Really confused by shipping...

[mmah88]

I only sell items every few years and am just now creating some listings and having trouble figuring out how to set up shipping.

I want to just use USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Shipping and I want to pay shipping myself (as the seller).

So, for example, I select USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box.
Then, I select Seller Pays.

But when I preview the listing it shows "Calculate" where it should say Free Shipping. Why is that?

Trying a different approach, if I set the shipping option to USPS Priority Mail and then choose Seller Pays THEN the preview does show Free Shipping.

I'm trying to figure out what the right thing to do is. I don't want to create problems for myself when it comes time to ship -- improper label printed or whatever.

Thanks!

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

The shipping label prep page will allow you to choose whatever shipping you want -- regular Priority, a Priority flat rate envelope or box, etc. So as long as your buyers see "free shipping" and "Priority," you're good to go. Also, sometimes Preview's shipping section does not accurately show what the live listing will look like, probably because it doesn't have a buyer's ZIP Code to work with.

[fern*wood]

Since you say you haven’t sold in a few years, be careful with your pricing to cover the free shipping.  It’s likely much more expensive than what you may remember.

[mmah88]

I'm choosing USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box and Seller Pays as shown here:

And, then Preview shows "calculate" as shown here:

Since it's flat rate I don't understand why the buyer's ZIP Code would matter.  But, your suggestion that Preview's shipping section might not accurately show what the live listing would look like is probably true.

OTOH, if I choose USPS Priority Mail and Seller Pays like this:

Then, Preview shows me this:

But, (and this addresses fern*wood's suggestion) I am willing to pay the Flat Rate price but doesn't USPS Priority Mail mean NOT Flat Rate?  I don't want to go there...

Anyway, it's confusing to me. 

[mmah88]

OH!  I should have reduced the size of those screen shots.  Sorry..

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@mmah88 wrote: ...  doesn't USPS Priority Mail mean NOT Flat Rate?  I don't want to go there...

...

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No; the flat rate packaging is just one type of Priority Mail.