Nowadays it’s easy to send a parcel to any part of the world. All you need to do is to pack your goods and find a shipping company. But international delivery can get pretty expensive if you’re shipping to Poland from the USA or to Europe in general.
Luckily, there are ways to reduce the cost of international package shipping. Here are 5 things you can do to save on sending items overseas.
Let’s go through them.
1. Use poly mailers for single and small items
If you wish to reduce the cost of international delivery, you need to be careful of the weight and dimensions of your package. Obviously, you can’t change the weight and the size of the item you want to ship. But you can be smart with the packaging.
Cardboard boxes are the most common packaging materials for international shipping. But if you’re sending one or small items, a poly mailer might be enough. Select a padded mailer that best matches the size of your goods. It’ll keep the weight of your parcel low and won’t increase its dimensions.
2. Pick boxes of the right size for multiple items
Poly mailers are great for keeping the price of international delivery low. But they’re not recommended for shipping fragile items. They also can’t fit several larger items. In these cases, you’ll need to use a cardboard box.
When shipping overseas, select a box that’s neither too big nor too small. You need to have some space to add cushioning materials to ensure a safe package delivery. But too much empty space will put your items at risk of getting damaged and might needlessly increase the weight and size of your parcel. So try to find a box of the proper size.
3. Reuse packing materials when possible
If you often ship items internationally, buying new packing materials every time might be expensive. One way to reduce these expenses is to reuse packaging.
However, you need to be extra careful with used shipping materials. Use old boxes or mailers only if they’re in perfect condition. Damaged or flimsy external packaging won’t protect your goods. It’s a different case with internal packaging, tough. Cushioning materials, such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts, etc., usually can be reused without any worries.
4. Calculate the shipping cost in advance
It might be difficult to estimate the cost of international delivery on your own. So it’s a great idea to use a shipping rates calculator. It’ll help you to estimate how much sending your package internationally might cost.
By using a shipping calculator, you can also check how much the weight and dimensions of a parcel affect the shipping cost. It might not be worth sacrificing an additional layer of bubble wrap for reducing the heaviness of your package if the parcel will still belong to the same weight category.
5. Select a shipping company with affordable rates
Finally, the best way to keep the price of shipping overseas low is to find a carrier with affordable rates. Don’t be in a hurry to select the first shipping company that catches your eye. Do thorough research on its competitors and the benefits they all offer.
It might take some extra effort to reduce international delivery costs. But it’ll be easier to do it with the tips described above.
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