Adding the Non-Machinable Surcharge to my shipping label.

[bodaciousbargains7]

Hello! I have been selling on here for years. But have recently been selling some sports cards. The post office strongly suggests that I ship them NON-MACHINABLE which is a 50 cent surcharge. Right now I am paying the basic postage through eBay for an eBay Standard Envelope shipping label, then going to the post office to get the extra 50 cents stamps there. But I have been told there is a way to add the surcharge when I am printing the label, but I can't figure out how...I appreciate any help! Thank you in advance!

[1786davycrockett]

@bodaciousbargains7 

The "non-machinable" stamp is only available at the post office counter -- it can not be purchased through eBay.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

If you are being told you need to pay for non-machinable postage, your packaging is NOT eligible for ESE.

You will need some other form of postage.

ESE is intended solely for machineble envelopes. The Ebay requirements for ESE are ambiguous, but when the violate the "not too rigid" standard they violate ESE and are non-machinable.

The people at the counter at the post office know less about ESE than you do, and be relied on for information on the subject.

They do know what is non-machinable, however.

There are sellers who never have a problem with ESE and sellers who risk problems. It is based on what they sell and how they pack.

I have problems. I do not use it. My best results using ESE were with envelopes which are not permitted.

[simba6]

Machinable can mean being bent in a U turn around a roller a little over an inch in diameter.  Top loaders won't make it through so well....

[worldcoinauctions]

If you are shipping in toploaders, stop. You can ship ESEs with cards in penny sleeves, but toploaders are too rigid and trigger the extra charge or returns from USPS. In my card sales I offer shipping in toploaders, but in a padded envelope with a Ground Advantage charge.

[biggymoe]

What I do is print the ESE label paying the 3 oz. rate (currently $1.25), even if it only weighs 1 oz.  I stamp, Do Not Bend, front and back.  I have the PO clerk stamp Non-machinable on the front.  Luckily I have cooperative PO clerks.  The Non-machinable stamp means it won't go through the machinery and negates the rigidity requirement.  You do lose the tracking using this method.

Be aware that the interpretation of the ESE requirements varies from PO to PO, but it has been successful for me.

[bodaciousbargains7]

Thank you so much!  This helps a lot. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@biggymoe wrote:

What I do is print the ESE label paying the 3 oz. rate (currently $1.25), even if it only weighs 1 oz.  I stamp, Do Not Bend, front and back.  I have the PO clerk stamp Non-machinable on the front.  Luckily I have cooperative PO clerks.  The Non-machinable stamp means it won't go through the machinery and negates the rigidity requirement.  You do lose the tracking using this method.

Be aware that the interpretation of the ESE requirements varies from PO to PO, but it has been successful for me.

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Eventually, the clerks will be trained, and when they are, they will reject all non-machinable ESE because it is not the same as First Class Letter, and this procedure applies to First Class Letter. ESE is under a special agreement.

And this technique is not guaranteed to work when the postal workers in the sorting center have to unjam the machinery.

[bdmh-enterprises]

Postal clerks have NEVER been properly trained, particularly in shipping small items. By the time they learn what ESE is there'll be a new standard for them to know nothing about. I learned long ago to deal with them as little as possible.

I use semi-rigid sleeves (NOT top loaders), in 6 3/4 envelopes. Standard #10 envelopes have too much floppy space making them not uniform thickness. Personally I've had almost no problems with ESE even with envelopes I know are stiff enough to be non-machinable. In fact I've had FAR more buyer complaints with ESEs marked 'delivered' than with the non-machinables that don't get scanned. I have never had any returned or up charged.

[biggymoe]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

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@biggymoe wrote:

What I do is print the ESE label paying the 3 oz. rate (currently $1.25), even if it only weighs 1 oz.  I stamp, Do Not Bend, front and back.  I have the PO clerk stamp Non-machinable on the front.  Luckily I have cooperative PO clerks.  The Non-machinable stamp means it won't go through the machinery and negates the rigidity requirement.  You do lose the tracking using this method.

Be aware that the interpretation of the ESE requirements varies from PO to PO, but it has been successful for me.

---

Eventually, the clerks will be trained, and when they are, they will reject all non-machinable ESE because it is not the same as First Class Letter, and this procedure applies to First Class Letter. ESE is under a special agreement.

And this technique is not guaranteed to work when the postal workers in the sorting center have to unjam the machinery.

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The non-machinable stamp means it isn't going through the machinery.

[lacemaker3]

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@biggymoe wrote:

What I do is print the ESE label paying the 3 oz. rate (currently $1.25), even if it only weighs 1 oz.  I stamp, Do Not Bend, front and back.  I have the PO clerk stamp Non-machinable on the front.  Luckily I have cooperative PO clerks.  The Non-machinable stamp means it won't go through the machinery and negates the rigidity requirement.  You do lose the tracking using this method.

Be aware that the interpretation of the ESE requirements varies from PO to PO, but it has been successful for me.

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I don't understand why you would do this; since you know that you won't get tracking if the eSE doesn't go through the machines. I must be missing something?

Isn't the point of using eSE to be able to have tracking on a less-expensive-to-mail envelope? Why bother with eSE if you're not going to get the tracking? Why not just send it with a non-machinable stamp?

I suppose you might be able to meet the requirement of  having tracking uploaded in time, but won't you get a defect for it not getting a delivery scan?

[gocg]

The "non-machinable" stamp with Butterfly is $1.19 and can also be purchased on line at USPS.com It will appear in your mailbox soon after ordering! 

[gocg]

Yes, they are taking a chance on having delivery problems.  The Ebay Standard Envelope (ESE) has a requirement that it not be "too rigid" and not be poly bag or plastic exterior surface. 

[kh-adrian]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.