Etsy: Setting up your shipping profiles / International Shipping

It's been one month since the USPS raised it's prices (a little), so I guess it's about time for me to re-calculate my shipping prices!

First of all, you should know how much your regular items weigh when they're in their packaging, ready to ship. All the items in my shop right now weigh the same thing when in their padded envelope. They are very small, light items and they weigh 1 ounce (less than an ounce actually, but you round up to be safe). So I have just one shipping profile on etsy right now called "cozies- 1 ounce".


Step One:

Domestic Prices- Shipping within the U.S.
http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-prices.htm

I use First Class Packages service because I ship in small padded envelopes that are always under 13 ounces. On this page, scroll all the way down to the chart for Packages.

1 Ounce and under= $1.22
this is the base hsipping price, without adding "handling" charges.


Step Two:

International Prices- Shipping to the rest of the world from the U.S.

http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-international-prices.htm

Scrolling down to the bottom to the list for International First class Packages, here are the prices for one ounce- which is what my packages weigh:

Country Price Group 1; $1.23
Country Price Group 2: $1.23
Country Price Group 3-5: $1.44
Country Price Group 6-9: $1.44

If you clicked on "view price groups by country" you can see that CANADA is the only country in group 1.

MEXICO is the only country in group 2

group 3-5 has a lot of countries including Australia, China, Great Britain & other European, Asian & Middle Eastern countries.

Group 6-9 also has a lot of countries including Columbia, Pakistan, New Zealand.

What does this mean for your etsy shipping profile?

It means that besides your price to ship to the US, you should have no more than 5 more shipping destinations. (unless you have some reason to single out other specific countries)
1. To Canada (group 1)
2. To Mexico (group 2)
3. Pick one country from groups 3-5, such as: To United Kingdom
4. Pick one from groups 6-9 such as: To Pakistan
5. "Everywhere Else"

Now,  this seems like a lot of destinations to include to some people. Some would group groups 2-9 together and just have To U.S, Canada, & United Kingdom, for example. It's up to you.

I've decided to Include Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom & Everywhere else. The price to ship to Groups 2-9 are the same in my case (packages one ounce and under). I can actually just use Canada, Mexico and Everywhere else, but I'd like to include United Kingdom in there just so that it is more obvious that I ship Overseas.

Now that I have the prices for my particular size package to ship anywhere, I just have to adjust the price to account for things like packaging costs, included insurance, delivery confirmation* or your travel to the post office. It's different for everybody. As long as there is reasoning for the shipping costs you use, your customers won't mind.

*If you use paypal to ship domestically, you will have to buy delivery confirmation for 0.18, so be sure to add that to your calculations.


Here are all the base shipping charges before I add my "handling charges".

To United States= $1.22 + 0.18 = $1.40
To Canada; $1.23
To Mexico: $1.23
To Great Britain: $1.44
To Everywhere Else: $1.44

The things I consider when adding the handling charges are packaging costs, and the fact that for international I have to drive to the post office, while for domestic I can ship from home. I don't add much because I like to keep my shipping prices low.

Thanks for reading all that! I hope it made sense.