another way? I really appreciate this!
They dont physically scan those imbd barcodes. If it doesnt say usps tracking or tracking, they dont scan them either when you drop them off or when they are delivered. Those imbd barcodes are scanned at the mail plants going thru the sorting machines. So the computers see it going thru the plants and expect them to be at the post office for delivery on a certain day. When the carrier gets to that delivery location the computer then completes the delivery information automatically.
so in order to get free tracking you have to have a business account only? and what if I want to do regular mailing not just my small business
Try companys like Letter-track.
Can you add this type of tracking to an eBay order ?
How do you print the usps informed visibility on the letter itself? Can I just put a stamp on the envelope and then print the barcode? Do you just print a bunch of the same barcodes?
Each mailpiece has a unique barcode
I apologize for the late reply bro! We've been super busy with fulfillment the last two months so I only just saw this.
So there are two ways you can do it:
1. The first one is the easiest, and the way I do it right now. I use a thermal label printer with 3x2inch labels that I print the "Send To" address on, along with the IV barcode right above it.***
***I actually personally use Letter Track Pro for this, because it automatically emails our customers the updates along the way for our packages. Although this does cost .18 cents a piece, it's worth the addition for our current fulfillment process. In the future, I plan to set up an IV barcode system that emails our customers ourselves, to save that extra 18 cents. When you're shipping low cost items, every bit counts!***
2. You can print them all right onto the envelope. Before we got the thermal label printer, I would actually print the return address, the send to, the IV barcode, and the postage all on the front. However, because it was all printed right on the envelope, it ended up looking more like a bill you'd get in the mail then a package to get excited about lol.
However, I also had to make a png template that I could cmd+shift+4 screenshot the barcode, send to address, and postage to for each shipment. This took forever and QUICKLY became infeasible for the amount of shipments we were doing. This is why I'd look into automating it and using a thermal label printer.
Esty gives you a free trackng number when you mail a first class mail letter envelope. I dont understand why you cant get that through USPS....
This is great! So many questions though. You seem to be struggling and as determined as I am! I own a stationery company for 10 yrs now and this last year has been the worst with consistency. The problem is we mail 300 or so at a time and some offices reject upon arrival while most accept. 🤦🏻♀️ I like your guide! Do you sell those?
the problem with using flat service (even with this barcode) is when some post office rejects it they would also ask the customer to go to the post office to pay the fee as a first-class package, which makes the customer get super mad/angry and I have to spend time to explain what's happening.
@@mfg.9638 yes! We recently had this happen in one neighborhood. Awful! I’m trying to study to understand the different methods that different post offices use to quote. Do you know if the system “$3.50 is the lowest rate for parcel postage and that is up to 3.5 ounces. For every additional ounce you add $” ?
That is the method we have been used to for years. Now all of the sudden this doesn’t seem to be matching the rates we are being charged and I cannot track the methods for quoting. One office said they don’t have parcel pricing and everything goes by weight and zone ? If that’s the case then you literally have to plug in every zipcode 🤔
@@amyboyter6922 yes, I think 3.5 is the lowest cost to avoid the customer service issues. Or just mail everything with envelope and stamps when customers claim they never receive it just issue a full refund. I watched this UA-cam video title is “Diy shipping tutorials 1: mailing small merch items using postage stamps” I think is helpful.
@@mfg.9638 thank you! I’ll check out this video. I see so much content on mailing merch but these are wedding invitations (very very high end wedding invitations). So dealing with important information that has to get to people. 🤔 it’s a challenge for sure. We have been putting $5 on everything lately 🤦🏻♀️. Appreciate your replies, all very helpful!
Hi bro, from where you get those stamps plz? Thank you
Hey Sahara! So I use Pitney Bowes to print stamps directly to my letters/flats. Normal stamps you buy at the store only come in 1oz format unless you get specialty ones from
USPS. Plus online services such as Pitney Bowes, stamps .com, easy ship, etc usually have some sort of savings for various package rates. Pitney Bowes is the best cost version I’ve found and I think that’s because even the government uses them! In fact, I recently registered a trademark with USPTO .gov and they sent the final trademark certificate in a big Manila envelope with a red Pitney Bowes stamp printed right on it like I’ve been doing.
The service itself is only $5 a month, and they offer a free trial for the first 30 days. I use their app on my Mac to print the stamps directly to the envelope.. the only problem with this is that they try to restrict you to only printing stamps to two size letters -.- (USPS is such b/s)! So what I do to combat this is I print the stamps to a printer I don’t have connected, then click the printing documents and mini screenshot (command + shift + 4) the stamp and then print it directly to the envelopes myself. It’s a small hassle until you automate it yourself, but doing so I’ve saved $2-$2.50 on every single small unit we send.. this is literally double our profit for our small items.
@@harrisondoes thank you bro
so its free shipping as long you have a stamp and just put the letter your sending to the blue box or mailbox and post office?
There are different stamps i think the regular one is a 1 oz then theres like a 3oz I believe just make sure you have the correct stamp on it
Hi Harrison, thank you for your introduction, I think there's some useful measurement tools or template rulers for USPS First Class mail on eBay, which are convenient and accurate.
What site do you use to purchase first class postage?! I own my own business and I always try to avoid the post office too, but i don’t know where to purchase postage for first class stamped mail online
I use Pitney Bowes (www.pitneybowes.com) ! It's $4.99 a month but that's the cheapest I've found in terms of the ability to print stamps directly to envelopes. Stamps .com also works too but they were more expensive. Plus Pitney Bowes included a free 10lb scale which is way heavier than others I've seen.
@@harrisondoesYour video literally saved me from going to thru countless websites to figure out prices and all that! Thank you so much.! So if i use pitney bowes for first class postage how can i add visibility barcode ? Can you please explain. ! Thank you milions
@@harrisondoes do you use that to send out a flat/large envelope too?
@@rosetitan8246 are you talking about letter track or Pitney Bowes? Because Yes and yes (sorry for the different screen name, I’m signed into our business account). But I use letter track for flats too, I simply copy the png letter track barcode onto the Pitney bowed flats shipping label below the send to address (but not down where the normal usps barcode is).
@@semirraleon4331 aw I’m so sorry I don’t know how I missed this 10 months ago! (Sorry signed into our business account right now). I use Pitney bowes to print the stamps onto envelopes. I also print the return address directly on the envelope, then I use letter track to print the address with the letter track barcode onto a 2x3 inch or 3x4 inch thermal printer label. Then I stick that label on the envelope and boom!
You can also print the letter track barcode and address directly onto the envelope with the return address and stamp, but the envelope tends to look more like a bill in that case lol.
I don't understand any of this. I need the for dummies edition of this video. I feel like this is going to get a lot of my packages sent back
You have me smiling, LOL. Cute comment!
Signed up. Don't know how you got barcode to trade
This is super useful! Thank you!
I sent a envelope in first class and didn't get a tracking number and now my envelope is lost. 😭 Never arrived and it has important documents inside.
That really sucks. What's worse is that letters don't allow tracking unless you use some sort of IV barcode. Even then it's almost impossible to find.
So, i tried to sign up for informed delivery.. with my business account... basically said (last line) that because im using a business account i cant do it.. what am i doing wrong?
thanks in advance.
INFORMED DELIVERY
The Informed Delivery® feature gives eligible residential consumers the ability to digitally preview their mail and manage packages scheduled to arrive soon. Users can see images of the exterior address side of incoming letter-size mail and package tracking information on Priority Mail®, Priority Mail Express®, and other trackable parcels via email notification, online dashboard, or mobile app. Images are only provided for letter-sized mailpieces that are processed through USPS' automated equipment.
While Informed Delivery is available for most addresses, it is not available for all. Some consumers may not be eligible to receive images of their mailpieces and may only be able to track packages with Informed Delivery. Your ability to sign up for Informed Delivery is dependent on living at an eligible residential address and the ability to verify your identity.
As a business user you are not eligible to participate in the Informed Delivery program. If you want to participate, please create a new USPS account and register as a personal user.
So the problem is that you’re trying to sign up for a residential service. Informed delivery is not the Informed Visibility service for businesses. Although they both run on the same IV barcodes, the Informed Visibility barcodes are obtained through your usps business portal
It is not a simple click and done process though, you will have to read up on a few things bro! If you don’t want to waste the time, letter track barcodes are .18 cents a piece and your customers see updates. I use those when it’s for my customers shipments. I only use normal IV for other letters I send.
@@harrisondoes Thanks for all the detailed info - especially about the fact i was looking in wrong area.. finally got signed up for the informed delivery via the usps business services center.. and after sifting through the various 200+ page manuals- realized that alot of the manuals are about signing up for the service /export tracking data ... How do we print the actual informed delivery bar code? i have not found any info on that aspect.. may just end up leveraging the lettertrack service you suggested, but still trying to figure out how to print the informed delivery code.
@@harrisondoes This is amazing, I never knew Letter Track existed and it's cheap! I am going to use it for sure. Does this work internationally? Trying to research that now...Thanks for this great video. Love the printout! lol
I just shipped a $100 item, postal worker came to my door to get extra money - I somehow shorted the USPS $10.... then they took the box away and lost it. Gone. But it was insured for $100! ...So, i just got my $38 check from them in the mail! I'm done with the usps. If i can't UPS or FEDEX it, it stays here.
Thank you sir!
I always request pickup, i live in corcoran, ca and they have the worst terrible service when you go in the office to drop off, the manager dont even know the shipping rules!! Lol 😂 listen lady i put in the details in the web and it lets me print my labels!!!
Lol exactly!
Hahah exactly!
Postage saver
I had a post office employee tell me I couldn't mail photographs in a letter and it would be charged as a package. PHOTOGRAPHS? I had 2 in there it wasn't even thick. In what world does that make sense 🙄🙄
Lolol whaaat!? This is the ridiculousness of postal employees though
I need help bro
Don't tell how to get the barcode.
Been shipping usps flats for years. Last year we started getting a bunch returned, or sent to customers with postage due. I finally figured out that some weren't thick enough. Added some chopped up cardboard that I bent every which way and they stopped coming back. Have had the same experience with some postal workers so nasty about the way our flats were packaged (not everyone, but one or two in particular), had a lot to say, but couldn't actually prove to me how they were wrong. I just drop them off at a contract office now. You can save a lot of money, but you have to be willing to experiment with your product, the envelopes, etc. Got here looking for a way to provide tracking for flats.
Yeah, it’s ridiculous sometimes. I posted a second video explaining letter track pro and how I use it. For flats in particular, I actually just copy and paste the Informed Visibility barcode above or below the address on the label I print out. Unlike a letter, it can be vertical or horizontal on a flat, and still be read by their machines.
With letter track, I pay 0.18 cents per track. So for each 2oz letter I send, that’s 91 cents with tracking. Saves about $2.40-2.90 on every package I send that way. Huge margin increase for small items. But each person must find a way to scale this for their own individual business
Must be a iphone, you are reversed. Haha.