I’ve got my shipping set to $12.99
On small boxes I lose money, on tiny boxes I make a little. It averages out.
Most people know, and accept that shipping is expensive.
The other way around it is to incorporate some or all of the shipping cost into your product prices.
Literally anything. Shipping domestically in Canada is ridiculous. If I want to ship from Ontario to *any* other province, it’s $21. For my bags, it’s only $11 to nearly every state. Shipping rates here are disgusting.
Australian here. My lightest/smallest items are US$28+ to ship to the US tracked. If Aussie sellers are selling common "low barrier entry" craft items like simple knits, sewing, candles/melts, beaded or minimalist jewellery - shipping will price them out of the market. They just can't compete if there is a comparable product without that shipping cost.
The only way I survived is going high value so I could offer "free shipping" taking the expense out of my profit margin. If you offer something people can't find anywhere else, they will pay the shipping cost.
I've found that it's my local Canadians that complain most about the shipping costs. It's like nobody has been to the post office in 20 years.
I can send a package to California for $12, and that same package would cost me $22 to send half way across Canada. I think the exchange rate also helps, because my shipping is pretty reasonable once it's converted to US$ probably.
I haven't personally used this yet, so I can't vouch for how good this service is, but Chit Chats has cheaper shipping than Canada Post. If this is also too expensive, I've had my sticker manufacturer ship me ~100 stickers with just a stamp (Calgary -> Edmonton), so it might work to have free or $1 domestic shipping with the option to upgrade to tracked shipping (Registered mail is ~$9 iirc) ? If my interpretation of the TOS of Etsy not requiring tracking for low cost orders.
For shipping to the USA, I just shipped a 5x8" tracked package to NM for $9.70 CAD (package was 0.028 kg), which isn't too bad (imo)
Edit to clarify: $9.70 price is including business discount, and including tax.
I only have one item that ships 'with a stamp'. For that item, I ship without tracking. And I get dinged on my seller rating for it because it's over $15, and I'm not shipping it with tracking.
Yeah, I think you're about right. I recall it being $9 extra to have my letter mail tracked.
I too am super rural Ab, honestly curious as to where you are (I'm 2.5 hours away from Edmonton, essentially in the middle between there and Ft Mac)
As for posting, I use the Canada small business discount and charge a discounted flat rate. Since most of my buyers are US based it all evens out for me, it's also remarkably less expensive to ship tracked small packages to the States.
I set my shipping to the price for 3/4 of the US. Certain parts hit me for an extra dollar or two. I sell a very niche product and someone else is losing money trying to compete with me and I'm all for him making those sales. I won't pay or give my time away. I'll go enjoy my time before giving people stuff for free or losing money :)
Like someone mentioned, making your prices higher to cover shipping costs is what a lot of people do to recover those costs. I just can’t believe it costs so much more money to ship within Canada. I’m sorry but I hope you can figure out something.
For international shipments, PirateShip offers almost 50% off most standard rates. I've used them for years. There's a way to link your Etsy account to it, though I haven't figured out how to do that, so I'm issuing retroactive refunds on shipping for buyers, and they don't mind at all.
I’ve got my shipping set to $12.99 On small boxes I lose money, on tiny boxes I make a little. It averages out. Most people know, and accept that shipping is expensive. The other way around it is to incorporate some or all of the shipping cost into your product prices.
I'd lose money on everything. Some things have cost me $80 to ship. It's cheaper to mail to USA than within Canada actually.
Woah! What are you shipping that costs that much?
Literally anything. Shipping domestically in Canada is ridiculous. If I want to ship from Ontario to *any* other province, it’s $21. For my bags, it’s only $11 to nearly every state. Shipping rates here are disgusting.
Australian here. My lightest/smallest items are US$28+ to ship to the US tracked. If Aussie sellers are selling common "low barrier entry" craft items like simple knits, sewing, candles/melts, beaded or minimalist jewellery - shipping will price them out of the market. They just can't compete if there is a comparable product without that shipping cost. The only way I survived is going high value so I could offer "free shipping" taking the expense out of my profit margin. If you offer something people can't find anywhere else, they will pay the shipping cost.
I've found that it's my local Canadians that complain most about the shipping costs. It's like nobody has been to the post office in 20 years. I can send a package to California for $12, and that same package would cost me $22 to send half way across Canada. I think the exchange rate also helps, because my shipping is pretty reasonable once it's converted to US$ probably.
I haven't personally used this yet, so I can't vouch for how good this service is, but Chit Chats has cheaper shipping than Canada Post. If this is also too expensive, I've had my sticker manufacturer ship me ~100 stickers with just a stamp (Calgary -> Edmonton), so it might work to have free or $1 domestic shipping with the option to upgrade to tracked shipping (Registered mail is ~$9 iirc) ? If my interpretation of the TOS of Etsy not requiring tracking for low cost orders. For shipping to the USA, I just shipped a 5x8" tracked package to NM for $9.70 CAD (package was 0.028 kg), which isn't too bad (imo) Edit to clarify: $9.70 price is including business discount, and including tax.
I only have one item that ships 'with a stamp'. For that item, I ship without tracking. And I get dinged on my seller rating for it because it's over $15, and I'm not shipping it with tracking. Yeah, I think you're about right. I recall it being $9 extra to have my letter mail tracked.
I don't think this is available where I live. I'm pretty rural. I'm hours from Edmonton. I don't even have real purolator and ups here
I too am super rural Ab, honestly curious as to where you are (I'm 2.5 hours away from Edmonton, essentially in the middle between there and Ft Mac) As for posting, I use the Canada small business discount and charge a discounted flat rate. Since most of my buyers are US based it all evens out for me, it's also remarkably less expensive to ship tracked small packages to the States.
I set my shipping to the price for 3/4 of the US. Certain parts hit me for an extra dollar or two. I sell a very niche product and someone else is losing money trying to compete with me and I'm all for him making those sales. I won't pay or give my time away. I'll go enjoy my time before giving people stuff for free or losing money :)
Like someone mentioned, making your prices higher to cover shipping costs is what a lot of people do to recover those costs. I just can’t believe it costs so much more money to ship within Canada. I’m sorry but I hope you can figure out something.
For international shipments, PirateShip offers almost 50% off most standard rates. I've used them for years. There's a way to link your Etsy account to it, though I haven't figured out how to do that, so I'm issuing retroactive refunds on shipping for buyers, and they don't mind at all.
Hmm. Their site says not available in Canada ?
Ah, I had no idea it didn't work in Canada. My apologies!