Shipping from USA to Canada (1 Viewer)

Himewad

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I'm struggling to find a relatively cheap way to ship items to Canada from the USA. I understand that it will be more expensive than just shipping domestic. But if I'm just shipping one or two dealer buttons, for example, surely there is a cheap way to send them. When I go to the USPS web site, the best rate I can find is $12.25, which seems excessive considering the buttons themselves only cost about $5 each.

What do you guys do to keep the shipping costs down?
 
Try the paypal shipping link, send as a gift using gaming tokens and keep the value under 5 or 10 dollars
 
Try the paypal shipping link, send as a gift using gaming tokens and keep the value under 5 or 10 dollars
It goes by weight at paypal shipping and you can ship flat rate or first class, first class is always less. Theres another option too I think
 
Try the paypal shipping link, send as a gift using gaming tokens and keep the value under 5 or 10 dollars
I have tried using PayPal, but the "ship to" section defaults to the USA and I can't change it to Canada (or any other country, for that matter). Do I need to upgrade to the commercial account in order to do that?
 
OK - that link worked. Someone gave me a link previously that wasn't working, so I appreciate it. I found a super cheap rate to ship a single button. Maybe because tracking isn't included?
 
First class mail international by weight is usually the best for something small and light. The mouth breathers at USPS will sometimes say you can't do that but you can.

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

"First-Class Mail International® (FCMI) service is the most affordable way to send letters and lightweight packages to more than 190 countries, including Canada and Great Britain."
 
Here's what I'm bumping into when going thru the PayPal shipping.

If I choose First Class Mail International Service, I have two package type options: Large Envelope or Letter. It's obviously not a letter. Does shipping 1 or 2 dealer buttons in a 4x7" bubble mailer qualify as a Large Envelope?

If I choose First Class Package International Service, the package type defaults to Package (makes sense), but then the cost goes up to about $12 for up to an 8 ounce package. About $20 for up to a 2-pound package.

Does that sound about right to you guys?
 
Sounds about right. I usually can ship 2 dealer buttons for roughly 4-6 oz and it lessens the costs a bit
 
@ReallyGoodUsername has mailed a lot of chips to me at a very reasonable fee. Maybe he can provide some recommendations?
If he's getting a reasonable rate, he MUST be choosing the "Large Envelope" option. That costs about $4. But it so stinking reasonable that I'm worried I'm doing something wrong. :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
 
Not sure what service PayPal uses as mentioned above, but ... Never - Ever - Ever send by UPS/Fedex/etc. Regardless of whatever shipping rate they quote you, the recipient will probably end up having to pay around $75 (CDN) for brokerage fees, even if no tax/duty is applicable. If the value is more than around $10, then they will also have to pay tax on the declared value.

USPS on the other hand has no brokerage fees, and anything with a declared value of less than around $200 will usually not be taxed. Plus USPS is usually cheaper than the couriers for most types of packages.
 
PayPal doesn't use UPS/FedEx/DHL ... it's USPS that I can only assume gets handed over to the Canadian national mail service.
 
Google is your friend.

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The term “large envelopes” (also known as flat mail) refers to First-Class Mail sent in envelopes that exceed either 6⅛″ in height, 11½″ in width, or ¼″ in thickness. Large envelopes are often comprised of items such as marketing newsletters, product catalogues and legal correspondence. They can also contain CDs, books, manuscripts, magazines, reports or sets of documents that you don’t want to fold, although the mail piece must be uniform in thickness.

Typically, large envelopes are sent in an envelope large enough to fit an unfolded 8½″ x 11″ sheet of paper. Envelopes used for flat mail cannot be more than ¾″ thick, 12″ high, 15″ long or weigh more than 13 ounces. The USPS considers any envelope bigger than this size to be a package, and will be subject to parcel prices.
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The only hangup I see is the "uniform in thickness" text. I suppose I could get around this easy enough by putting packing material in the bubble mailer that is the same thickness as the dealer button itself, and spreading it throughout the bubble mailer.
 
Google is your friend.



Typically, large envelopes are sent in an envelope large enough to fit an unfolded 8½″ x 11″ sheet of paper. Envelopes used for flat mail cannot be more than ¾″ thick, 12″ high, 15″ long or weigh more than 13 ounces. The USPS considers any envelope bigger than this size to be a package, and will be subject to parcel prices.
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I think this is where most postal workers get it wrong. Just keep insisting that it goes First class mail international and that it is not a package. As you can see, you are allowed up to 3/4" thick. A bubble mailer and chips/buttons laid flat should be less than 3/4"
 
I think this is where most postal workers get it wrong. Just keep insisting that it goes First class mail international and that it is not a package. As you can see, you are allowed up to 3/4" thick. A bubble mailer and chips/buttons laid flat should be less than 3/4"
Yep. If I have to bring a ruler with me to the post office, so be it.
 
Sorry if I'm repeating information, but I didn't read the posts above.

So Large Envelope is usually the way to go, if you look on their site, there is some qualification measurements LxWxH/weight or something to make sure it qualifies. It is still expensive compared to our domestic flat rate and small padded envelopes. We have it good on that front.

In the past, I've also done a lot of US sided PO boxes and then the folks run across the border. That doesn't seem to be an option now though. :(

Also print the label through usps, stamps or paypal to make sure you get the rate. Plus it's usually a few cents cheaper.
I use paypal: Create Shipping Label - PayPal
 
I appreciate all of the help on this. Shipping multiple buttons will have to pay larger rates, but it appears that shipping 1-2 buttons should be fairly reasonable.
 
Hey @Himewad, I have that big button group buy shipment coming soon. I used Large Envelope via First Class mail in bubble mailers as well. Something around $4 sounds right.
 
I appreciate all of the help on this. Shipping multiple buttons will have to pay larger rates, but it appears that shipping 1-2 buttons should be fairly reasonable.
Were you able to confirm that shipping to Canada as a Large Envelope in a bubble mailer works? It is much cheaper than doing it as a package.

I’m shipping 10 chips, which should be roughly the same weight and thickness as 1 or two dealer buttons.
 
Were you able to confirm that shipping to Canada as a Large Envelope in a bubble mailer works? It is much cheaper than doing it as a package.

I’m shipping 10 chips, which should be roughly the same weight and thickness as 1 or two dealer buttons.
Well, my packages haven't arrived yet, so no I can't confirm. But the packages haven't been returned to me yet. :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:

If I were shipping 10 chips, I would probably put them in stacks of two, wrapped in cling wrap. Then cling wrap the five mini stacks so they stay flat (i.e. so they don't bunch up once in the mailer). No way that would exceed the 3/4" maximum.
 
So I’m going through this process now, and it is only allowing me to enter “documents” as the contents of the envelope. It’s also asking me for an HS Code for the customs form. How have others completed this?
 
So I’m going through this process now, and it is only allowing me to enter “documents” as the contents of the envelope. It’s also asking me for an HS Code for the customs form. How have others completed this?

On the group buy I just did I send quite a few packages to Canada and I was trying to do them as first class mail in bubble packages to save a ton (as opposed to the typical SFRB for rack etc). I had all kinds of problems doing it online and so I went to one post office and they said they don’t have the forms in store and that I had to do it online. So I went home and of course wasn’t able to do it again. I went to a different post office and they did have the paper forms so I shipped them from there, but I asked the guy how the hell to do this faster online and he said you have to create an online account as a business account. Only through a business account can you create the customs forms online for first class international mail. He said it doesn’t take any special work or paperwork, but you just needed to check the business account box. He said it was easy. I haven’t tried it yet. Take that for what it’s worth.
 
PayPal shipping is way easier, hs code not required and the form is self explanatory

*especially if you opt to send as gift
 
PayPal shipping is way easier, hs code not required and the form is self explanatory

*especially if you opt to send as gift

Can you do international first class mail on PayPal? I couldn’t figure out how to do it on the multi order system.
 
FYI, I just received a SFRB from the US and it only took 10 days (May 11th to delivery today), this is only a slight delay from normal (7-9 days).
 
PayPal shipping is way easier, hs code not required and the form is self explanatory

*especially if you opt to send as gift
It won’t let me send as a gift using the flat rate envelope option, which is the cheapest. That’s the problem. It only lets me choose documents as the package contents.
 

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