Upgrade from Priority Mail to Express Mail.

[inhawaii]

I just had a customer request an upgrade from Priority Mail to Express Mail.  He's willing to pay.  I've never shipped Express before. Is it kind of the same thing? I can print the label through ebay like i'm used to and give the package to my mail carrier like i'm used to?

[gkyn29]

For express, I suggest dropping it off at the post office and getting an origin scan on it. My understanding is that shipping times lose their guarantee if you don't do this.

This is because it's a guaranteed service so you can get your money back if it is late. However, this only applies if you have it scanned

Read this

https://support.shippingeasy.com/hc/en-us/articles/203608299-How-to-Obtain-a-refund-for-a-delayed-Pr...

[lintbrush*]

The previous poster is correct regarding the guarantees and the scan.

You need to check with USPS to see what the cut off time is for Express Mail and the guarantee for your particular post office.   If you carrier gets back to the post office after the cut off time, the Express service will start the next day.

While most locations are 1 day (overight) delivery, there are exceptions.  It can be 2 days to some locales.  You may be able to get the info on USPS.com when you use Calculate a Price.  With both zip codes entered, it will tell you when it will be delivered.

Your customer might not be willing to shell out the money if it's not going to get there for 2 days.

[orangehound]

Just remember that if your buyer decides to file a MBG claim on the item, then you will be out that costly shipping charge ... and your return shipping on that claim can be higher as well.

I don't do overnight for this very reason.

[inhawaii]

The customer is ok with it arriving Monday.

I told the customer that Priority Mail would have arrived on Tuesday or Wednesday.

$30 more to get it a day earlier. But hey, the customer is always right, right?  😃

It was super easy,  just like printing out a First Class or Priority Mail label.

I asked my mail carrier about a deadline.  She never really gave me an answer but said when ever she accepts a Express package (like mine today) she suspends regular delivery an makes a special trip to the post office with the package, because my route is so close to the post office. 

[berserkerplanet]

Although you have a special deal with your carrier, in general Express Mail has to be at the PO by the daily deadline for that particular PO. If not, 1 day Express becomes 2 day, and 2-day becomes 3 day. There is no slop in that system - it has to go out and get on a plane for the delivery deadlines to be met.

Look up real numbers here: https://postcalc.usps.com/ServiceCommitments

Shows the Express Mail dropoff cutoff times at local PO's, and the estimated delivery date (1 or 2 day Express delivery), along with Priority, FCM, and parcel Select info too.

I just checked and around here the cutoffs are similar to what I recall, with main PO's being 3-4 pm, and smaller contract places as early as 10 am for 1 day Express. Curious thing is that if I plug in a more rural destination zipcode, the drop off times go to 4-6pm mostly, which makes sense as there was a whole extra day in there when it was tagged as a 2 day express delivery, and I guess the extra few hours at dropoff don't matter (it's likely the transfer from a big PO near the airport to a rural PO at the receiving end that costs the extra day.)